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As intelligent beings, do we have a certain responsibility in the universe?

brianluxbrianlux Posts: 42,042
in A Moving Train
I just wrote this in the Train's Lounge Car and got to thinking maybe it would be a good topic for discussion:

"...last night before going to sleep I was reading in this book called The New Universe and the Human Future by Abrams and Primack about how most of the universe is comprised of dark matter and dark energy and how, besides hydrogen and helium, all visible atoms in the universe only make up about .01 percent of the whole. Then I read that chemistry is "incomparable more complex than physics" and that biology is more complex than chemistry and that civilized, intelligent beings (us and possibly others like us) are the most complex things we know of in the universe. And then I got to thinking, if all that is true and, say, we turn out to be the only self-aware, intelligent life in the universe and we and our atoms are such an infinitesimally small part of that incredible vast whole... well, the more I thought about these things the more TOTALLY FREAKED OUT I felt about all that..."

The reason this freaks me out is that it seems, even if we are not the only intelligent beings in the universe, that being so infinitesimally small either implies we are either totally irrelevant due to our negligible size or perhaps the opposite- that we have, by what ever means be it luck or some cosmic plan, a tremendous responsibility to make the most of the incredible beings that we are. I strongly tend to think the latter. But I also find this frustrating because I look at the world around us and see what a mess we have made of it and I GET TOTALLY FREAKED OUT about that!

Curious as to what you all think.
“The fear of death follows from the fear of life. A man [or woman] who lives fully is prepared to die at any time.”
Variously credited to Mark Twain or Edward Abbey.













Comments

  • AnnafalkAnnafalk Posts: 4,004
    I think that since we are the species controlling this world we are also responsible for it.
  • brianluxbrianlux Posts: 42,042
    Annafalk said:

    I think that since we are the species controlling this world we are also responsible for it.

    I think that's mostly very true, Anna, but that raises other issues. It seems to me that rather than control the world, we would be better off if we lived conjointly with it, remained in concert with its cycles, lived by natures laws rather than our own impulses. And if we are as special as we seem to be, it seems to me we have a responsibility to ourselves and everything else to make the most of that enormous gift that, out of all the universe, our infinitesimally small selves were given and to at least respect if not protect as much as possible everything else- life, rocks, water, everything- that is so greatly affected by our actions. Instead, for whatever reason, we seem to be doing our best to trash our little corner of the universe. Why do we do that? Some people say we are insignificant in the universe. I'm not sure and I don't think so but suppose that's true- all the more reason to believe we have no right to ruin so much of everything we can touch.
    “The fear of death follows from the fear of life. A man [or woman] who lives fully is prepared to die at any time.”
    Variously credited to Mark Twain or Edward Abbey.













  • AnnafalkAnnafalk Posts: 4,004
    edited March 2015
    Greatly written Brian!, that's how I feel too!
    Post edited by Annafalk on
  • benjsbenjs Posts: 9,150
    Brian, I'd take this a step further. Until we've proven our ability to take care of our provider of necessary resources (Earth) alongside ourselves - we've yet to prove that we're intelligent species. I hope we prove it soon.
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  • brianluxbrianlux Posts: 42,042
    benjs said:

    Brian, I'd take this a step further. Until we've proven our ability to take care of our provider of necessary resources (Earth) alongside ourselves - we've yet to prove that we're intelligent species. I hope we prove it soon.

    I hope so too, benjs!

    "Intelligence" is a tricky word because it is defined so variously. We have a form of intelligence that includes self-awareness and consciousness which may be unique but as a whole, we don't practice wisdom. Instead, with all that brain power we possess, we work to destroy that which sustains us and all other life instead of preserve and protect it. That is confounding to me.

    “The fear of death follows from the fear of life. A man [or woman] who lives fully is prepared to die at any time.”
    Variously credited to Mark Twain or Edward Abbey.













  • backseatLover12backseatLover12 Posts: 2,312
    benjs said:

    Brian, I'd take this a step further. Until we've proven our ability to take care of our provider of necessary resources (Earth) alongside ourselves - we've yet to prove that we're intelligent species. I hope we prove it soon.

    I like this.

    I was just reading how the human waste (both exrement and garbage) on Everest is at an all-time high and climbers are now required to bring down about 20 lbs of that waste off the mountain. We even litter and ruin the most pristine of all places, it proves we're not as intelligent as we think.
  • backseatLover12backseatLover12 Posts: 2,312
    brianlux said:


    "Intelligence" is a tricky word because it is defined so variously. We have a form of intelligence that includes self-awareness and consciousness which may be unique but as a whole, we don't practice wisdom. Instead, with all that brain power we possess, we work to destroy that which sustains us and all other life instead of preserve and protect it. That is confounding to me.

