(April 18, 2025 at 2:30 am)AFTT47 Wrote:(April 18, 2025 at 12:37 am)Ivan Denisovich Wrote: Humans are and were shitty and immoral species. Cursory look at the history filled with wars, genocides and all matter of crimes suffice to see it.
That's too pessimistic IMHO. Yes, history is bleak but I see slow progress over time. There are peaks and valleys but I see a general upward trend. We are definitely in a valley now and we need to climb out of it but we need to have faith that we will.
I see a progress too. Compared to tyrants of old dictators of this new age have many more tools at their disposal, like social media.
Quote:Yes, I admit that isn't very logical (my optimistic Secular Humanism side asserting itself) but what's the alternative? Wallowing in self-despair and self-pity? What good will that do us? We need to plow on and have faith that the better part of our nature will prevail. It's worked before. The Inquisition is long-gone. No longer do we have death wagons collecting our dead and beating to death those who claim they are getting better and going for a walk (Apologies to Monty Python).
We are making progress. It's slower than we would like but I believe it's happening. It keeps me going.
I leave faith to believers, especially when it comes to something so absurd (in my view) as human animal better nature. Where is this better nature when it comes to Gaza or Ukraine to use most striking examples? Why rogue states aren't bombed to kingdom come and sanctioned to hell and back? Yes, there is some help yet both war and genocide continues. And that's just tip of the iceberg - hunger, poverty, discrimination is rife and world does shit.
In Poland (member state of EU and 21-st world economy, not some banana republic) women are denied control over their own bodies - where are international sanctions, outrage, protests? Nobody cares and this lack of care is the reason for which I don't think all that much about humans. We might be better than in the days of yore but being barely better than shit is still shit.
It is not despair or self-pity to see human for what it is. If humans would be something better than walking sacks of garbage then fascism wouldn't make comeback. If humans were more than bloodthirsty animals then genocides would be song of the past (if they would happen at all). Truly what a piece of work man is (yes, I know that Shakespeare meant something different).
The first revolt is against the supreme tyranny of theology, of the phantom of God. As long as we have a master in heaven, we will be slaves on earth.
Mikhail Bakunin.
Mikhail Bakunin.