There’s a 5 billion year competition going on between (unicellular) bacteria and (non-cellular) viruses (Aeon-2014). The cells in multicellular organisms must cooperate – by definition. However, cooperation creates a dependence on others. Independence – or freedom from others – has its advantages and disadvantages.
Quanta-2021: “And even today, there are far more unicellular organisms than multicellular ones on the planet. Staying together has serious downsides: A cell’s fate becomes tied to those of the cells around it, so if they die, it may die too.”
The “cellular instruction” in multicellular lifeforms to cooperate with other cells likely extends to (i) cooperation with other lifeforms (eg, ecology, stewardship, symbiosis), and (ii) may equal a conscience in humans. Moreover, cooperation in multicellular organisms appears to increase consciousness and learning.
From a human perspective, a conscience may express our awareness and/or consciousness towards our surroundings (eg, animals, humans, plants, trees). Anything “dead” is up for our exploitation.
Humans appear to be the only life-form that developed a set of seven belief systems (ie, 2015 version, 2019 update) that are able to override our conscience (eg, child labour, human trafficking, murder, slavery).
Most lifeforms are in the Needs or in the Wants (eg, using tools) stage of their collective development. Some animals show signs of beliefs (Wiki). Please see my blogs on Needs, Wants & Beliefs.
Why are human beliefs stronger than our conscience?
Trialism – a belief in Love, Knowledge & Power – has long held our conscience in balance. Dualism – a belief that Knowledge equals Power – has eroded that balance and stretched our conscience. Monism, a belief in and a love for Power, is able to override any conscience (eg, atrocities).
Perhaps, the erosion of our conscience is like entropy to (advanced) lifeforms. Also see this Scientific American article: Humans Are Doomed to Go Extinct (also see last Monday’s blog).
A quote from a 1925 sermon, The Seven Social Sins, by Frederick Lewis Donaldson (1860-1953):
“Wealth without work.
Pleasure without conscience.
Knowledge without character.
Commerce without morality.
Science without humanity.
Worship without sacrifice.
Politics without principle.”
Conscience (2019) by Jacob Lee
artist, lyrics, video, Wiki
[Verse 1]
Let me become what I want
You won’t believe what I ponder
I saw the world through a notch
Somewhere within I uncovered
Everything that I once was
Dwelling beyond my subconscious
I saw myself as a god
That’s when I realised I wasn’t
Conscious of my conscience (1988) by Womack & Womack
Bobby Womack, Linda Womack, lyrics, video, Wiki-1, Wiki-2
Note: all markings (bold, italic, underlining) by LO unless stated otherwise.
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