In short, humans seem possessed by an enduring need to be part of a distinct social group--a
need that continues throughout life’s journey.
In sum, I agree that people gain and maintain their sense of self primarily through their
belonging to distinct social groups. Admittedly, there will always be loners who prefer not to
belong, for whatever reasons; yet loners are the exception. Also, while many working adults
might temporarily define themselves in terms of their work for practicality’s sake, at bottom we
humans are nothing if not social animals.
Issue 45
"Humanity has made little real progress over the past century or so. Technological innovations
have taken place, but the overall condition of humanity is no better. War, violence, and poverty
are still with us. Technology cannot change the condition of humanity."
Have technological innovations of the last century failed to bring about true progress for
humanity, as the statement contends? Although I agree that technology cannot ultimately
prevent us from harming one another, the statement fails to account for the significant positive
impact that the modem-industrial and computer revolutions have had on the quality of life at
least in the developed world.
I agree with the statement insofar as there is no technological solution to the enduring
problems of war, poverty, and violence, for the reason that they stem from certain aspects of
human nature--such as aggression and greed. Although future advances in biochemistry might
enable us to "engineer away" those undesirable aspects, in the meantime it is up to our
economists, diplomats, social reformers, and jurists--not our scientists and engineers--to
mitigate these problems.
Admittedly, many technological developments during the last century have helped reduce
human suffering. Consider, for instance, technology that enables computers to map Earth’s
geographical features from outer space. This technology allows us to locate lands that can be
cultivated for feeding malnourished people in third-world countries. And, few would disagree
that humanity is the beneficiary of the myriad of 20th-Century innovations in medicine and
medical technology--from prostheses and organ transplants to vaccines and lasers.
Yet, for every technological innovation helping to reduce human suffering is another that has
served primarily to add to it. For example, while some might argue that nuclear weapons serve
as invaluable "peace-keepers," this argument flies in the face of the hundreds of thousands of
innocent people murdered and maimed by atomic blasts. More recently, the increasing use of
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chemical weapons for human slaughter points out that socalled "advances" in biochemistry
can amount to net losses for humanity.
Notwithstanding technology’s limitations in preventing war, poverty, and violence,
20th-Century technological innovation has enhanced the overall standard of living and comfort
level of developed nations. The advent of steel production and assembly-line manufacturing
created countless jobs, stimulated economic growth, and supplied a plethora of innovative
conveniences. More recently, computers have helped free up our time by performing repetitive
tasks; have aided in the design of safer and more attractive bridges, buildings, and vehicles;
and have made possible universal access to information.Of course, such progress has not come without costs. One harmful byproduct of industrial
progress is environmental pollution, and its threat to public health. Another is the alienation of
assembly-line workers from their work. And, the Internet breeds information overload and
steals our time and attention away from family, community, and coworkers. Nevertheless, on
balance both the modern-industrial and computer revolutions have improved our standard of
living and comfort level; and both constitute progress by any measure.
In sum, enduring problems such as war, poverty, and violence ultimately spring from human
nature, which no technological innovation short of genetic engineering can alter. Thus the
statement is correct in this respect. However, ifwe define "progress" more narrowly--in terms of
economic standard of living and comfort level--recent technological innovations have indeed
brought about clear progress for humanity.
Issue 46
"It is through the use of logic and of precise, careful measurement that we become aware of
our progress. Without such tools, we have no reference points to indicate how far we have
advanced or retreated."
Do we need careful measurements and logic to determine whether and to what extent we
are progressing or regressing? I agree that in certain endeavors quantitative measurements
and logical analysis of data are essential for this purpose. However, in other realms objective
data provides little guidance for determining progress. My view applies to individuals as well as
society as a whole.
As for monitoring individual progress, the extent to which careful measurement and logical
analysis of data are required depends on the specific endeavor. In the area of personal finance,
objective measurements are critical. We might feel that we are advancing financially when we
buy a new car or a better home, or when our salary increases. Yet these signs of personal
economic success can be deceptive. Cars depreciate quickly in value, and residential real
estate must appreciate steadily to offset ownership expenses. Even a pay raise is no sure sign
of personal financial progress; if the raise fails to keep pace with the cost of living then the real
salary is actually in decline.
