Are we in danger of becoming victims to our own cleverness by loosing our humanity?

Question

http://activeresistance.co.uk/manifesto.html

see attached - Vivienne Westwood Manifesto

Answer 1

Humanity thinks too much of itself when it refers to humanity as being something good.  I've always found it strange that 'being motivated by concern with the alleviation of suffering' would be associated with humanity or being humane.  Does anyone believe this is something that has been lost?!?  I never knew we ever had it to even to be able lose it.

And, no, I do not believe we've become victims of our cleverness.   Cleverness can take you where ever you want.  If greed is the goal, it will can you there.  If the 'true end of happiness', it can take you there.   Are we to do away with cleverness as a means to stamp out the pursuit of greed?  

If one accepts that the true end of humanity is happiness (which I do not), then we as a specie are doomed.  Humanity will never be able to overcome its desire for ambition, power and greed as long as it chooses to belong a social order of any magnitude.  Perhaps happiness can be attained on a personal level for some individual , but it comes at the cost of divorcing oneself from the greater part of society.   ... But this is an entirely different argument.

Moreover, I think artists who self-righteously claim to be above having designs of ambition are sanctimoniously delusional.  To assert to be as such immediately draws into question their character.  I question anyone who makes claims to better than everyone else.

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How do people ever arrive at the assertion that the true end of humanity is happiness?  I never knew there was any end, other than what each individual wants to ascribe to their own life.

Answer 2

i definitely agree

Answer 3

It all sounds pretty negative to me.  I firmly believe that we all have power over the world.  There have been a number of experiments done to show that we influence things with how we perceive them.  

On top of that there's also research that shows all the negative effects of fear and stress.  This person's view of the world is very fearful, maybe paranoid even.  I don't advocate the head in the sand attitude, but if a person is afraid of loosing humanity they should behave in a more humane way, whatever they think that is, or maybe they could teach others to be more humane.

So, I'd recommend reading some more views before you decide to stick with this one.

Answer 4

o ye...... we are so atached to things like developpement, money and plastic surgery ,that we 've forgotten what it really matters:love...love...love.i mean love for all humans, animals ,plants  and EARTH. man is the only vertebrate that constantly destroy his species in the name of evolution. Darwin was wrong.is not about who survives, is about who's got more. more power, more money, more prestige.

Answer 5

over cleverness.......

yes ofcourse. actually the cleverness should be shown for good things but unfortunate is it is becoming more cunning.

Answer 6

When intelligence makes us too rational and somehow "automatic", we can lose touch with our humanity.

But we are humans, nothing more than that and at some point we'll come to realise that.

Answer 7

I completely agree, we will lose our Humanity side to our cleverness. If we all carry on the way we are.