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Scifi and Fantasy Forum: Speculation: Higher purpose of humanity
Higher purpose of humanity
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I was thinking today of how most life forms have purpose but would be unlikely to realize it.
Take for instance, the genetically engineered bacteria which we use to produce a variety of enzymes and chemicals. Specifically, lactose. Even if they had become intelligent and analyzed their excrement, they would probably have no idea that humans need it to digest proteins found in fluid from cows. Or insulin; they would never guess that humans needed it to regulate blood-sugar levels. They just go about their normal day-to-day lives never realizing that they are serving a higher purpose. In doing so, they serve that purpose.
Likewise the way that a waste-product of plants is oxygen, necessary for animals to live. Or the honey which beekeepers collect and sell as food that isn't a necessity but is a luxury, like silkworm silk.
Perhaps unfathomable aliens stop by from time to time to collect our excrement. Perhaps they would die or suffer without it. Or maybe it's just a valuable luxury to them. If we discovered such aliens, what would our societal reaction to these cosmic excrement-eaters be?
Posted By:  Hyperion Sep 03, 2004 - 09:43 am |       | Axzazz De`Nyde
Interesting concept, I have to admit to that being a very interesting theory or train of thought 
Sort of fits in with the religious side of things with everything going according to Gods plan, the divine plan, were everything has a purpose. If you're so inclined that is.
It even smacks of Darwinism in a way also.
But if you add chaos to that theory, it trashes everything really, because chaos has zero purpose how ever far/deep you try and delve into it's mechanics.
And chaos is very much a part of our Universe.
Hyperion The Despised
| Posted By: MrB Sep 03, 2004 - 01:02 pm | | Ax, are you suggesting the purpose of Anal probing by aliens is to collect our pooh?
sick dude... really sick !
So what? If this happens, what does it matter? I think humans would be more interested in the aliens than the fact that the aliens were stealing our waste. I certainly would. But I do believe we have a purpose... to enjoy our lives and help each other in doing so. Based on my philosophy, purpose would be whatever you make of it, but I'm just saying that that's what I make of it.
| Posted By: Magus Sep 04, 2004 - 01:02 pm | | How does in nock Darwinism? I'm just curious. If anything I think it might exemplify it. Please elaborate.
Personally, the way our society is run, we'd sell it. Common jobs would be proffesional, for lack of a better word, crappers. We'd jack up the prices real high and then sell it. But to control this food prices would go up so as not to give the people too much power in the trade. People would starve and die, and the trade would suffer. It would destroy humanity and then, if dependent upon it, the other race as well.
| Posted By: Hyperion Sep 04, 2004 - 01:51 pm | | Magus, to me it smacks of Darwinism in the sense that as stated in the op, "everything has a purpose".
Darwin did try to classify everyone/everything as having some order and plan within the order of the universe.
Evolutionary theory relies heavily on every animal - every plant - every microbe & molecule having some sort of plan, some designed rule of thumb that it, whatever, "it" maybe, has to follow in order to succeed.
I just thought that it smacked of both Darwinism and religion.
Hyperion The Despised
| Posted By: Magus Sep 04, 2004 - 02:04 pm | | O.K.
I was just wondering.
| Posted By: Jdogg Sep 06, 2004 - 02:44 am | | Aliens apart - it sounds like Gaia to me. This whole 'purpose' thing is something that we all must have thought of at one stage. 'Straw Dogs' by John Gray puts an interesting slant on it all. One thing that is intrinsic to it all is self-awareness. Why are we self aware? Is it the 'prize' for becoming the dominant species on the planet, spare brain capacity being turned over to other pursuits? If man hadn't become dominant would another species have developed intelligence and in turn self-awareness? Also - do we need a purpose?
| Posted By: Magus Sep 06, 2004 - 05:24 am | | When I think of it, no, we really don't.
