Posted: Jun 11, 2012 3:19 pm
matt8819 wrote:That was actually a really good read. If I was smarter I would have more to add, but...well, I'm not.
Thanks for the compliment. My prof seems to enjoy what I've contributed so far, too. Good for my grades...
byofrcs wrote:I remember the Burke Connections programs. They were great. They seemed just-so stories but compelling argument and that's why I believe that our technological development is a punctuated gradualism. We'll never always understand what is a kicker for technology to get it to a new metastable state until after the fact and Burke seemed to sweep the floor here in finding these.
I also believe that we are human simply because of our technology. Whilst supernatural thinking is the remnant of our animist views of the world I believe that our technology will prevail and will replace that thinking. More technology is more human. To retain your faith you need to freeze your technology level (vis a vis Amish etc).
Whilst we view the American technocracy as an anomaly with such high levels of belief in the supernatural, what I believe will happen is that there will be some innocuous kicker that will cause the society to jump to a new state of understanding of the world and it will be a sudden and massive change. I don't know what this will be - could be demonstration of abiogenesis, could be a talking ape, could be that one too many preacher skims the Church donations, could be that the current generation draws a line in the sand and says "No more religion".
I tell you what caught my attention about your post, there. The talking ape. I suppose a similar idea would be if we ever figure out how to talk to cetaceans. Man, that'd rattle some cages for sure.