Humanity 2 Essay, Research Paper
Every person has thought, at least once in their life, that it would be nice if there were no disease, no crime, no poverty, and/or for some other improvement in the Human condition. Since everyone has dreamed of a better world, it is fair to say that Humanity has a common dream. While no two humans are exactly the same, we are all of one race, the human race, and we all share the experience of life in an essentially identical carbon-based life-form structure. We all work for continuing survival while in this structure, and hope for a happy, safe, and good life for ourselves and for our loved ones. Therefore, everyone has a common desire for the best life attainable. “Utopia” is the word used to denote the best life attainable. Since each person has their own unique vision of Utopia, the only universally agreeable description of Utopia is, “the ability for each person to live in their own vision of paradise.” Humanity should strive to obtain that ability.
Since humans consist of both a tangible physical state (body) and an intangible mental state (mind), the way to achieve Utopia is to find technologies and methods that fully satisfy both states of human existence. With the right new knowledge Humanity can solve any problem and achieve any desired result. History has shown that anytime humanity wants to learn how to do something, such as land a man on the moon, the answers can be found if money and resources are devoted to the cause. Therefore, we should be devoting more resources toward finding the knowledge that will allow each person to live as they desire.
Human DNA has been fully mapped and now it is just a matter of determining what each gene does so that we can manipulate the same to stop illness, increase intelligence, etc. Princeton University scientists have already genetically enhanced the intelligence of mice. Aged brains have been restored to youthful vigor in a gene therapy experiment with monkeys. Scientists have recently created a new life form in the laboratory by creating a new genetic pattern of a simple organism. Cloning capabilities are increasing. Computing capabilities are going ballistic, and artificial intelligence seems to be on the horizon. With robots, machines, computers, and other technologies beyond our current knowledge such as nanotechnology, we can have unlimited production capabilities. With genetic engineering, chemical manipulation, and future technologies we can enhance the mental state of existence. In sum, with the right new knowledge, humanity can have infinite provision for all tangible and intangible needs and wants for existence, and thereby have Utopia. If humanity recognized this reality, and devoted more resources toward knowledge, we could accelerate the pace at which we reach a better world.
The three basic ways of interacting with knowledge, are: 1) dissemination from accessing stored information, through teaching, or from other methods of communication; 2) use through actions based on awareness of knowledge; and 3) acquisition of new knowledge from research, through experience, or from other avenues of discovery. Humanity has achieved proficient methods for dissemination of knowledge, and simply needs to better utilize the same in order to facilitate the use of knowledge. The primary method for finding new knowledge is through research and development. Less than 2% of current global productivity is being devoted to research and development. Clearly Humanity could and should be investing more in its future.
Everyone makes a vote as to the type of world we have with their lifetime efforts, and the total of all human actions determines whether the world is like a heaven on earth or a living hell. Therefore, the pursuit of Utopia can be implemented through the consensus method. The consensus method simply involves putting a dream into words and spreading those words until a large enough consensus is created to cause positive action by society. Individually and collectively we must shine the light of knowledge on the darkness of ignorance, until we find our best. If we take such a path, at some point in the future, Humanity will have a heaven on earth, where everyone lives as they desire.
In sum, since everyone desires a good life, we should make the same a common goal,
and devote some more resources toward finding the knowledge to make it a reality for all.