Is it natural for humans to make war ​…

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Mustard M
Mustard Jul 27, 2013 10:40:11
Replying to woolybaque

woolybaque wrote:
As far as human evolution is concerned... Evolution is about survival not enlightenment. Intelligence may well be an evolutionary dead end which nature is now abandoning.
Intelligence may well be an evolutionary dead end or an aberration, but it will survive or otherwise purely dependent on whether it provides humans with any evolutionary advantage. "Nature" won't make that decision. WE may make that decision by backing ourselves into a corner and destroying the environment that supports us, but we may equally come up with ingenious solutions to the problems that face us. I don't see how nature can "abandon" us.

R Robot Emperor
Robot Emperor Jul 27, 2013 13:27:49
Replying to Mustard

Mustard wrote:
"Nature" won't make that decision. WE may make that decision by backing ourselves into a corner and destroying the environment that supports us, but we may equally come up with ingenious solutions to the problems that face us. I don't see how nature can "abandon" us.
Certain diseases in the past have destroyed themselves through being too effective, destroying their host before spreading effectively, this is what I meant by nature abandoning something. I certainly wouldn't claim any sort of independent decision making by some sort of deity or guiding intelligence or spirit.

I think of nature as being what is left alive, the puddle fitting the hole in the ground. Look in the garden. Even the fucking flowers are trying to kill each other - trying to take each others light, jostling for space - even using chemical warfare. I think mankind is at its best when fighting against its nature.

W woolybaque
woolybaque Jul 28, 2013 12:31:43
Replying to Mustard

that wasn't my quote, it was R.E's - sorry, not up to speed on this

but I agree that we'll either self destruct or not. I choose to believe (and this is a question of belief, I think) that we won't, for the simple fact of our potential for intelligent thought. The Earth has given all it's life a start, with the Will to Live. Evolution has enabled survival of the fittest, but then there is a step after survival, which is living! That's what we need to work on.