‘We Are The Problem’: Violence As The Most Fundamental Force

14 thoughts on “‘We Are The Problem’: Violence As The Most Fundamental Force”

1. Excellent article.

   I was unfamiliar with the work of Byung-Chul Han. Something that I will try to rectify.

2. I’m not sure I fully understand this article, but I will point out that many very successful bascilli, parasites, etc do not kill their host. I think that may lead to a more optimistic conclusion than the one in the article

   1. Indeed, the initial paragraphs reflect a fundamental misunderstanding of evolution by natural selection.

   2. We coexist with many trillions of microorgansisms, with human cells accounting for only 44% of total cells in the body (>99% by mass, though). https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4991899/

3. The idea of a one dimensional DNA justification leads to a narrow view.

4. I agree that inevitably the human race, given enough time, will self destruct. That does not mean we serve no evolutionary purpose, we may not be the pinnacle of evolution but we potentially represent a key link in the chain. I personally view the ultimate goal of humanity as a species to become the creators AI or some form of hybrid bio-mechanic sentient life form. This new artificial intelligence will replace us (may even exterminate us) and will be free of the violence inscribed in our genetic code, but also capable of carrying our legacy by expanding in our best qualities as a species: ingenuity, curiosity and creativity.

5. The 21st century as some kind of miracle dot along the timeline of evolution? The it is the it is different this time mantra. There will be survivors and violence will not be the adaptation that perpetuates them.

6. That is the it is different this time mantra. Is what I meant tto say.

7. I mean no? Yes, but no. I will fully buy that violence is an aspect of humanity especially beyond our “firmware” of 150 person social networks. The natural checks on violence begin to break down outside of our tribal group. Society has relied on collective delusion to bridge that to large groups, delusions like caste systems, racism, educational hierarchies, royalty, etc. Those always dictate who can and cannot weild power violently and against whom.

   So sure the current system is cracking but we need not regress to something less just than the racist proprietarianism of today. There should be more egalitarian distributions of power which minimize the accessibility of violence and which highlight the lack of utility in it generally.

8. Existence is competition. Life is competition. Love is competition. The entire question revolves around competition. Every success, every failure, every adaptation, every civilization, every better nature, all violence, the good, the bad, and everything in the post, flows from that fact.

   1. You are forgetting empathy. Without it, you don’t have an equilibrium and no civilization. As much as we (humans) carry some seeds of empathy, it is not enough to combat competition/survival instinct. Empathy is the main cultural dimension that separates civilized from barbaric. Systematic erradication of empathy in the last 50y of neoliberal reign is what brought us to this point.

      1. I choose more than empathy to combat self-interest and competitive destruction. “But the Holy Spirit produces this kind of fruit in our lives: love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control. There is no law against these things!”
         ‭‭Galatians‬ ‭5:23‬ -23 NLT‬‬
         https://www.bible.com/116/gal.5.23.nlt
         ‭‭
         No law and order required to co-exist with goodness!

         1. Oh, really? How about eternal damnation, hell if you do not follow the rules? Crusades? Violence agains Jews (and infidels)? Inquisition? Cooperation of Catholic churche with Nazis? And everything else that was justified by religion.

9. When millions of viewers watched the murder of George Floyd on TV I think the overwhelming result was the revulsion of the violence carried out by the people who are supposed to protect us and maintain the law and order of society. I think the violence in this case shocked us and brought us collectively closer together to oppose the use of needless violence against society as a whole. The protestors who took to the street for the betterment of us all I applaud. The looters and criminals who took advantage of the situation i abhor and the silent millions who watched and hope that the end result is a better pace to live for our children I understand. I am hopeful that we will become a better organism than the common bacterium. I think it is in the vast majority of us to naturally oppose senseless violence.

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