Friday, October 15, 2010

Social Evolution

In the last six centuries we have seen enormous social change; creation of the collection of societies known as the West. For the creation of modernity, spiritual values were usurped by the secular. In fact, "modern" in the historical context refers to the time when the view of the material world, and humanities ability to manipulate it, creates a sense of progress.

To do so required overcoming nothing less than fear of death and an opinion of impracticality regarding abstract thinking. In contemporary years there is another evolution, the pace of which has accelerated. This time, the primal senses of self-worth and identity are being challenged. We've seen this in the debates over the rights of homosexuals, in the running for political office by non-traditional phenotypes, and immigration and migration.

The flow of change in the last two hundred years has been one toward inclusion. The development of national constitutions declaring the rights of all citizens protected from their government. On one hand, these reactionary movements against inclusion appear to be contrary to the constitutional legacy, yet many reactionary policy movements co-opt the unwavering support of these primary sources of both jurisprudence and national identity by the populace.

To move forward, encouraging individual sense of accomplishment will de-emphasise the desperate act to preserve self-value. Using the pride in a government constitution , a group identity can be formed around it which includes the different phenotypes. It will be fascinating to watch unfurl; we live in interesting times.

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