Originally posted on March 28, 2011 at 11:54am
I read a comment today that prompted me to address this topic; the gist was that, given how much damage people are doing, the commenter viewed animals as being superior. Now, in the past I've joked that it's time humans went extinct to give orangutans a chance to develop sentience and use it properly; but in reality, I'm fully aware just how bad an idea this is. What makes it so bad is that it's what we have in common with other animals, rather than what makes us different, that's mucking up the world: if other species had the means to do so, they would be just as destructive as we are, without either the conscience or the sense of aesthetic, or even the sense of being one of a larger whole, that push some of us at least to voice the idea that perhaps we should slow down a little. The problem comes about when a species develops just enough know-how to do some very serious damage, but has not yet developed the maturity to handle it -- like a child with a power tool. Or, as Einstein put it, "It has become appallingly clear that our technology has surpassed our humanity."
No comments:
Post a Comment