We are living in the era of the unification of humankind.
Humans, as a species, have become a unit of natural selection. It is a biological fact – no other animal species has the same quality. Humanity will survive or perish together.
The greatest enemy of a human being is the human being itself. This is true in the lives of both individuals and states. It is also true of the human species as a whole. The human species can only be destroyed by the human species itself. This is how things are on the planet Earth today.
Humanity is in danger of self-destruction. Nuclear weapons, climate change, and loss of biodiversity are all examples of the fact that humans are able to destroy the preconditions for human life on the planet. The threat of financial crises, recurrent pandemics, increasing inequality, and the ever-harshening social discourse are yet other problems for which we humans are to blame.
What is the reason for the self-destructiveness of the human species? This is the crucial question of our time. Finding an answer to this question is the most important ethical and intellectual challenge of our era. All other ideological speculations are subordinate to this problem. We should always go back to this question when we discuss current global problems.
The Swedish botanist and physician, Carl Linnaeus, placed our species in the genus Homo and named it Homo sapiens – wise humans. To his definition, Linnaeus added a remark: “Man, know thyself”. His comment was intended for the entire human species. Hegel said the same thing categorically: the Delphic maxim, “know thyself” is directed to humankind, not only to individuals. In other words, humans become wise only when they know themself as a species.
Our sole survival strategy is the knowledge of human history and human nature.
Humankind can survive only by building its internal relationships on the basis of self-knowledge. Only in this way we can live in harmony with nature.
Humankind ought to come together to study and discuss the basic teachings of our history. To that end, the program of the New History Association provides some practical suggestions.
Recommended Quotes
The greatest enemy of a human being is the human being itself. This is true in the lives of both individuals and states. It is also true of the human species as a whole. The human species can only be destroyed by the human species itself. This is how things are on the planet Earth today.
OUR VIEW: Humanity first! Towards an ethical civilization.
PART 1. IN WHICH ERA ARE WE LIVING?
Editors
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