From: Valuemetaphysics@aol.com
Date: Sat May 29 2004 - 15:48:33 BST
Hi
I think the first big problem is that we seem to value
material possessions over cultural and intellectual ones.
We allow/encourage people to value material possessions to such a high
extent that they can place their individual material abundance
over the biological and intellectual lives of others. I think this is an
accident
of Capitalism, or rather of our failure to replace it.
Mark 29-5-04: Hi David M, Material possessions are social status symbols? The
big house/car/watch/all the rest of it is for those who value the celebrity
status they convey upon the apparent owner. I say apparent, because if i simply
borrowed these things i could fool someone into believing i had the status
they convey, rather like me wearing a Police uniform. If i gave a member of the
public an order while impersonating a Police officer, they would show me the
appropriate level of authority a uniform suggests?
Corporations have
delivered fantastic productive powers but they advance these for profit
without concern for biological needs for all, intellectual needs and without
concern for the long term environment. Certain groups have done very
well out of this period of Capitalism and wish to retain its dominance, but
this dominance is producing conflict, inequality and the production of
'goods'
that have large negative effects on the highest level, i.e. the
intellectual.
Mark 29-5-04: I feel our main problem is the celebrity. Most people aspire to
being a form of celebrity. I wonder if a good place to begin an enquiry into
the Moral Evolution of Society may not to have a huge think tank session into
the celebrity? This is one area of the MOQ which is hardly ever engaged? I
often feel this is due to those who are using this forum to attain their own
celebrity status?
What does a $50,000 watch do for evolution? What is the evolutionary value
of entertainment? What do unnecessarily long working hours do for our
intellectual and
biological well being? Any thoughts?
regards
David M
Mark 29-5-04: Indeed. You certainly ask the big questions David!
The forces which have generated the situation you describe are enormous. If
one drops out of this network of tensions, how may one survive? Perhaps hard
work doing the things one enjoys and finds to be of value is one approach?
Get writing David! You have talent and may use it for the Good?
All the best,
Mark
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