In the area of one’s physical well-being, however, quantitative measurement might be useful
yet insufficient. Quantitative data such as blood pressure, cholesterol level, and body weight
are useful objective indicators of physical health. Yet quantitative measurement and logic can
only take us so far when it comes to physical well-being. Levels of physical discomfort and
pain, the most reliable indicators of physical well-being, cannot be quantified. And of course
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our emotional and psychological well-being, which can have a profound impact on our physical
health, defy objective measurement altogether.
On a societal level, as on a personal level, the extent to which careful measurement and
logic are needed to determine progress depends on the endeavor. In macro-economics, as in
personal finance, objective measurements are critical. For example, a municipality, state, or
nation might sense that things are improving economically when its rate of unemployment
declines. Yet if new jobs are in poor-paying positions involving unskilled labor, this apparent
advance might actually be a retreat. And, a boom in retail sales might amount to regress if the
goods sold are manufactured by foreign firms, who benefit from the boom at the expense of
domestic business expansion. Technological progress also requires careful measurement.
Advances is computer technology can only be determined by such factors as processing and
transfer speeds, numbers ofinstaUations and users, amounts of data accessed, and so forth.
And, advances in biotechnology are determined by statistical measurements of the
effectiveness of new drugs and other treatments, and by demographic statistics regarding the
incidence of the ailments that the technology seeks to ameliorate.In contrast, socio-political progress is less susceptible to objective measurement. For
instance, progress in social welfare might be measured by the number of homeless people,
incidence of domestic violence, or juvenile crime rate. Yet would an increase in the number of
single mothers on welfare indicate that our society is becoming more compassionate and
effective in helping its victims, or would it indicate regress by showing that our private sector
and education systems are failing? Moreover, when it comes to our legal system and to politics,
progress has little to do with numbers, or even logic. For example, to what extent, if any, would
more lenient gun ownership laws indicate progress, considering the competing interests of
individual freedom and pubic safety? Do anti-abortion laws indicate a sociological advance or
retreat? Or, when a political party gains greater control of a legislature by sweeping a particular
election, is this progress or regress?In sum, although the statement has merit, it unfairly generalizes. In areas such as finance,
economics, and computing technology, all of which involve nothing but quantifiable data,
nothing but careful measurement and logic suffice to determine the extent of progress. In other
areas, such as health care and social welfare, determining progress requires both objective
measurement and subjective judgment. Finally, progress in politics and law is an entirely
subjective matter--depending on each individual’s values, priorities, and interests.
Issue 47
"With the growth of global networks in such areas as economics and communication, there is
no doubt that every aspect of society---including education, politics, the arts, and the
sciences---will benefit greatly from international influences."
I agree that the globalization of economic and communication networks will heighten
international influences in all four of the areas listed. However, while those influences will no
doubt benefit education and the sciences, the nature of those influences on the arts and on
politics will probably be a mixed one beneficial in some respects yet detrimental in others.
The dearest and most immediate beneficiaries of international influences are students. When
students learn more about other cultures, systems of government, religions, and so forth, they
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advance their knowledge and grow in their understanding of humanity--which is, after all, the
final objective of education. Emerging distance-learning technologies, made practicable now
by the Internet, will no doubt carry an especially profound international influence on education.
Distance learning will permit a class of students located all over the world to video-conference
simultaneously with a teacher and with one other, thereby enlivening and enriching
educational experiences.
The sciences dearly benefit from international influences as well. After all, prindples of
physics, chemistry, and mathematics know no political boundaries; thus a useful insight or
discovery can come from a researcher or theorist anywhere in the world. Accordingly, any
technology that enhances global communication can only serve to advance scientific
knowledge. For example, astronomers can now transmit observational data to other scientists
throughout the world the instant they receive that data, so that the entire global community of
astronomers can begin interpreting that data together in a global brain-storming session. The
sciences also benefit from multi-national economic cooperation. Consider, for instance, the
multi-national program to establish a human colony on the Moon. This ambitious project is
possible only because participating nations are pooling their economic resources as well as
scientific talents.