Cultures
Why is the internet such a powerful thing? Some have called the internet the greatest invention humans have so far achieved. I tend to agree. Why?
Culture, I believe, is a set of shared beliefs and experiences which serve to bind a given group of people into believing that they are one people. Now, some have argued that the internet has actually reduced this effect amongst people, in that it facilitates a person's ability to cherry-pick the sources of knowledge that one gets so that an individual feeds themselves only what they choose to believe, rather than get a more rounded view. This causes one to be more inward. I disagree, because I see the internet itself as a binding force among people throughout the world.
Here is an exercise to prove my point. Scroll down to the bottom of this post and enter a comment. It can be gobbledygook; I don't care. Just take 1.5 seconds and do it now.
Back? Thanks for participating.
There, you have proved my point. You are a person who has somehow stumbled onto my rather generic-looking blog and you have made a connection based on something I said. You may be from anywhere, but you have found me, and, however small, we made a connection. One that would not have been possible without the internet.
Multiculturalists believe that cultures are pretty much even. To them, they are adaptations for the environment in which they exist, and that the ethics and belief systems of any particular culture cannot be judged from those not participating in that culture. This is commonly known as cultural relativism, and it is a view I do not share.
What is the problem with Multiculturalism? First off, it doesn't take into account history. Think about your studies and reading of history. Now, think of human history as an evolutionary process. Then, look at, say, European history. Can you say that the cultures existent in the 1st century A.D. are in existence today? You might be tempted to say, well, this random culture today has its roots in this particular culture in 1st century A.D. But picture taking a person from that culture and dumping them into the same geographic spot today, two thousand years later? How will this person react? How will this person cope?
The culture that person lived in then is now extinct. It has been replaced by a whole new species, that has its branches leading back to that previous culture, but those two cultures can no longer interbreed. Too much evolution has occurred.
Which leads to this point, which is the killer of Multiculturalism. Cultures evolve the same way living organisms evolve, and those who cannot face evolutionary pressure die off from it. Multiculturalists seek to preserve cultures that, despite their longevity, have failed to reach the level of progression of other, more advanced cultures. They seek to excuse the weaknesses of less advanced cultures by both explaining the weaknesses as hidden strengths, and by pointing out the deficits of the cultures that are succeeding. What they fail to do is to understand that it is the adaptability of a culture that is paramount in determining its fate. Those who are in a culture that have not made sufficient advances for continued survival should not seek to preserve their culture; they instead should seek to evolve and adapt it to the new challenges, and adopt ways and ethics similar to more successful ones.
That is what the more advanced cultures do. That is why they are more advanced.
Which leads us back to the internet. The internet is a shared cultural experience that is both global and persistent. Individuals may make of it what they will, but in a broader scope, the effect is both uniting and positive. It is breaking down barriers between cultures and providing means for rapid cultural evolution and unity. Even if you disagree, by reading this now, you prove my point.
Culture, I believe, is a set of shared beliefs and experiences which serve to bind a given group of people into believing that they are one people. Now, some have argued that the internet has actually reduced this effect amongst people, in that it facilitates a person's ability to cherry-pick the sources of knowledge that one gets so that an individual feeds themselves only what they choose to believe, rather than get a more rounded view. This causes one to be more inward. I disagree, because I see the internet itself as a binding force among people throughout the world.
Here is an exercise to prove my point. Scroll down to the bottom of this post and enter a comment. It can be gobbledygook; I don't care. Just take 1.5 seconds and do it now.
Back? Thanks for participating.
There, you have proved my point. You are a person who has somehow stumbled onto my rather generic-looking blog and you have made a connection based on something I said. You may be from anywhere, but you have found me, and, however small, we made a connection. One that would not have been possible without the internet.
Multiculturalists believe that cultures are pretty much even. To them, they are adaptations for the environment in which they exist, and that the ethics and belief systems of any particular culture cannot be judged from those not participating in that culture. This is commonly known as cultural relativism, and it is a view I do not share.
What is the problem with Multiculturalism? First off, it doesn't take into account history. Think about your studies and reading of history. Now, think of human history as an evolutionary process. Then, look at, say, European history. Can you say that the cultures existent in the 1st century A.D. are in existence today? You might be tempted to say, well, this random culture today has its roots in this particular culture in 1st century A.D. But picture taking a person from that culture and dumping them into the same geographic spot today, two thousand years later? How will this person react? How will this person cope?
The culture that person lived in then is now extinct. It has been replaced by a whole new species, that has its branches leading back to that previous culture, but those two cultures can no longer interbreed. Too much evolution has occurred.
Which leads to this point, which is the killer of Multiculturalism. Cultures evolve the same way living organisms evolve, and those who cannot face evolutionary pressure die off from it. Multiculturalists seek to preserve cultures that, despite their longevity, have failed to reach the level of progression of other, more advanced cultures. They seek to excuse the weaknesses of less advanced cultures by both explaining the weaknesses as hidden strengths, and by pointing out the deficits of the cultures that are succeeding. What they fail to do is to understand that it is the adaptability of a culture that is paramount in determining its fate. Those who are in a culture that have not made sufficient advances for continued survival should not seek to preserve their culture; they instead should seek to evolve and adapt it to the new challenges, and adopt ways and ethics similar to more successful ones.
That is what the more advanced cultures do. That is why they are more advanced.
Which leads us back to the internet. The internet is a shared cultural experience that is both global and persistent. Individuals may make of it what they will, but in a broader scope, the effect is both uniting and positive. It is breaking down barriers between cultures and providing means for rapid cultural evolution and unity. Even if you disagree, by reading this now, you prove my point.
posted by gemillam at
3:07 AM
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