Thursday, February 12, 2009

Human Nature and Evolution

Human nature is still misunderstood by many people today, especially by people who choose to believe that there is and always was something beyond human nature. Human nature is a complex idea that cannot be simply interpreted as what makes us human. Human nature is more about our biological make up and how humans have evolved biologically. To understand human nature one must have an accurate understanding of human biology which includes understanding Darwinian evolution.

Human beings are made up of billions of cells that work in concert in order to function as a unit. Humans evolved from a single-celled organism that functioned more efficiently for survival by joining with other single-celled organisms to form a larger unit. For example, single-celled blue-green algae that existed billions of years ago on planet Earth and that still exist today formed large groups in the water in order to work more efficiently at utilizing the sun's light in order to survive and grow as a colony more quickly. The grouping enabled them to expand their surface area in order to capture more photons from the sun. Just as atomic particles in space bond together in order to form more stable molecules so do cells. The template for human evolution can be seen in the nature of the universe.

From blue-green algae, to fish, to reptiles, to mammals, came human beings through natural selection, the driving force of evolution. In this process characteristics that are favourable for the survival of an organism in a particular environment in one generation will be inherited by or passed on to the next generation of offspring in the form of genetic DNA which stores this information. This process continues from generation to generation and still continues today. Of course, there is criticism of this idea even today but the fact will always remain that humans are evolving.

Human nature is a product of evolution. Our heritable DNA governs our development and functioning. It expresses genetic and physical traits or characteristics that were passed down from previous generations. In a sense, we are all brothers and sisters. We are all similar. There is genetic variation, however, from one society to the next due to differences, for example, in culture and climate, so humans have adapted to different environments in order to live and thrive. Our behaviours differ in different societies but that does not mean we are essentially different.

The human brain is a vast network of neurons in operation that controls much of the body and our brain functions. There is no ghost in the machine or soul that runs this complex system. We are also not a Blank Slate. For if we were.... I cannot even fathom this concept since it counteracts evolution which is defined as the passing of genetic and heritable information from generation to generation evolving from a single-cell to a human being. We could not have even developed as a functioning organism if we were all Blank Slates. Since all organisms carry genetic information from the simplest to the most complex, the concept of the Blank Slate is wrong. We are living organisms with innate qualities. Humans can learn how to read and recognize objects at a very young age just as a bird can learn to fly only after a few weeks of being born. These are instincive qualities that cannot simply come from nowhere. These qualities have been passed down from our ancestors in order for us to imitate their functions and behaviours because it helped them to survive.

Humans are complex organisms. We are not simple and we are not blank slates. We are beautiful because we have innate qualities that have evolved over time among living organisms. We carry with us the knowledge of our history so that we may use it to build something greater. We are all brothers and sisters regardless of how we look on the outside or how we think. It is our duty to understand and accept our own nature so that we can understand and accept universal nature. We must let go of preconceived notions that go beyond human and universal nature. If we cannot properly understand our own nature how is it that we can adhere to a belief about something that created us and this universe. It is nonsensical and illogical to do so. If it was not for people like Charles Darwin, we would all still be tricked into believing something that does not exist and that never existed. We must all ensure that our children learn the truth about human existence--- Evolution!

Happy 200th Charles Darwin!