Logic, Or the Semblance of It

 

Think of it: zillions and zillions of organisms running around, each under the hypnotic spell of a single truth, all these truths identical, and all logically incompatible with one another: ‘My hereditary material is the most important material on earth; its survival justifies your frustration, pain, even death’. And you are one of those organisms, living your life in the thrall of a logical absurdity.

 

 

Do you think the sun orbits the sun?  Likely not, but there was a time that was a common perspective. 

 

Racism (or any stigma, really) is a variant on the same theme - them Other folk aren't as human as you are and as such, not deserving of the rights and freedoms that are the sole property of mankind.  It's universal, this - we matter, you don't.  We have the moral authority to impose upon you, but the reverse would be a travesty.

 

Might makes right in business, in politics, in bullying, in rape.  At least, many of us feel that way.

 

In truth, though, there is one massively complex system that includes the furthest-flung galaxies and the most microcosmic of organisms.  We sentient humans are somewhere in the middle, unremarkable to anyone but ourselves except for one thing - we have the capacity to be conscious of the big picture. 

 

We don't always - often enough, we settle for shadows or cheap facsimiles.

 

At our best, though, we know that we're part of a whole that is infinitely more than the sum of its parts - and aim to offer a meaningful contribution, maybe leave a bit of a mark behind.

 

Call it social genetics.