The Next Step In Human Evolution.

Just as the concept of God acted as an evolutionary stepladder, science, if applied similarly will boost human evolution. And just in time, for we have reached the limits of the validity of the concept of God, and the legitimacy of the social, political and economic structures built upon it.
The argument is that in the Upper Paleolithic primitive man lived a fairly flat existence. He! acted instinctually on the basis of the artifact-artificer relationship – in that footprints or sounds of animals told him of food or danger, but he didn’t consciously recognize the relationship. (The artifact is a made object and the artificer is the (absent) maker of the object – his! existence inferred in evidence of design.) Induced by instinctual behaviors in its course, sudden intellectual recognition – that ‘of course’ moment when he! finally became aware of the idea was revalatory. It’s demonstrated in the archeological record by the sudden appearance of art, but recognition probably did not occur initially in relation to evidence of design in nature, or even the regularities of day and night, summer and winter. More likely, prepared for the conceptual leap by experience, but as yet unaware, some distant ancestor stumbled across some pre-human litter.
‘Who made this?’ he cried and ‘click’ – the light went on.
‘Who made me – who made the world?’ – immediately he was a Cartesian scholar for it struck him! that everything was somehow made and therefore like the hand and footprints about a heap of rock and bloodied bones – by someone. The idea that someone made him and the world so enthralled his primitive imagination he rehearsed the idea ad infinitum – intellectually rehearsing the abstract relationship inherent to the concept by applying it anew to everything. Who made me? Who made that? What can I make? He! may even have developed conceptual language to communicate that which gave him the ability to form conceptual language – indeed, that which made him! truly human.
The significance of the idea should not be underestimated nor its deep spiritual significance be undermined, for it seems likely that it changed human perception so radically as to enable separate hunter-gatherer tribal groups to come together to form primitive societies. Acting as an absolute authority for law, the concept of a creator unlocked a conceptual and material avalanche, a cornucopia of ideas, inventions and goods that could only occur in a social setting – not all of them good.
Ideas once employed to benefit man! now drive us to behave in a manner that’s the absolute contradiction of the spiritual worth those ideas developed embody, honor and express. They have reached the limits of their legitimacy and that would be disastrous for us were it not that science is known and constitutes the next conceptual shift driving human evolution.
As we approach upon the limits of fossil fuels, upon the leading edge of a storm of climate change, and as our population spirals beyond measure we cannot survive with old ideas that have us blood boiling ready to do eachother in and stone cold indifferent to those beyond view. Science gives us the tools, the motive, the opportunity, and a reasoned ideology that directs us to survive.
For 150 years, since Darwin published ‘On the Origin of Species’ we have been prepared by the growing coherence and prevalence of scientific knowledge for conscious intellectual recognition of its significance. In much the same way that intellectual recognition of the artifact-artificer relationship changed man’s! understanding of himself in relation to reality – similarly, science redefines that relationship. An honest and unqualified acceptance of scientific method, knowledge, technology and overall picture can remake the world by recasting man! in his! relationship to reality. Acceptance of and adjustment to valid knowledge of reality will be beneficial at every level – from an organism responding to the physical, chemical, biological nature of its environment, through to a cleansing of the human soul in a rationale and purpose for action that is clear and just and sane.
Applied socially, politically and economically science will enable the formation of global society and direct human action in the course of betterment and survival. Just as the concept of God made us truly human, acceptance of and adjustment to valid knowledge will honor the humanity invested in the concept, benefiting man! such that it will again be evident that we are on the path to ‘God’ – even as we embrace redefinition by science.

1) an honest and unqualified acceptance of scientific understanding.
2) a global hierarchical system organized on the basis of intellectual meritocracy.
3) a commitment to the continued survival of the human species.
4) a commitment to human equality:
a) material equality within the bounds of environmental sustainability.
b) equality of opportunity.
5) no one shall bear arms but in the service of the global government.
6) a right to self replacement in two halves of two children subject to female consent.

In face of mounting threats to our very existence we should consider our good fortune very carefully that such knowledge is known to us as to enable us to survive. It cannot be done unconsciously – by social, political and economic structures founded on and directed by less valid ideas, employing science as a tool and ignoring scientific knowledge as a rule in the conduct of our affairs. The modern equivalent of that ‘of course’ moment must occur – that human action directed in the course of a scientific understanding can implement hydrogen, wire the world, employ, feed, heal, disarm and educate – in short to create conditions conducive to continued survival.
We fought a second World War for the better part a decade – showing how powerful action in the course of a single idea can be, and how devastating the consequences if that knowledge is not valid. Certainly it will be difficult, but as we endured the Second World War we would endure through a similar logistical effort in the course of a scientific ideology, to mobilize men! and resources for the purpose of securing survival, and we would live to see a new dawn rather than die with night closing in for our species.