Friday, February 26, 2021

In Search of a Demon

 Think of the human, and, instantly, one thing shall be coming to mind. Why is that humans are not having a social organization that is greatly different from that of all the other forms of life? This, when in all the other aspects of life and living, they follow a distinct, unique pattern. In fact, surprises do not end here.

Not only that they have adopted a social organization that is almost the same as that of other forms of life, but also take immense pride in it. Whereas, in everything else, not only that humans revel in celebrating their uniqueness, but also find it demeaning to be called animal-like. Moreover, they subject whatever particularities they follow or entertain, to constant scrutiny, and take great pains to institute additions and alterations to keep with the times, at all times. Thus, humans have come to acquire living styles quite unlike that of all the other forms of life, though they live the same life. (Here there is another surprise that merits attention. Humans know, nonliving objects and all living objects other than human, follow always the shortest or easiest path. Why, when it comes living their life, humans do not choose such a path?)
How could this have happened? Especially in the natural course of history. It seems impossible, if an outlook leading to such a dichotomy would not have become deeply engraved in human psyche, that too, before the population was large enough to form the earliest of societies. Also, well before humans started realizing their full potential, particularly of deriving pleasure from intellectual transactions. (If it wasn't so, this would have been a topic widely discussed and deliberated, and an answer would have already been found)
I feel, there is something like Maxwell’s demon as an omnipresent part of the universe. And that is the one that is making things continue its path, of rest, motion, or whatever, unless stopped from doing so. For, if not for it, we would not have had the physical quantities, like temperature, act or react the way it does. Which would have rendered it difficult, if not impossible, to derive benefits from all those, and make this planet our home. I think it won’t be incorrect to say, matter behaves the way it behaves, thanks to this demon.
And, an entity closely related to that demon is residing in each one of us. For, if not for it, we would not have had the same thing, event, or occurrence make each one act or react uniquely. It is also a fact that such acts are many a time in confrontation with others’, the planet’s, and consequentially one’s own, well-being. Rather than noticing this as a 'demonic effect', we in fact celebrate these as the defining character of the human, as something that cannot be seen in any other form of life. Though it makes even the basic activity of staying alive, a complex, many layered job, and that too, a full time one for the human race, vastly different from all the others.
Moreover, the activities of living one’s life expose the future of that life itself, to dangers. Perhaps because of all this, nothing happens with human, where there is no controversy. I think it won’t be incorrect to say, spirit behaves the way it behaves, thanks to this particular entity.
A good example of the demon and its work is the wayward behavior of human spirit, which can very well be noticed in our lifestyle. This is one area, where nothing else can provide even a semblance of a reason to the vagaries, of fears, priorities, desires and inhibitions, the human society always is full of.
x

Sunday, February 7, 2021

 

Right/Wrong: How Technology Transforms Our Ethics
Juan Enriquez. 
Apt observation for the times.
New technologies like the machine gun completely changed the nature of warfare in World War I. It drove people into trenches. You were in the British trench, or you were in the German trench. Anything in between was no man's land. You entered no man's land. You were shot. You were killed. You tried to leave the trench in the other direction. Then your own side would shoot you because you were a deserter. 

It seems social media has usurped this role. We're shooting at each other. We're shooting at those we think are wrong with posts, with tweets, with photographs, with accusations, with comments. And at the same time, we are churning out stuff, in which we can hide. What it's done is it's created these two trenches where you have to be either in this trench or that trench. And there's no middle ground, where people can meet each other, to have exchanges of the pleasant kind. 

A Thought

Governance by Default, till Democratically Removed