I think it's good, though. Each person should find some purpose in his/her life, or people start wondering why they're here and commit suicide or whatever. But obviously, not everyone will. I mean, it's not like our purpose is to find a purpose, but for me, knowing my purpose is a big deal... My purpose is the same thing as my goals, basically. That's not a promise or a prediction, but it's something I'll strive to make real. Actually, in another sense, I view everyone's purpose as a part of the balance in the universe, but that's more subjective.
"If man hadn't become dominant would another species have developed intelligence and in turn self-awareness?"
Well, one hypothesis is that the Neanderthals went extinct due to competition with our ancestors for food. I really wish the Neanderthals were still around, although they'd probably have spent many years being our slaves or some other terrible thing, and then black people might have taken longer to get their rights. But still, it would awesome! Then we could have humans falling in love with this other species and creating lots of controversy. 
| Posted By: Magus Sep 06, 2004 - 09:15 am | |  Yes, controversy, I love it.
I don't nessecarily see a higher purpose for humanity as a whole. But I do believe that we all have out own purpose for being here, one that makes itself known to us in due time.
"If we discovered such aliens, what would our societal reaction to these cosmic excrement-eaters be?"
Reaction: "Hey, I'll trade you my excrement for a warp drive!"
"What a piece of work is man!
How noble in reason!
How infinite in faculties!
in form and motion, how express and admirable!
in action how like an angel!
in apprehension, how like a god!
The beauty of the world! the paragon of animals! "
--From Hamlet (II, ii, 115-117)
| Posted By: Magus Oct 05, 2004 - 04:52 pm | | You like Shakespear a lot, don't you, Vincent_Vega? This has to be the second or third post I've seen you use quoting him.
| Posted By: Magus Oct 05, 2004 - 04:55 pm | | But it is very fitting, and very true. Humans are infinately diverse. Just look at our different cultures for proof. There is no limit to what we will go to to obtain what we desire.
But, also, we are limited. We think much of ourselves, perhaps too much. Maybe we should act with more humility and composure.
"Don't be so humble, you aren't that great." Golda Meir
Uh... Magus. "There is no limit to what we will go to to obtain what we desire. But, also, we are limited." Those aren't contrasting sentences. They are contradicting. I think the first one is wrong. We are limited, and that means we have limits. It's very simple... I think I have seen the limit of humanity... Well, it's based on my opinion of what is the best state-of-mind. After understanding Buddhism and feeling "liberated" for a little while and then listening to a religious argument, I return to this conclusion: The more you learn about yourself, the more you realize how little you really know. Whenever I turn around and think I've come across the "Truth," even if I still think it's a truth, I have to remember again that it's not "The" Truth, that it doesn't matter really how you view it... Every point-of-view is essentially the same thing.
Nice quote by the way, Magus... 
I think someone may have mentioned it in passing. Gaia or rather the Gaia theory.
Now i wont go into great deatil (theres books and books on this) but the Gaia theory states that all life on earth is intrinctly connected in such a way that it creates a giant pysduo organism.
now this is not to say that the earth is actually alive or sentient but rather the sum of its parts creates a system that has the traits of a living creature.
So where does this leave humanity. Well you could take it on the matrix view that we are a plague upon this world, a kind of macroscopic bacteria but i find this incredibly derogitory of our speices. We could be the planets immune system as we are the only species capable of bringing great change to this world. we are the only things capable of protecting life from natural disasters like meteors.
Or finally and this is my favirote. that through evolution has somehow created Gaia's conciousness, where are cities and travelways have become its nervous system capable of reacting and changing the body.
Ultimatly when humanity travels space and begins to colonise other planets, this could be seen as gaia placing its seed and spreading throughout the universe.
Its all phisophical but there you go....
| Posted By: Magus Oct 09, 2004 - 08:38 pm | | Hmmmm....
I have a cool story idea now, based on your above post.
***
But that's a very interesting theory. I never heard of it before.
Uh-huh... And, you know, the funny thing is that you don't realize that that is more than a story.
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