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It's blindingly obvious that modernity is applying strong natural selection to humanity and that, over time, the world will come to be dominated by the kind of
by quotemstr 7y ago
It's blindingly obvious that modernity is applying strong natural selection to humanity and that, over time, the world will come to be dominated by the kind of people who have children. In order for that not to be the case, you have to imagine a world without inheritance of characteristics. It's not even necessary to imagine genetic inheritance: even cultural transmission of fecundity from generation to generation would suffice for shifting the distribution of personality traits in the world's population away from whatever depresses birthrate below replacement and towards whatever promotes high birthrates. If you want to know what the world will look like in a few generations, look at who's having kids now.
The "lol seven billion is enough" comments completely miss the point. Fertility will recover once inherited fecundity spreads through the population. One way or another, we're going to hit the Earth's (or solar system's) carrying capacity soon, probably in a few centuries at the longest. Do you want that future era to be full of people like you? If so, you need to figure out why people like you aren't reproducing now.
To imagine that fertility isn't heritable is to deny all of evolution. The drive to reproduce is the oldest and strongest urge of all. It's ubiquitous in the tree of life. It's really bizarre to me that people don't see this dynamic. Of course evolution applies to people: have you ever met a parent and a child?
- iaabtpbtpnn 7y agoWhy would I care whether the future is full of people like me or not? Is there something inherently better about people like me, such that we should be reproducing instead of the people who currently are?
- sundbry 7y agoEvolution depends on the competitive aspect of genetic groups as a means of specification. You can say resisting specification is somehow a morally superior position, but really, it is just a sentimental one. Specification will happen regardless and merging will also happen. When there is enough competition for resources, usually only one species wins out. Being apathetic about becoming a dead branch in the tree of evolution is probably going to have that exact outcome.
- buboard 7y ago> what the world will look like in a few generations, look at who's having kids now. as soon as genetic engineering becomes widespread, everyone will want a Dane for child. But not ten or twenty of them - humans are not r-selective I don't think evolutionary arguments are even valid at this stage. Very likely human evolution has given its place to human engineering
- sfink 7y agoI can't say I care much whether future people look like me. Fortunately for me, the things I do care about propagating to future generations are independent of bloodlines. I can easily transmit ideas to people with whom I have no common ancestors for 50 generations. (And the ideas I can't transmit? Maybe their lack of fitness should tell me something.)