Harmony and Conflict in the Living World - Alexander F. Skutch [99]
In our more optimistic moods, we may take peaceful associations as indicative of the direction in which the living world is moving, to make them more common in future ages, perhaps, if all goes well, to the virtual elimination of strife. Nevertheless, it remains true that in the present age competition and merciless exploitation are much more frequent in the animal kingdom than is harmonious cooperation. Conflict and predatory violence are so widespread and conspicuous that people have long been familiar with this harsh aspect of nature; many of the cooperative associations were unknown until, in recent times, the patient observations of naturalists disclosed themwhich makes it appear probable that many more remain to be discovered.
In many ways, the most successful product of evolution and harmonization is humankind. In an exceptionally well-endowed and enduring body, well equipped with sensory organs, the human being has a large brain and an active mind. These advantages, coupled with hands that are the most versatile executive organs in the animal kingdom, enable us to fill our needs and modify our
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environment to our own advantage as no other animal can; to spread over every habitable region of Earth and to become by far the most abundant large terrestrial animal. Despite all these advantages, it appears that we are rushing headlong to the failure of our success, which will not be far distant if we do not promptly reverse our course. By our soaring billions, we are overexploiting the planet's productivity, devastating the environment, polluting air and soil and water. And as humans become too abundant, their average quality decreases, as is evident from the mounting crime rate, the increasing addiction to stupefying drugs, and the greater fecundity of the least competent and responsible moiety of the population.
The addition of humans to the long list of extinct animals would be lamentable because people bring to the living world qualities otherwise rare or lacking: ability to appreciate its beauty; to seek knowledge and understanding; to care devotedly and unselfishly for Earth and everything good and lovable that it contains; to feel compassion for fellow creatures of all kinds; and to be grateful for manifold blessingsall of which are attributes very unequally developed among humans.
What is needed to save humankind from self-destruction is common knowledge: population must be stabilized or, preferably, reduced by restricting the birthrate; the environment must be protected. The burning question is whether an organism physiologically and psychically insulated from all others can transcend its limiting integument to feel itself part of an encompassing whole on which its own prosperity depends; to recognize its responsibility to this whole; to feel instinctive or imaginative sympathy for other creatures; to restrain its appetites and dominate its passions in order to live more harmoniously with others. We know that some individuals are capable of cultivating this wider vision and living in its light. If a larger proportion of humanity could attain this spiritual level and the generosity that corresponds to it, success might follow success, directly for humankind, indirectly for a large segment of the living world.
An augury for success is found in the history of human intellectual development. Over the ages, we have learned not only to use
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our facile hands for ever more complex creative tasks but also to employ our restless minds for deeper understanding of nature. The superstitions that filled, and too often oppressed, the minds of our ancestors have, with the growth of philosophy and science, been largely dispelled from the thoughts of the more enlightened of our contemporaries, although unfortunately they linger stubbornly in a large part of humanity. Our success in clarifying our thoughts and combatting many of the diseases that afflicted our progenitors should encourage us to tackle more resolutely the immense and yearly growing problems that confront