Yes, once we achieve these things nobody will appreciate them, people never do. Since the dawn of man no one truly understood how lucky they are to even be alive. But it's human nature, so we should not worry about that. |
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What is meant by 'human progress', and what are we 'progressing' to? Is it to cure all diseases, cure aging, and solve the population problems this would create? We won't appreciate that once we achieve it. Is it to colonize a world off Earth and put an end to limited resources? We won't appreciate that once we achieve it. Is it to master an understanding of every natural phenomenon in the universe, including every aspect of the human mind? We won't appreciate that once we achieve it. |
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Last edited by IndieAnthias; 04-14-2011 at 02:24 AM.
Yes, once we achieve these things nobody will appreciate them, people never do. Since the dawn of man no one truly understood how lucky they are to even be alive. But it's human nature, so we should not worry about that. |
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I like your response but I gotta tell you... just read a book that basically made the point that "humans nature is fundamentally flawed" is a myth. |
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What are you talking about? Most people appreciate being human over some other animal. We got big fat brains and thumbs, what is not to like? Every one is extremely happy not to be a cockroach or something. |
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First, let me congratulate you on your ability to see the future and deduce what we will and will not appreciate. Second, rationality is necessary for purposeful action. You cannot act purposely and yet be acting irrationality. Irrational purposeful action is therefore an impossibility. So you say "Our 'progress' is driven by emotion and economics rather then rationality," you are actually speaking a falsehood. Third, if you wish to descend into the depths of nihilism then by all means take the dive, just don't try to act all educated about it. Be honest, you are just shrinking from reality because you are incapable of properly dealing with things that are either beyond your control or you haven't the fortitude to control. |
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'What is war?...In a short sentence it may be summed up to be the combination and concentration of all the horrors, atrocities, crimes, and sufferings of which human nature on this globe is capable' - John Bright
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Last edited by Photolysis; 04-14-2011 at 11:37 AM. Reason: Formatting & rephrasing
Ideally, I'd like to think that our next step in human progress is becoming more sensitive to nature and balanced in the world, so that we're no longer destroying the environment, starting wars and other fundamental flaws. One day we might mature just a little bit more and our recent splurge into technological dependence and saturation will make us realize that we need nature and simplicity, living in harmony with our scientific and technological progress. Just to keep improving in the way we treat each other and our surroundings, living life to its fullest and understanding things a bit better. Just those goals will take a very, VERY long time to fulfill, but will be the most important of all. |
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Last edited by DeeryTheDeer; 04-14-2011 at 10:20 AM.
DILDs: A Lot
Awareness, fundamentally, is knowing what you are and what your purpose is. Then, what your options are to fulfill your purpose. When you do not know these things, then emotion and fantasy must drive you--for the body will be driven one way or the other, for good or for bad. |
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Last edited by Philosopher8659; 04-14-2011 at 12:17 PM.
I think human progress is the God of the industrial age. |
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"I think human progress is the God of the industrial age." |
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Except I delineated exactly what I meant by it. |
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You see, some people actually explain what they wrote if it's potentially confusing or ambiguous. Shocking, huh? |
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OP here. |
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Last edited by IndieAnthias; 04-14-2011 at 08:49 PM.
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Some people carry mace for self-protection. I carry extra prozac. |
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There is a great deal correct about what you saying concerning progress especially with Whig historicism and Social Darwinism in the nineteenth-century. I don't see how you example of a hunter/gather and an individual with a "food tube" relate though. The individual with the tube merely has one less concern in the satisfaction of wants. He has a great timetable now to carry out his other desires. Like if Robinson Crusoe made a wooden cabin that would remain sturdy for years instead of using coconut branches that would wither after a week of use, would his life be any less purposeful? |
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'What is war?...In a short sentence it may be summed up to be the combination and concentration of all the horrors, atrocities, crimes, and sufferings of which human nature on this globe is capable' - John Bright
If you take nothing seriously then you are like the wind and merely dancing around. I see that as a useless existence. You make no mark, you have but one emotion, you develop nothing and became nothing. Perhaps you have a difficult time seeing the implications of your words. Don't be worried though, there is a met.hod to fix such a deficiency. Analyze what you actually mean before you say it. |
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'What is war?...In a short sentence it may be summed up to be the combination and concentration of all the horrors, atrocities, crimes, and sufferings of which human nature on this globe is capable' - John Bright
@Laughing Man |
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Last edited by IndieAnthias; 04-15-2011 at 12:17 PM.
We "bother" for human progress because it's fun to those who strive for (or believe in) it. Everyone has their own idea of what progress is. This isn't something that needs an ultimate justification or fundamental purpose, it's just fun. The idea of improving in some area of life, to a lot of people, is fun. And they call that progress. |
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As an addition to what Invader said, we strive to continue and progress through life because that is how we exist. At a bio-scientific standpoint, humans along with any other living organism, they don't truly have any purpose. From a scientific point of view, everything was just created by incident alone. But we continue to try to progress because that is just how we think. |
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I think it might have been Rorty that said something like historical progress is the fact that it is better to get a toothache now in the twenty first century than 300 years ago. |
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That's called "taking people at their word." Why would you say something when you didn't actually understand what it fully meant? |
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Last edited by Laughing Man; 04-18-2011 at 01:59 AM.
'What is war?...In a short sentence it may be summed up to be the combination and concentration of all the horrors, atrocities, crimes, and sufferings of which human nature on this globe is capable' - John Bright
People do that. (You might have noticed.) |
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Last edited by IndieAnthias; 04-19-2011 at 02:03 AM.
This is all true. Scientists do not figure these things out to help humanity. Of course they say they do, but they're really just having fun finding new things out. |
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Lots of good responses, thanks everyone. The op was a little weak in that the ideas are a bit disjointed (and it does read rather rantish, sorry for that.) Some posters saw a connection, some didn't. I'm not even sure if there was one intended, but at least all or parts of it spawned some discussion. |
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Last edited by IndieAnthias; 04-21-2011 at 02:53 AM.
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