The Importance of Preserving Humanity

[Skwim]

I watched Interstellar, the movie,

the other night in which a team of explorers travel through a wormhole in an attempt to ensure humanity's survival.

It raised the question: What purpose would preserving humanity serve?

I couldn't come up with any. Can you?

 

[BSM1]

I watched Interstellar, the movie,

the other night in which a team of explorers travel through a wormhole in an attempt to ensure humanity's survival.

It raised the question: What purpose would such an undertaking serve?

I couldn't come up with any. Can you?

Never have.

 

[Jumi]

You mean preserving humanity or going through a wormhole? I think there's enough good in us to want some of that to survive. Objectively useless, but I think it's a good idea.

 

[Skwim]

You mean preserving humanity or going through a wormhole? I think there's enough good in us to want some of that to survive. Objectively useless, but I think it's a good idea.

Preserving humanity. (I'll rephrase my OP.)

 

[Quintessence]

The purpose it would serve is mental comfort to those who undertake it.

Ultimately, there is no preserving humanity. The universe is always changing, and species are always evolving. Humans are not immune from, and will never be immune from, these forces.

It's also worth considering the ecology of it. Introducing novel species outside of their place of origin often creates problems, and humans are already the most invasive species on this planet. They would no doubt decimate and destroy others.

 

[Sultan Of Swing]

I watched Interstellar, the movie,

the other night in which a team of explorers travel through a wormhole in an attempt to ensure humanity's survival.

It raised the question: What purpose would preserving humanity serve?

I couldn't come up with any. Can you?

Because saving people's lives is good?

I can understand what you mean if it's just sending off some embryos into some habitable planet, and some machines will raise them into adults or something, all for the sake of preserving the human species, as it were.

But if it's people here on earth, and the earth is becoming uninhabitable, surely it just comes down to the same reasons we would have anyway when it comes to saving people's lives, a government having the duty to protect its citizens, ensure their safety and their freedoms? Acting in the interest of their well-being, there is a mass movement of peoples to another planet? The reason why we'd do that is the same for why we help people anyway, save people, protect, etc.

 

[Revoltingest]

It raised the question: What purpose would preserving humanity serve?

I couldn't come up with any. Can you?

Because we want to.

 

[Saint Frankenstein]

Because there's so many beautiful people who deserve to have the chance to develop to their full potential and attempt to change the world for the positive. Even if there's just a little light left, that light deserves to be preserved and nourished.

Now if I, a misanthrope (and sometimes a rather extreme one at that), can come up with a reason to save humanity on the fly, the rest of you can as well.

 

[Skwim]

Because there's so many beautiful people who deserve to have the chance to develop to their full potential and attempt to change the world for the positive. Even if there's just a little light left, that light deserves to be preserved and nourished.

Now if I, a misanthrope (and sometimes a rather extreme one at that), can come up with a reason to save humanity on the fly, the rest of you can as well.

Just to be clear, the issue isn't a matter of accommodating the needs, desires, or aspirations of individuals, but considering humanity as a whole. Is there something inherently valuable in the nature of humanity that makes it worth preserving in the face of possible extinction? Where would the loss lie if humanity as a whole went extinct?

 

[dust1n]

Evolutionary forces don't come this far just to give up because the chances seem impossible. Expect near every living thing to die trying as hard as possible not to and breed as much as possible.

 

[Skwim]

Evolutionary forces don't come this far just to give up because the chances seem impossible. Expect near every living thing to die trying as hard as possible not to and breed as much as possible.

Keep in mind that evolution isn't goal driven.

 

[dust1n]

Keep in mind that evolution isn't goal driven.

No kidding. It just has weird side effects like genetic disposition to reproduction and survival.

 

[Bunyip]

Humanity as it is now can not be preserved, species change over time - as ours has and will continue to do. Interstellar Homo Sapiens will be a very different species from us.

Like Mars for example, humans would be very different after only a few generations.

 

[LuisDantas]

It raised the question: What purpose would preserving humanity serve?

I couldn't come up with any. Can you?

Vanity.

 

[Rick O'Shez]

I think this space alien had the right idea.

The Day the Earth Stood Still (2008 film) - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

 

[Jumi]

Humanity as it is now can not be preserved, species change over time - as ours has and will continue to do. Interstellar Homo Sapiens will be a very different species from us.

Like Mars for example, humans would be very different after only a few generations.

I only think that would happen if there was natural selection.

 

[Bunyip]

I only think that would happen if there was natural selection.

There will always be selection of some sort, natural or otherwise.

 

[Saint Frankenstein]

Just to be clear, the issue isn't a matter of accommodating the needs, desires, or aspirations of individuals, but considering humanity as a whole. Is there something inherently valuable in the nature of humanity that makes it worth preserving in the face of possible extinction? Where would the loss lie if humanity as a whole went extinct?

You're right. Screw humanity. The evil outweighs the good in our species, so just end it.

 

[Skwim]

You're right. Screw humanity. The evil outweighs the good in our species, so just end it.

You funny guy.

 

[Saint Frankenstein]

You funny guy.

I don't recall making a joke.