4 ms·
The most inhuman acts of ignorance and hatred have traditionally been committed by societies, not individuals. Individuals may have the ability to commandeer j
by wildermuthn 13y ago
The most inhuman acts of ignorance and hatred have traditionally been committed by societies, not individuals.
Individuals may have the ability to commandeer jet planes and fly into buildings, but only a nation can build a nuclear missile system capable of annihilating the planet.
The problem isn't with individuals. The problem is with society. And on that front — societal ethics seem to be keeping pace with technological growth. It might be technology that is propelling our societal ethics forward.
We'll always have broken men and women who do terrible things, but we might not always have broken societies that lynch, torture, pollute, and war.
- Udo 13y agoAnd again I don't think I've made myself clear enough, sorry for that. The TL;DR of my hypothesis is: we'll never be "ready" as defined by the author. Even a perfectly ethical society wouldn't be ready. Plus, we're moving into an age where atrocities traditionally committed by larger groups can now be executed by individuals. Technical regression isn't the solution, and neither is some group of angelic wise men who get to decide what technological freedoms we're ready for. We aren't even ready for simple hand tools. No amount of moral progress is going to be enough.
- mapt 13y agoTake your post. Append: ", so far." and ", yet." Now you understand the concern.