As I dig deeper into the literature of human evolution, I’m filled with anger. On one side it’s my foolishness to be angry at the human evolution because that’s the very reason, I’m currently typing in my laptop with my favorite snack at my disposal and in all probability the sole reason for my birth in the first place.
The term “Evolution” popularised by Charles Darwin, although represents a widely accepted theory of origin and thrival of our species, represents something more than that. On one hand (radically), it represents the refusal to the biblical way of human birth and argues that humans evolved as the greatest species because, well, “Survival of the fittest”. This side of the argument doesn’t bother me, in fact, it does enlighten me in understanding how we came this far. It merely tries to tell the tale as it is. In research jargon, it’s just a theory which states the occurrence of a phenomenon. The other, rather crude and disgusting side of the story which gives me sleepless nights is the story of ruthless murder and mass execution by our species which got us so far. There is, however, one disclaimer that I wish to bring to your attention before I proceed with my further story. Given that I believe in the evolution story of Darwin, maybe I can’t call this whole route taken by the human race as barbaric because, when I don’t subscribe to popular beliefs of any religion, I can’t judge an act to be correct or wrong, let alone me getting angry at it.
Records show that humans are in general ruthless and born to kill. Take for instance the case of Australian Megafauna which was home for thousands of species of giant animals. Most of them mysteriously disappear once the human settlement begins there. The same story repeats in the American continents and many other places. Although the scientific community is divided into many opinions, the popular conclusion is that the Homo sapiens kill all the species that are wild and untameable and let those species live, which could be domesticated.
The fight which begins between species millions of years ago boiled down to inter-species conflict, where one clan displaced others like how the natives of America were driven out, how the Indian were suppressed, Moriri’s were usurped by Maori’s, the list is never-ending. If this phenomenon of driving out and settling down is what we term as evolution, then I’m sorry to have been born. While some of you might argue that change is the only permanent thing and the evolution is nothing but a form of inevitable change, I would still agree with you. First, the humans were hunter-gatherers, then came the agricultural revolution and now the industrial revolution. Those who couldn’t keep up with the pace and get on board any of these revolutions has perished. History has told this story again and again.
However, one indisputable fact is that we humans have “evolved” to be more intelligent creatures. I’m not sure if we have become so capable of overpowering the nature and resist change. But I strongly believe (or at least want to believe) that we humans are capable of changing the direction of change/evolution. Thus given that change is inevitable, why we don’t change for good or evolve into a more “caring” species than continue to be a dominating one.
With two questions, I would sign off for now, how do we define a more “caring” species and how can we become one.
