We are
constantly using words such as “progress” and “evolution”. We use these words
to describe our superiority over other animals and past generations. We use
these words to describe our actions which harm others and the environment. We
use these words to defend and/or disavow our feelings. Yet all the while we ignore
the possibility that such words can breed arrogance and ignorance. There is a
dark shadow over what these words actually mean. They both suggest a “bettering”
or an “improvement” to what has come before[1]. As
humans, in technology and in morality, we have furthered our understanding
which has been built on the past – and now, at this very moment, we are at the
pinnacle of progress as we know it. We are at the apex of evolution. From
micro-organisms to genetic alteration, from stone hammers to I-Phones, from
savages to civilizations, we have achieved this current state of being. We have
struggled and fought, warred and died, dragged our own species kicking and
screaming, and we have finally reached this zenith from which all our past
toils have been pushing us towards.
Now I
ask you, in the wake of the post evolution era, where are we going? As humans,
as the ‘superior’ species, as the rulers of our world, we have directed our
development for hundreds if not thousands of years. We have sought to control
our destinies. We have denied nature of her own plan, and we have stepped out
from under her command. We have grasped the reigns and now we are alone to
decide which way to turn, which direction to take, which way to lead ourselves
into the future.
What is
our collective answer to this question? Where do our governments stand? Society
is preoccupied with money and wealth and consumer goods. We seek pleasure from
bigger houses and faster cars. We look for enjoyment from instant communication
and information. The world population is at its largest ever and yet the world
has probably never felt smaller than it does right now. Our sharing of
information is reaching a fevered pitch and it almost seems impossible to keep
any secrets. It is here where these questions must begin. It is precisely where
our values lie that we should be asking the most questions. Sure, we all want a
roof over our heads and food on the table. We all want enough money to live
comfortably and to take care of our children. However, we must ask ourselves at
what cost – is my dinner worth the starvation of others? Are my foreign made
clothes worth the subordination of the poor? Is my false sense of freedom worth
the deaths of millions?
It is
at our base needs that we must consider what has went awry. For the majority of
our existence on this planet, survival was our be-all and end-all. In our
modern age in the developed world, this is no longer the case. Our goals as
living, breathing organisms have taken a dramatic step off the standard path.
We no longer strive towards what nature intended. We now exist outside of this
understanding, and we have never been more alone.
To answer the question of where
are we going will be an arduous journey, but it is a journey we must take. For
centuries, we have yearned for this moment – a time where humanity could
subsist beyond our set limitations. We had our eyes so focused on this objective
for so long that we never considered asking the most important question thus
far – once we get there, where do we go now?
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