Introduction to Philosophy

Do you think societies evolve according to a fixed pattern?

If so, what will happen next?

We think we'll become more selfish, the opposite of Marx - more aware of our own needs, little concern for others. There is a pattern - striving for comfort but individually, not as a society. Too many different views of comfort for the process to be uniform.

If societies evolved to a fixed pattern all human societies would be the same, as we all started out in the same place. What will happen next? Humans will reach the pinnacle of evolution then regress or become extinct. Death is inevitable.

What did the person mean when he gave 'Amsterdam' as an example of 'emergence'? - He didn't say Amsterdam, he said Hampsterman, the man who turned into a Hamster.

Technological advance will lead to decadence and self-destruction.

Sort of depends where we look. Eg there wasn't really a slave-based economy in England. Around the same time as ancient Rome
England = primitive (no slaves)

Rome = advanced (slaves).

I do not believe that evolution follows a fixed pattern. However it is influenced by advances in technology and science but as these cannot be predicted it is impossible to tell what will happen next.

Lots of diversity - like social inbreeding

-A world state?

-Total Globalization?

One language, currency?

>>> Revolution/Backlash >>> Technology, mass production, automisation, no jobs communism? (damn, wanted to avoid that.)

I think the pattern is:

Tribal > Slave > Feudalism > Capitalism/Communism > Anarchism > Tribal State > etc.

I believe it is a circle. I believe our curiosity will destroy us. Even if 1% of our research is disastrous it only takes 1% to produce devastating results, i.e. nuclear fusion going wrong.

Yes but some events can work to change the fixed pattern.

Some tribes still exist in their basic form (African tribes Esc) without having developed further even throughout millions of years. Would this disprove the determinist view?

Amalgamation of humans and technology.

No. Every society is different and each new society evolves from the old one to make it culturally different. There are too many different factors for societies to evolve in a fixed pattern.

Societies evolve according to the standard and progression of the things that they create.

If this is so, the human being will become less motivated as more things can be achieved using machines. Then politics will become either perfect or obsolete.

Man will discover how to create machines that do work for us. The world will become even more technologically based than it is now, and will continue to evolve in this way until we are destroyed!!

Neo-capitalism

- advanced version of capitalism with greater state control and a higher standard of living supported by advances in technology and social science.

Technology will define (to an extent) how far society will develop. However, the use of technology has been societies' downfall as well in some cases.

I think that we will move to a Utopian existence (peacefully) after implementing the technology to improve the quality of life.

Will the society predictions change if we manage to inhabit space? (Different priorities - oxygen).

Globalism (in the West at least) > through capitalism

media

trade

Apes will take over the world.

No. Every individual can have their say and enact change. Revolutions, terrorism etc. change society yet doesn't conform to fixed set out pattern.

Something else will happen when some individual comes forward with a new idea.

If we as a society evolve, it will be to a more simplistic way of life. With the rich and poor divide taken away.

The next stage of human evolution we comes to realise that we're one consciousness and peace shall reign.

Single Global State

World Government

Most likely more Communist than Capitalist

Society strives to common good

Societies can evolve according to a predictable pattern, not a fixed pattern.

Societies evolve because it is our instinct to survive, it then progresses onto not just surviving but living in comfort.

Technology will evolve, comfort will be increased - cure for cancer etc.

Each culture has its own individual pattern of evolution, eg Western etc.. Eventually the Western pattern of evolution will be enforced on every culture.

Agreeing with Popper in that society cannot be predicted, but societies bend to follow a vaguely similar lines but there are too many exceptions to make the evolutionary theory work.

It is pretty much impossible to definitely predict what will happen.

Rise of empires

Asian (Chinese-rules) - expansionist

American - colonial (corporate-backed and based)

Europe - (the "Union" becomes one country/state)

New "Cold War" between Chinese and American Empires - covert funding for terrorism/revolutions etc.

followed by:

Arms race (technology)

Arming of space race

War: (World War)

For possession of the world's remaining natural resources - oil etc. - focussed on the middle East region and South of Russia - Afghanistan etc.

The search for knowledge and reason.

The return to nature, ecology. Advancing technologically in ways that are commercially sound.

Patterns are but a prediction, produced from the events of the past. Thus these are not set but simply possibilities which war is always a part of < - War can change the pattern.

There do seem to be trends in societies' development but the thing that will cause the next step change cannot be known until it occurs or else it already would have.

Societies may fit Marx's pattern of evolution yet not all do. Society does not have to follow a fixed pattern. Different societies and cultures i.e. religion/tradition etc. have different ideals so how can they all evolve with the same pattern?

Who knows what will happen next?


October 2002

It follows a fixed pattern because of the environment it develops in. Generally does, but doesn't necessarily have to follow this pattern.

Following the trends there will be decay. All civilization have risen and fallen in the past.

Societies' phases can be seen from the past but they do not necessarily follow a pattern and the feature of a society cannot be predicted because new knowledge cannot be predicted. No they do not follow a pattern.

There are patterns to every society, but if all societies had fixed patterns every society would be the same, or very similar. But not all societies have gone through these similar patterns.

If society has a pattern, the pattern will come to an end. Probably soon. Start praying. Have a nice day

:-).

No.

The polar ice caps will flood the earth and Dolphins will take over the world.

Yes, Society tends to follow patterns of formation, conflict, peace, repeat. The foresight is thus WAR.

Yes in the the short term, because it's determined by our acting at the present time. But in the long run hope (?) is possible.

No. It is the technological and scientific advances in a particular society that causes it to evolve.

Society is not fixed as you can never anticipate the 'I never saw that coming' effect.

Societies do evolve according to a fixed pattern. If society follows the pattern it has then there will be a big war and it will end with either one super power or many small powers. The same will happen with religion. There will either be one major religion or no particular religion.

Bush vs Saddam

Nuclear War

Armageddon

Society will continue to move further away from religion.

A utopian society based on fair distribution of resources without a profit motive.

Romans -> progression of govt.

Iberians & Celts settling in Britain, English settling in USA.

Don't know - more change.

If society evolved according to fixed pattern there would be no point in doing anything because our fate is determined. The fact that people do attempt to change their surroundings suggests that we have some control over our future.

We will join the single currency with Europe. Power will move to a central European government. Three major superpowers (USA, Europe, Eastern).

We do not believe societies evolve according to a fixed pattern since this would allow for a universe of predeterminism in which, whole new discoveries cannot be predicted. That said, there are common themes that affect evolution and are in turn affected by new discoveries (factors such as the needs for conflict, convenience, religion and discovery). We argue that social reaction cannot be accurately telegraphed ALL of the time. We can know how these factors might affect a society but cannot predict the variables. Eg We can know that in the midst of a depression, a country would support any charismatic politician who offers a way out. We can NOT know that this politician will necessarily be an anti-Semite who will cause the death of thousands of Jews, and the effect this will subsequently have on society.

 

 

 

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