1. A Need
Emergent anarchist movements are formed out of repression and increasing control. These movements and cultures will vary in as many ways imaginable depending on the need for change as dictates by the collective mind it springs from. When learning and scientific experimentation are subdued a subculture arises that encourages the expansion of knowledge and understanding. When creative and diverse religious and philosophical ideas are forbidden and demonized, the rebellious underground encourages enlightenment. A need for balance is detected by the collective mind - a subculture is the answer to that need. Now, there is a point when a subculture becomes a culture. Then, as other needs are detected, new subcultures emerge to fulfill them. Historically, we can see that this cycle repeats, and par for the course the old never wish to succeed to the new.
2. Vessels
A wonderful example of a vessel for evolutionary change can be found in the human fist. We have come to this specific arrangement of fingers and palm out of a need to attack and defend. The fist then becomes a vessel of further change both social and physical. Likewise, the vocal chords we use for speech evolved from the need for detailed and efficient communication. This opened up whole new areas of abstract thought, propelling us into drastic social evolution which lead us here: the modern human. Our evolution at this point has become a primarily social progression. Modern vessels of evolution are more commonly referred to as prophets, holy men, visionaries, poets, sages, philosophers, futurists, and etc.
3. The Problem
The transition from old to new is the chief source of disunity in all communities. The goal then becomes a search for smooth and efficient transitions until the line dividing old and new is no longer visible. This is made difficult by the tendency of the present power structure to attempt to absorb and gentrify the emergent culture that attempt to evolve, keeping us in a perpetual state of stagnation. Matters are made worse when we are divided among our own generation. W must be allowed to try new things for this is the very heart of our evolution. It has even been said that our willingness and tendency to take risks is what truly defines our species. We must evaluate for ourselves, each new generation, what to keep with us and what can be tossed away and forgotten.
4. Our Nature
Some would say that human nature is the problem - that something deep within our blood and brains and bones drives us toward greed and violence, and that this same DNA inspires us to create, invent, and survive. I would say that the nature of humans is simply to survive and that it is cultural stimulus that creates the need for violence and greed. A culture still dominated by ancient patriarchal ideals where sex is simultaneously glorified and demonized and monogamy is the norm, the people's sexual, emotional, and spiritual desires are repressed. This repression leads to violence and greed. Likewise a culture that holds personal property as its highest law creates a division of rich and poor. Greed is encouraged and violence is glorified. Many more have been killed for money than any other god.
We have to evolve, but how? the brain is able to change, it only takes great time and effort. if we push ourselves enough,perhaps our offspring could be born with synapses leaning towards selfanalayzing thinking somehow and repress the mindset of consumerism and capitalism. any ideas on what makes a species evolve? thinking of galapegos here, maybe with a commune/sustainable farm one could push mental limits with the humans reproducing, maybe like a muscle, the children could be born stronger. or they might reject it out of rebellion, but rebellion is stepping back to analyze i think and not just blindly accepting so this is a desired outcome. natural dissonance that leads to repeated moralistic evolution?
ReplyDeleteThe brain as it is now is essentially perfect. The problem is that it lays fallow, its vast potential for the most part untapped. I agree with the assertion of the original post that evolution now is primarily along a social vector, and would further clarify by saying that what we are talking about here is information. The scientific method is the evolution of knowledge, the evolution of what is agreed upon to be true. It is the process of acquisition and refinement of useful, coherent information, information being coherent patterns which exist due to observation and memory. The human brain is the perfect instrument for the manipulation of these patterns, but it is only a vessel. The patterns of which i speak need the physical mechanism of the brain to propagate, but are even now learning to persist without them. Self-existing information is the eventual human form.
ReplyDeleteThe surest way for the individual to progress toward this goal is through the perfection of the Will which is really the persistant projection of pattern into the void.