Can we overcome our differences or are we doomed ?

It's a very nice thought and I'd love to see it happen, but it's a very tall order and I don't think there will ever be a time where everyone will be that kind and accepting of others differences and opinions. Some people are real miserable bastards who are never satisfied with anything and unfortunately, I think it'll always be that way.

Re: Can we overcome our differences or are we doomed ?
I think the question is: can human beings be rational[about their differences?
Sorry, Nipok, but I don't believe this is possible. You see, even rationalist philosophers like Kant had prejudices (about black people, for instance). I don't think that if he lived today, Kant would have that kind of attitude. Epicure, one of the greatest free spirits of all times, accepted in his "garden" women, slaves, but had a strong prejudice against non-greek people. And Bertrand Russel had an obvious prejudice against religious people.
If those three men, perhaps the greatest free spirits in history, didn't resist to prejudices (like "black people are inferior", "non-greks are inferior", "religious people are stupid or ignorant") how can we expect that most of humanity is able to rationalise about differences (of ideas, nations, religions, skin, gender) ?
Today we see fanaticism grow in terrifying levels. And not only talibans, Bin Laden, the Balcans or african tribal genocides. Even United States, with Bush, are developing a new spirit of crusade, Israel chooses murder as a political solution.
Yes, I am deeply pessimistic about our world.
But I must tell you one thing: I don't believe my country better than others, I don't see any difference of capacity according to gender, skin, or race, I respect religious people beeing atheist. I think you too respect other people differences. And there are many more people like us. Perhaps it is a beginning.

Not a hope in hell !!!!!

If Kant had been born in the 20th century, he probably would have had the same acceptance of things that we do. If MLK had been born in Kant's place, he would have had the same predjudices. It's doesn't mean a damn thing. There will always be divisions between people, and just as people in the past didn't always see those divisions a problematic because they got the long stick, I'm sure there are things we're not noticing today. It's not a matter of getting rid of the divisions, it's a matter of understanding that they are our divisions, and not nature's. It takes an incredibly long time (generations) to really get a hang of it, for some reason, but it always works out once we really understand it as a problem. No one was posing this question ages ago when things were much worse, and even with all of those divisions, we've survived to the present. What makes you think that as things get better, society will decline? Just because we look back at earlier eras and wonder how they survived with each other, why does that mean that today's world is doomed? It's all rather silly, if you ask me.

Rufio, I admire your reply. I wish you were right.
But look around. There are thousands of "Bin Ladens" wo believe that killing americans, europeans, is good, in name of their god. And this is only a small example. Do you think that societies would be able to free themselves and accept "the other" as he is?

Free themselves from what? We are masters of our own destinies. If it were impossible to "free" ourselves, we would still beleive African Americans to be subhuman, and women to be incapable of voting. It's not inescapable, anymore than it's impossible to escape the belief that the world revolves around you that we all have as children. It's just a matter of becoming more informed. History stands as a testament to this.

I think that we will either kill each other or Earth before we all get along. Earth will no longer be able to support human life in a very short time if we don't quit abusing her.

Native Americans allway's took care of the Mother Earth, returned anything they took. Man has taken untill there is not much left to take. We have abused the most wonderful gift we have ,our Enviroment. War's will all-ways be fought, Our great Nation was taken by force, with bloodshed and death.It's our legacy to the future generation's.

I am not sure if I am an optimistic pessimist or a pessimistic optimist. I know that if we don't start thinking globally about the survival of our species as a whole we are doomed. I know that we do have the intelligence as a species to recognize our insignificance in the universe and that we are jeopardizing everything we have achieved. I know that we are too self-absorbed as a species to really think on the global scale that is needed to save ourselves. So I agree that we are capable of being here in 100,000 or 1 million years but I doubt it. I voted myself for the 1000 years slot, if we as a species are thriving in 1000 years it will be a miracle.

That sucks. My grandparents growing up were wide-eyed optimists looking at the future ahead and saw great things coming. I now think about the world my grandchildren have to look forward too and it is depressing. If every other species on the planet is able to take their native instinct for survival and rule their life by this principle why can't we?

There are no differences, they are the result of 'smoke and mirrors!

[we are all in this together!]

We may only overcome our differences when we ourselves are overcome by love. Until then it is all selfish need. Neanderthalism.

i think that we all want to come together, but its not going to happen anytime soon. if it does it will be because everyone that is different will have been killed off. its just one of those things everyone wants but not everyone works to make happen. jews and muslims wont agree, christians wont agree with anybody(even other chirstians), aethists will be shot, etc... in case you haven't noticed ive focused on religion. and thats why the human race wont be able to come together anytime soon, all the worlds religions wont concede any ground and believe they are right all of the time, no matter what. and the world will continue to be split until the end of time.

Re: Can we overcome our differences or are we doomed ?


IF MACROEVOLUTIONARY PRINCIPLES ARE ACCEPTED THEN THE OBSTACLES YOU MENTIONED MAY BE OVERCOME HOWEVER SUCH OBSTACLES MAY BE THE MECHANISMS BY WHICH NATURAL SELECTION IS ADVANCED

Re: Can we overcome our differences or are we doomed ?
Sorry, No-U, but your reply seems to me like an oracle. What precise mechanisms are you talking about?

xxx.
i believe most of you are missing the point.
it's not war that is separating our culture, its our way of life.

if it's a question of nuclear holocost vs. worldly famine, i'll bet on the latter.

it will take less than 32 years for our population to double, this in turn shrinks exponentially. do the math.

Re: Can we overcome our differences or are we doomed ?


If natural selection/survival of the fittest/dog-eat-dog is a process that exists in our sphere of influence then the "obstacles" which the author of this thread mentioned may be devices/tools/mechanisms/opportunities to fuel such processes and thus advance the species even more

Wisdom comes after age
As teanagers we sometimes do stupid things. Things that with time, age and wisdom we realize were daft. As a self aware species we tend to forget first, that we are animals like other species and second, we are in the "teanager" years of our evolution.

The question is, "Are we going to wise-up before we blow ourselves up!"

It's up to us

The correct scientific answer.

spendius.

doomed....