Humans are infinite, in that, there is no end to the descriptions we can provide about ourselves and our relation to the world.
This is not a religious or unproven or theoretical view. Infinity describes the number of ways in which we can think of ourselves and our relationship to the universe.
Humans are not just a collection of cells or atoms or quarks, but they are all of these things. Humans are not just whole and intelligent beings, but they are both of these things. Logically speaking, the set of all descriptions of a human (or anything, for that matter) is infinite. The number of scientific and philosophical ontological schemes we can muster has no end.
This can be proven because the list of ways one can think about reality and humans role therein has no end. Some people think we are spirit, reductionists think we are particles, others than we are a manifestation of will.
Perhaps we are all of these things and none of these things, individually. What we are, again, is infinite. I do not know if our consciousness remains after death, but it may. Perhaps we are just having a human experience as a portion of an infinite reality and perhaps we are animals who, when we die, there is nothing.
If there is no greater intelligent and benevolent life forms in the universe, then humans are most likely doomed. I can only hope for the intervention of an intelligent species as there appears to be none on Earth at the moment. Combining human aggressiveness, ignorance, and greed with nuclear technology appears to be a very bad thing indeed.
The global warming I am most concerned about is the kind that may take place in a few hours and cause instant climate change toward the conditions found inside a microwave oven. The slower version, a version potentially caused by atmospheric and environmental destruction, is very problematic as well.
I tend to strongly think climate change is really happening, but I remain skeptical of our leaders and the information being presented by governments, such as the United States, that harbor and defend war criminals. It is not so much that I think it's a hoax but that I don't trust the powers that be. We have, in the United States, some 5,000 warheads. The term "insanity" does not seem to go far enough when describing human-kind's suicidal tendencies.
We humans are limited only by the bonds of ignorance and institutional blinders. What manner of institutions bind us? Anywhere humans gather and obvious or subtle politics, money, or faith are involved. Schools, churches, professions, nations, races, universities, families, and society itself, are all coersive and antithetical to true and open philosophy.
If humans were a mental patient, they would have to be under 24 hour supervision and be kept away from sharp objects.
I think we all know what a human is, at the very least, in a common and ordinary way when we are out in the world, but what are the characteristics that make us uniquely human? The ability to use complex language. The ability to reason using symbols that are beyond the circumstances of our immediate environment.
We share many aspects of these traits with higher primates and perhaps other native species on earth but none of them seem to be able to have one very important ability. Self-consciousness. The ability to know that you are knowing. Even some humans and developing human children do not posses this ability. We can think about thinking. Nothing else we are certainly aware exists is capable of thinking about thinking. Certainly, we hope, we are not alone in this ability.
Humans are scared of other humans who do things and look differently than themselves. Humans will believe anything. Humans are capable of forming paradigms completely removed from empirical reality and acting as if those paradigms were more real than anything we have ever seen or touched or tasted.
Humans are aware of their awareness and this makes us sad because we are all alone in our awareness. Humans are concerned primarily with feeling good within whatever paradigm they currently believe to be true. Humans often herd each other towards a particular paradigm with force or ostracism.
Humans are greedy. Firstly, they are greedy for themselves. Secondly, they are greedy for those they love. Thirdly, they are greedy for their family that they don't love. Fourthly, they are greedy for their community of people, their city, their state, their country, continent, and hemisphere.
Very lastly, we are greedy for all humans equally and for the animals and the plants. Humans are self-interested and all human altruism is ultimately selfish because the altruism makes us feel good about ourselves.
Humans do not like to be called selfish. Humans do not like to think of altruism as selfish. Human altruistic selfishness builds a stockpile of personal good that can not be taken away but human material selfishness only builds a stockpile of no-good goods.
Humans are creative and expressive and they make every decision and form every thought against an emotional backdrop or mood that ultimately determines the course of every cognitive action. Humans are in control of their own evolution and very well may not be anything like they are now in the future. Humans are capable of destroying the planet right now, instantly.
Humans are capable of destroying the planet slowly, over time, without knowing that they are doing it. Everything every human ever does will be destroyed.
Humans want to live forever but can not so they invent elaborate metaphysical schemes in order that they may. Humans want more than reality has to offer so they may ultimately change reality to get their way.
Humans may be capable of ripping a hole in the fabric of the universe. Humans may be capable of destroying the universe. Humans may be capable of occupying the universe. Humans may be capable of creating god.
Humans invent technologies that may enslave or liberate us. Humans like to control each other and when given power tend to use that power to gain more power. |
|
|
Humans can not truly empathize with each other because they are limited to the space and time their particular body occupies. Humans like to study other humans.
Humans like to think they are special and that the things we do are somehow distinct from the rest of nature. Humans call that which they make "artificial" and the rest of the world "natural" and we think this distinction is, somehow, real. Humans like to build things and change things to suit their needs even when their needs will be undermined by their building.
Humans truly learn only in times of catastrophe and then they are doomed to repeat the disasters because their memories are limited and short. Humans are human and that is to be at least capable of making mistakes and, at most, destined to make mistakes.
Once, in basic training in the U.S. army, I was called a mysanthropist by a drill sergeant who, perhaps, was amazed at my disdain for others. Humans are an ugly, violent species and I often wonder if the suffering we inflict on ourselves is worth the art and philosophy and music. Children, before they are tainted by religion and political and racial indoctrination, give me solace and some hope for a better future.
Either we must unify all governments or begin dissolving them into small states. Given human nature, the former possibility will most likely only lead to total enslavement and this, I think, is the goal of the New World Order- a coalition of the rich and powerful working to return humanity to serfdom under kings and queens.
The best thing humans can do is decentralize power, check power, and, given our history, perhaps manipulating our composition away from anger, hatred, and violence would be a good thing. But, then again, without anger and hatred, what would fuel our revolutions?
About humans sub topics (listed on the left hand of the page):
___________________________________________________________________
The topic of humans contains many sub-topics that are related to human life. Abortion deals with human reproductive rights and the problems of religion and state. Climate change deals with humans ongoing pollution of the atmosphere from the emission of greenhouse gasses. History includes a few essays related to ancient athens.
A culture page discusses the varieties in human societies. The drugs topic page examines the government's role in sanctioning drug use. The justice page discusses what is right or wrong in terms of various understandings of fairness. Language includes the ways humans communicate. Meaning is discussed in various ways.
The media and its effect on humans is analyzed on the media page. Omelas is a critical essay about Ursula Leguin's short story, "The Ones Who Walk Away From Omelas". The page on sex is a candid look at human sexuality. And, the society page looks at human organization and the academic studies of sociology.
