Re: origin of ideas, civilization, reading list

From: EvMick@aol.com
Date: Sun Aug 05 2001 - 14:02:42 MDT


In a message dated 8/5/2001 2:15:16 PM Central Daylight Time,
JoshCahoon@cs.com writes:

> On another topic entirely, I'd like to confess sympathy with a very
> anti-extropian idea: Civilization and technology are bad and unnatural.
Hehe.

I'm of the opinion that mankind can not exist without technology....that
is...that technology is part of the definition human. Without technology we
would not be human but merely animals.

That said....those animals today that show signs of developing
technology...ever so faintly..(I've been told by "greenies" that there are
some...??) ..might be identified as "pre" human. Using this definition it's
obvious that direct genetic descent is irrelevant.
> .
> I'm no longer certain that people have "better" lives today than they did
in
>
> prehistoric times. We are not biologically adapted to the worry-prone,
> insecure, estranged lives that are part and parcel of American society
today.
>
> Chronic stress, anorexia, depression, obesity--these are a few maladies
that
>
> are likely much more prevalent today than in prehistoric times. Maybe the
> anarchists are onto something.

I can't see how early, primitive humans were any less worry prone....being
prospective lunch for a local carnivore would tend to cause anxiety I would
think. And back to the earlier topic...the less of a tech base the more
likely to be lunch.

EvMick
Effingham Illinois...



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