How should the world progress?

[GreekTTC]

Been reading Rael's book "Intelligent Design," out of curiosity. While his claim that he was visited by a humanoid (one of the creators of life on Earth) from another planet seems far-fetched...it's not totally implausible.

 

Anyway, here's a quick exerpt that I found quite intriguing. It is the humanoid speaking to Rael:

 

"...first of all, let us look at the political and ecomomic aspects of life. What kind of people allow humanity to progress? The geniuses. Therefore, your world must appreciate its geniuses and allow them to govern the Earth. First, power was in the hands of the brutes, who were superior to others becauase of their muscular strength. Next in power were the rich, who used their money to employ many 'brutes' in their service. Then came the politicians who ensnared the people of democratic countries with their OWN hopes--not to mention military men whose success has been based around the rational organization of brutality.

 

The only types of people you have never placed in power are the ones who help humanity to progress. Whether they discovered the wheel, gunpowder, the internal combustion engine or the atom, the geniuses have always allowed less intelligent people in power benefit from their inventions. Often, such people have used peaceful inventions for murderous ends. All that must be changed.

 

For this to happen, you must abolish al your electoral and polling systems because in their present form, they are completely unsuited to human development. Each person is a useful cell in the huge body called humanity. The cell of your foot should not decide whether or not your hand should pick up a given object. It is the brain which must decide..."

 

Thoughts?

[bumab]

Not exactly new- it's Plato's idea as well. Simply sounds like another Utopian government. Who's to say the geniouses are not political geniouses, or military geniouses? Scientific geniouses are no sure bet to be a good ruler (of some sort). Just because someone can invent the wheel doesn't mean someone can decide a court case.

 

I don't have much faith in the electoral process myself. Most people don't know what's good for them, think in the short, short terms, and are dominated by impluse and material desires. The do not think about who would be a good leader, but who would be a good leader FOR THEM. Some say this would average out over a large country- I don't think so. Regardless, who's to say who would be a good ruler?

[GAHD]

Just give me all the nukes and the world will be a better place :).

[infamous]

Just give me all the nukes and the world will be a better place :).

Excellent idea GAHD, I'll give you my vote on that one.

[UncleAl]

While his claim that he was visited by a humanoid (one of the creators of life on Earth) from another planet seems far-fetched...it's not totally implausible.

Really? " not totally implausble?" The guy is flaming cuckoo-cuckoo. Poison the well and every sip is poisoned.

 

Each person is a useful cell in the huge body called humanity. The cell of your foot should not decide whether or not your hand should pick up a given object. It is the brain which must decide..."

 

This has been analyzed in depth in many cultures. The philosophical conclusion also happens to be the real world implimentation around the planet,

 

http://northwestacademy.org/Ideas/MacPherson/29078

http://www.redrainproductions.com/grappe_24_5_03.htm

http://www.gotjokes.net/morals/incharge.html

[GreekTTC]

Really? " not totally implausble?" The guy is flaming cuckoo-cuckoo. Poison the well and every sip is poisoned.

Disclaimer: I do not believe Rael's interpretation of the origins of life on Earth to be truth.

 

A few years ago (in the grand scheme), you'd be considered a flaming cuckoo, at least in some places, for thinking the world was round. But I'm sure you already knew that.

 

Regardless...your saying it's totally impossible that life was put here by a 25,000-year more advanced form of humanoid as an experiment or any other reason? While sticking to my disclaimer, I don't see how one could outrightly declare it an impossibility.

[Qfwfq]

There's no need to call anyone a flaming cuckoo.

 

A few years ago (in the grand scheme), you'd be considered a flaming cuckoo, at least in some places, for thinking the world was round.

Which places and when?

[GreekTTC]

There's no need to call anyone a flaming cuckoo.

 

Which places and when?

 

...before Pythagoras and Aristotle. Actually, I've read that Aristotle did entertain the fact that the Earth may have been flat, and at the center of the universe. But he did prove otherwise (I believe it had something to do with the shape of the shadow on the moon, and also with the way a ship looks as it comes over the horizon).

 

Also, some of the leaders of the christian church around the 4th century believed the Earth was flat (Cyril of Jerusalem and Diodorus of Tarsus, for example). Also, in some places in France before 1300, it was thought that the Earth was disk-shaped. I'm pretty sure the spherical conception of the Earth was unknown prior to the 5th century B.C.

[Qfwfq]

I doubt Pythagoras and Aristotle were quite the first to see the Earth being round, and it's true that Greek philosophers had measured the radius of Earth and compared that of Earth and Moon. Aristotle agreed with Ptolemy about Earth being the centre of the cosmos and perfectly still, I doubt he had ever thought the Earth to be flat. There have always been people up on high mountains, even well before the 5th century B.C.

 

Many people have thought the Earth to be flat, as recently as the Middle Ages, more out of obtusity and lack of observation, but only the most ignorant of ignorant would have thought you were "a flaming cuckoo" for thinking it was round.

[geokker]

Something can be implausible yet possible. It's possible he was visited by a 'space alien' - just not plausible.

 

Also, what is progress? It took a few geniuses to create the first atom bomb as well as the current socioeconomic experiment that's maintaining so much oppression around the world. It's arguable that if we all had walnut-sized brains like the dinosaurs, we too might stand a chance of surviving for a hundred million years.

[Turtle]

___First to the story Al offered here: http://northwestacademy.org/Ideas/MacPherson/29078

___I love native American stories, & this one is attributed to the Macaw. Quite funny. :)

___On the alien influence, we have that under discussion in other threads & really the upshot seems to center on individual belief.

___Now to the point of the thread about how to organize, particulary as Plato laid out in the Republic. The Philosopher Kings (the Macaw called them something different ;) ) don't just assume control, they put one another in control through a reasoned process which they determine by virtue of their superior natural born talents. Now as with any wordplay along these lines, it is all circular, but we need to sart somewhere & lets say this is the initial condition as in chaos.

___Now in Plato's system the children have their life class assignments decided by testing so that at age 10 they are removed from their parents care & sent to train in the appropriate jobs as determined by the testing administered by the Kings.

___I think this part of the plan is not without merit, but untestable. Do you think Plato thought so as well?

[Qfwfq]

It's arguable that if we all had walnut-sized brains like the dinosaurs, we too might stand a chance of surviving for a hundred million years.

Quite likely.

 

The worst trouble is, we're not going to bust only ourselves.

[geko]

In my opinion the world progresses by the mutual exchange of value and service. Mutual happiness with such a thing would depend on the amount of coercion that takes place; the less the better for the majority to be happy i would say.