SCIENCE AND THE FUTURE OF MAN
The human race is simply an end product of accumulated mutation which have been sorted out over times by the omnipotent power of natural selection. They have been so many dissertations attempt to prophesy the direction and future condition of the human race contrary to popular belied humans continue to evolve our bodies and brains are not the same as our ancestors were as our descendants will be science may affect human life in two different ways on the one hand without altering men’s passion or their general outlook, it may increase their power of gratifying their desires on the other hand it may operate through an effect upon the imaginative conception of the world, the theology or philosophy which is accepted in practice by energetic men. The latter is a fascinating study, but I shall almost wholly ignore it. In order to bring my subject within a manageable compass, I shall continue myself almost wholly to the effect of science in enabling us to gratify our passions more freely, which has hitherto been far the more important of the two.
From my point of view, I shall divide the sciences into three groups physical, biological and anthropological in the physical group I include chemistry and broadly speaking any science concerned with the properties of matter apart from the life in the anthropological group I include all studies especially concerned with man human physiology and psychology (between which no sharp line can be drawn) anthropology, history, sociology and economics. All these studies can be illuminated by considerations drawn from biology for instance, Rivers threw a new light on parts of economics by adducing facts about landed property among birds during the breeding season but in spite of their connection with biology a connection which is likely to grow closer as time goes on they are broadly distinguished from biology by their methods and data, and deserved to be grouped apart, at any rate in a sociology inquiry.
The effect of the biological sciences, so far, has been very small no doubt Darwinism and the idea of evolution affected men’s imaginative outlook, arguments were derived in favor of free competition, and also of nationalism. But those effects were of the sort that I propose not to consider. It is probable that great effects will come from these science sooner or later. Mendel-ism might have rationalized agriculture, and no doubt some similar theory will do so sooner or later. Bacteriology may enable us to exterminate our enemies by disease. The study of heredity may in time make eugenics an exact science and perhaps we shall in later age be able to determine at will the sex of our children. This would probably lead to an excess of males, involving a complete change in family institution. But these speculations belong to the future.
The anthropological sciences are those from which a priority, we might have expected the greatest social effects, but hitherto this has not proved to be the case partly because these sciences are mostly still at an early stage of development. The most effective of the anthropological sciences has been medicine, through its influence in sanitation and public health, and through the fact that it has discovered how to deal with malaria and yellow fever. Birth-control is also a very important social fact which comes into this category.
One general observation to begin with science has increased man’s control over nature and might therefore be supposed likely to increase his happiness and well-being. This would be the case if men were rational, but in fact they are bundles of passion and instincts. An animal species in a stable environment, if it does not die out, acquires an equilibrium between its passions ans the condition of its life. If the conditions are suddenly altered, the equilibrium is upset.
The future effects of the anthropological sciences this is of course extremely conjunctive, because we do not know what discoveries will be made the effect is likely to be far greater than we can now imagine because these sciences are still in their infancy. Birth-control is a matter of great importance particularly in relation to the possibility of a world government which could hardly be stable if some nations increase their population much more rapidly than others. At present birth-control is increasingly in all civilized countries, though in most it is opposed by the governments. This opposition is due partly to mere superstition and desire to conciliate the catholic vote, partly to the desire for the large armies and severe competition between wage earns, so as to keep down wages to solve the population question this is another reason for desiring a world government.
We come to the question of eugenics, we may perhaps assume that if people grow less superstitions, government will acquire the right to sterilize those who are not considered desirable as parents. This power will be used at first, to diminish imbecility, a most desirable object but prove imbecility, so that rebels of all kinds will be sterilized. Epileptics, consumptives, dipsomaniacs and so on will gradually be included, in the end, there will be a tendency to include all who fail to pass the usual school examinations.
Eugenics has of course more ambition possibilities in a more distant future. It may aim not only at eliminating undesired types but at increasing desires types moral standards may alter so as to make it possible for an man to be the sire of a vast progeny by man different mothers.
In conclusion it may seem as though I had been at once gloomy and frivolous in some of the prognostications. I will end however, with the serious lesson which seems to me to result men sometimes speaks as though the progress of science must necessarily be a boon to mankind, but that, I fear is one of the comfortable nineteenth century delusions, which our more disillusioned age must discard. Science enables the holders of poor to realize their purpose more fully them they could otherwise do if their purposes are good this is a gain, if they are evil, it is a loss.
We may sum up this discussion in a few words, science has not given men more self-control, more kindliness or more power of discounting their passions in deciding upon a course of action.
REFERENCES
- Russell (See his Daedalus, or science and the future) www. Wikipedia
- S. I. Udoidem Victor I. B. Inoka (A compendium on the History and philosophy of Science) African Heritage Research and publication Lagos, 2006.
NAIJAEDU 