Undiversified Groupism
Excerpt from Zygors Don't:
“Where were you going with the discussion on societal evolution, Daniel? About how society and technology have to evolve together. You had something in mind.”
“The balance of their parallel evolution is a crucial issue for the survival of societies.”
“Sounds like you’ve studied this stuff.”
“I have.”
“Thought you were a sex researcher.”
“I’ve been around a while. Done a lot of things.”
“You studied societal evolution?”
“Yes.”
“You mean over history?”
Daniel looked at Paul as though there was something he wanted to say but thought better of it. “Over history.”
“But you were saying how technology and society have to evolve together, in balance. For most of human history, there wasn’t any technology to speak of. So how could you study it from history?”
Daniel hesitated. Looked like he was thinking about his answer. “Remember when Peter brought up how some scientists believe that when intelligent life reaches a certain point, they tend to blow themselves up?”
“Sure.”
“It’s part of evolution on a grander scale than what we can witness here on Earth alone. If society doesn’t evolve as technology does, annihilation may be the result.”
“How is society supposed to evolve?”
“It’s the grouping instinct.”
“The grouping instinct?”
“Any sentient creature, not just man, will tend to form groups. It’s a way of leveraging intelligence.”
“It’s a way of leveraging bullshit too.”
“It may be. But Humans evolved over millions of years and during that time, mankind found that it paid to group together to maximize strength. Group identities naturally occurred. And after millions of years, the need for group identity sends down deep roots.”
“And that’s why people need group identity?”
“Right.”
“Fine. But in modern society it’s a weakness, a character defect. The weakness of the individual is the strength of the group.” Paul glanced at Daniel.
“I know you believe that, and I’m not saying you’re wrong.”
“The need for a group identity is underneath every horror man has visited upon himself,” Paul said.
“Probably true.”
“Religious persecution, racism and bigotry, ethnic hatred, Hitler, Stalin, all of it just expressions of group identity. Vicious wars. Massive slaughter. Brutality without limit over what amounts to nothing more than a desire for a group identity hidden behind the convenience of philosophical excuse.”
“All true. But you are talking about Undiversified Groupism.”
Commentary:
Here Daniel is trying to ease Paul into an understanding of what the larger issues are. Paul is a stauch individualist and sees all groupist tendencies as fundamental weakness. Daniel doesn't disagree but has seen the bigger picture many times. He is leading Paul to an understanding of the difference between undiversified groupism and diversifism.