    Me, too.
  • mickeyratmickeyrat Posts: 38,602
    I think the premise we are intelligent is wrong for a start.
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  • rgambsrgambs Posts: 13,576
    mickeyrat said:

    I think the premise we are intelligent is wrong for a start.

    That is just foolish. Wisdom and willpower are not the same as intelligence. We self-aware, we are empathetic, we communicate our thoughts and feelings, we are able to peer into cores of the fundamental building blocks of the universe, we can see to the very extent of the universe that the laws of physics will allow... That is some serious intelligence. Yes we have emotional issues and we haven't overcome our baser instincts yet, but to say we aren't intelligent is not intelligent lol
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  • brianluxbrianlux Posts: 42,042
    rgambs said:

    mickeyrat said:

    I think the premise we are intelligent is wrong for a start.

    That is just foolish. Wisdom and willpower are not the same as intelligence. We self-aware, we are empathetic, we communicate our thoughts and feelings, we are able to peer into cores of the fundamental building blocks of the universe, we can see to the very extent of the universe that the laws of physics will allow... That is some serious intelligence. Yes we have emotional issues and we haven't overcome our baser instincts yet, but to say we aren't intelligent is not intelligent lol
    What I got out of what Mickey said (correct me if I'm wrong) is that by looking at human behavior in general and the mess we have made of things, it could be easy to deduce that we don't behave as intelligent beings. We have so much potential that way (and sometimes that potential is marvelously carried out!) but we so often squander it.

    I think you're right, Gambs, in seeing humans as having emotional issues- it's almost as though we aren't wired quite right to steer the wild beast of our emotions. It's too bad Carl Rogers' ideas aren't taught more widely. Those emotions can lead to great things. As for our base instincts, I'm not sure we need to overcome them so much as reign them in and make them useful. Wanton destruction is rather pointless. Jimi burning his guitar at Monterey was a creative act that has thrilled generations (although I would say to mimic that act has would be both redundant pointless).

    “The fear of death follows from the fear of life. A man [or woman] who lives fully is prepared to die at any time.”
    Variously credited to Mark Twain or Edward Abbey.













  • Jason PJason P Posts: 19,138
    Join the Mobile Infantry and save the Galaxy. Service guarantees citizenship. Would you like to know more?
  • brianluxbrianlux Posts: 42,042
    Jason P said:

    Join the Mobile Infantry and save the Galaxy. Service guarantees citizenship. Would you like to know more?

    Dude, you make it hard to keep a straight face on a somewhat serious topic. Haha!

    “The fear of death follows from the fear of life. A man [or woman] who lives fully is prepared to die at any time.”
    Variously credited to Mark Twain or Edward Abbey.













  • Jason PJason P Posts: 19,138
    brianlux said:

    Jason P said:

    Join the Mobile Infantry and save the Galaxy. Service guarantees citizenship. Would you like to know more?

    Dude, you make it hard to keep a straight face on a somewhat serious topic. Haha!

    Naked force has resolved more conflicts throughout history than any other factor. The contrary opinion, that violence doesn't solve anything, is wishful thinking at its worst; people who forget that always die.
  • vogonpoetbythelakevogonpoetbythelake Posts: 2,146
    all people always die, intelligent death however...
  • brianluxbrianlux Posts: 42,042
    Jason P said:


    Naked force has resolved more conflicts throughout history than any other factor. The contrary opinion, that violence doesn't solve anything, is wishful thinking at its worst; people who forget that always die.

    What you're saying is true on a certain level and for a time. But there is also the argument that long-term survival is well accomplished through community solidarity and community/regional/international interdependence.
    vogonpoetbythelake said:

    all people always die, intelligent death however...

    So true! And yes, I would rather die by forging ideas than by forging weapons. Each to his own that way, I suppose.

    But what I was hoping to go for here was looking at the bigger picture besides just brute survival (all animals have an intrinsic survival instinct) - to look at things like our responsibility to use our big brains wisely. To strive to understand our destiny. To use our good fortune to be cognizant, potentially cognitive, and definitely to be creative. It confounds me that we humans so often don't seek the higher ground, but even worse, that we seem hell bent on destroying ourselves and, along the way, so much of the rest of our planet.



    “The fear of death follows from the fear of life. A man [or woman] who lives fully is prepared to die at any time.”
    Variously credited to Mark Twain or Edward Abbey.













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