Make yourself heard

Update from the publisher 14 June 2008. To be sure RTP is idealistic. Just as surely there is too little idealism in the world. Our goals arise from the dialogic questions:

Why is monotheism so often associated with violence?

Why is violence in all it forms so prevalent and persistent after millennia of efforts by individuals, families, clans and nations?

What is it about the human genome that persists in violence in spite of humanity's best efforts?

If there were a "QUICK FIX" available, why has it not been found? Humanity likes to differentiate itself from animals in various ways; smarts and speech in the abstract seem to be our most defining features. Many animals communicate, but not at the abstract level. Each of these "distinctions" is a matter of degree, not of kind. In no other way are we markedly different from our animal kindred. In short, we are still captives of our animal natures. This condition is most disquieting in an age where nuclear sabers rattle and monotheisms find themselves on the same or opposite sides of a great divide. It is not simply our genes, it is also their combinations, frequencies, and interactions that set this mouse trap for the whole of humanity. Battles that arise in consequence are often expressed between science (logos) and existentialism (mythos). World wide, the hold the latter has on human behavior is weakening in proportion to education in science. What the U.S. and the Middle East have in common is the tenacity of that hold.

Many adopt a fatalistic attitude, which has historical truth in it, but what can we do? Do we stop searching? Do we persist along pathways that have led nowhere for millennia? Or do we strike out in search of new solutions? This site opted to discover and some pathways have been found. Most are not even new, but they are disparate in the sense that they are not linked or coordinated. Many clues and sign posts have been found and illustrated. The picture is still cloudy, but is much clearer than it once was. The fog has to do with recognizing what elements of the many disciplines fit with various aspects of the many other disciplines The overall picture is complex, but it is consilient. Each element is relatively simple and understandable by most anyone. All that is needed is an open mind.

Will it take generations to solve? Probably. In brief, most violence arises from a certain personality type known variously as sociopathic, psychopathic, or even narcissistic, depending on one's orientation and fine distinctions. These people sometimes have spell-binding charisma, and when they do, they can hijack families, organizations, religions,societies and even nations toward their own ends. Hitler was a type example in our times. He has many brethren living today. How they manage to accomplish their damage has to do with the Authoritarian Personality, AP, some 65-85% of us have in our genes. The AP is most comfortable in a hierarchy, likes to dominate at the same time s/he is excessively obedient.

The hour is is late. Implied and real nuclear threats issue daily. Population growth has exceeded all reasonable safety margins against known possible natural disasters. The ability of nature's "bread basket" to sustain humanity in its present state of misery is now in serious question. Population growth exacerbates the basic problems of managing animalistic behaviors in ever-narrowing living space and dwindling resources.

Humanity is truly at a cross road. It is high time we look seriously ahead with optimism in dialogue. If there is a better way than dialogue, what is it? Without optimism in the outcome, where is the motivation to search for the social progress to match that of science beginning with the Enlightenment?

Comments?

Posted by RoadToPeace on Saturday, April 15, 2006 at 09:24:44

Which pathway should we take toward peace? Before we can act effectively, we must know what it is we need to act against.

Are any or all of the works by Darwin, Mendel, Watson and Crick, Dawkins, Adorno, Milgram, Burger, Lederer, Zimbardo, Altemeyer, Dean, Gladwell, Arendt, Armstrong, Feiler, Manji, Tuchman, Stout, Power, Babiak & Hare, Frank, Wakefield, Pfaff, Polk, Huber, Dozier, Wallis, Bothwell, Taverne, Gratzer, Ruse,Sharp, Shulman, Stern, Shlaim, Dozier, Mausher, Savir, Jabotinsky, Ritter, Varshney, Berlin, Voltaire, and Wilson not needed for a basic understanding of terrorism in its origins and consequences?

The above authors together, provide the many elements for our present interpretations. The picture we have arrived at is coherent and consilient so far. It is not yet complete in detail. Yet there are avenues to be pursued:

1 As individuals we can be dialogic, open minded, tolerant and always be on the lookout for new insights. We can practice continuing education.

2 As families we can educate our children along these lines beginning no later than age three. We can encourage them to pursue what they are good at and enjoy.

3 As nations we can adopt these values in our governance systems that provide equality among all peoples, while guarding us from the destructive sociopathic, psychopathic, narcissitic personality disorders. It appears that nationalism is much an expression of our aggressive instincts as it is for self preservation.

4 The last two centuries have begun sorting out economic systems and it is in this arena that democracy has gained acsendance. But when unbridled, market economies swing much too violently at great cost to the ordinary people. This feature in its own right tends to motivate terrorism. Free markets that operate against the idea of democracy among individuals as well as among nations, demand controls. Stabilizing economic opportunities across all world citizens and providing basic educations as mentioned above, seem like promising broad avenues toward peace, security and justice for all.

Are we ready to begin activism? If so let's get on with it. Whatever your take on that, continued research, particularly in biology and sociology, is needed. Edward O Wilson has poured a foundation in his classic book Consilience.

Posted by RoadToPeace on Tuesday, August 25, 2009 at 12:32:45