Science Creed Manifest (SCM)
Apr 17, 2005 re-write of June 5 2003 posting
Dov in biologicalEvolution forum
I have recently re-subscribed to Science Online, having forgotten one of the two reasons for my earlier subscription termination. The receipt today of an AAAS circular note refreshed the forgotten reason in my memory. The notice is re an "April 17-19 (2005) conference developed by the American Association for the Advancement of Science's Program of Dialogue on Science, Ethics and Religion in collaboration with departments and faculty from MIT and Harvard University"….
The other reason for my earlier Science subscription termination was that with age (80 yrs old) I have tired of trying to keep updating myself with the ever growing volume of ever more detailed information in the subjects of my interest, and have been seeking, instead, mostly macro-surveys-views and origins-driving-forces assessments of phenomena-processes.
I have realized many years ago that Science ( AAAS ) is a "guild/trade-union journal" of an international association of those whose earnings/livelihood are derived from academic or industrial activities, most of the financial means for which are made available by or depend on political authorities. This means that Science simply cannot afford to even be suspected of any connection with a politically non-correct social attitude or project.
Since my (May 2003) suggested SCM project might indeed be regarded politically subversive it, most probably, would never be taken up nor encouraged by any organization affiliated in any way with a guild of "scientists". Thus I realistically give up seeking to advance its realization, after many many unsuccessful attempts. As a final act in the matter of SCM I enter here into the record my last unsuccessful attempt addressed to Science.
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Accompanying cover letter
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SCM is a suggested international online educational program for promoting rational science-based over the present faith-belief-based civilization.
This is NOT a solicitation of a grant or support for the project nor for involvement in the project in any way. It is just an outline of the suggested project.
One of the two attachments presents the suggested SCM project and the other is a brief argument for the project.
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Attachment A
SCM, Science Creed Manifest
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SCM project Summary:
An educational, scientism-based program, to promote international tolerance/cooperation by developing consensus on the reasons-incentives-goals for it, via a joint project of the world-wide scientific community and science-oriented public. The project, Science Creed Manifest, will be initiated on-line with a draft of a skeletal outline and will be elaborated on-line with invited suggestions, and will be likewise thereafter updated/modified annually. It will convey the scientific vista of Earth's position in the universe, the composition of the universe and its dynamic processes, the origin and nature of life on Earth, the mechanism and history of evolution of life on Earth, the scope of inter-relationship of genomes of all Earth organisms, the mechanism of emergence and development of human culture and civilization, and the unique nature and mechanism of human survival and evolution.
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I.
A. The InterAcademy Council, a UN group, has been considering recently "inventing a new global organization for developing worldwide cooperation for a science-based better future", to promote international tolerance and cooperation.
B. The purpose of the proposed SCM project is the promotion of scientific knowledge/vistas for the wide public as a rational base for ethic/moral/social values/convictions in lieu of a faith/belief base. All other organisms on earth around us have survived and proliferated without faith/belief but with natural successful community cooperative living modes. For "intelligent" organisms that we are an irrational living base leads unavoidably to Darwinian fatal catastrophic struggles between political powers of incompatible human phenotypes.
C. A system of ethics and a functional civilization may be developed from science via approach and practice of scientism, in order to alleviate as much as possible all forms of pain and to apply as beneficially as possible all forms of power and advantage that become available through science.
D. As life is begotten from life, and in view of the characteristics of life and death, life is a "bubble of energy" system, initiated and maintained by energy and collects and stores energy in a pattern and direction to halt or reverse the universal thermodynamic drive towards a state of ever dissipating order and energy.
E. Human and other polycell organisms as well as monocell organisms, each and every life form, are composed and function to preserve and proliferate their genome. This is life's phenomenon, drive and purpose. This has evolved in the course of the ongoing ubiquitous development of self-replicating life entities in the direction of ever higher organizational complexity.
Every aspect of each and every life form, including of humans, derives from this drive and serves it, and in the case of humans these aspects include all our civilizations and all our forms of cultures, which have evolved to improve our efficacy to survive and proliferate, for the sole purpose that our base genome survive and proliferate.
Genomes, all genomes, make most sense if celled life evolved from pre-celled life which, by our present knowledge, might have been based on individual archaic genes that evolved and speciated into more elaborate genes, some of whom entered into symbiotic associations, some of whom then celled themselves, some cells then forming further intra- and/or inter-cells associations, etc.,.
Chromosomal genes associations, genomes, are products of evolution and cooperation of their individual gene constituents much as their following mono- and poly-cell organisms are products of evolution of their earlier cellular forms, all being products of evolution of their in-cell genome residents who, by means of their, earlier, RNAs and, later, also protein toolings, evolved and are designed and driven solely towards their replication, the replication of the in-cell residents, the genomes.
The "celling" of the pre-celled archaic genes-associations plus their (nucleolus like?) retinues freed the genomes from being at the mercy of all environmental circumstances and gave them some control over many of them. The following Darwinian evolution of poly-celled life has been a continuation and an extension of this revolutionary evolution.
The second, recent, revolutionary life evolution has been initiated, in a similar vein, by our forefathers who adapted from life in semi-or tropical forest circumstances to life on plains. As changed living posture and circumstances led to modified perceptive/adaptive capabilities and eventually to language communication humans have gradually replaced adaptation to changed circumstances with self-evolving cultures/civilizations for control and modification of much of their circumstances. This is essentially similar to Life's earlier "celling" evolution, but with culture functioning for humans for change/control of circumstances in lieu of RNA and protein toolings that function for in-cell genomes for adapting their cell's physiology to changing circumstances.
Cultural aspects, all cultural aspects, function for individual humans and for human communities of all sizes and phenotypes (distinct ethnic/national/cultural communities) in the same manner and for the same ends as biological systems function in cells. This is plainly in accord with the fractal nature of Earth life.
F. Humans display a different approach to the scientific study of the nature of life than to the study of anything else. This may be due to an aversion to accept the dismaying realization that we are, after all, just one of the many life forms on Earth (or in our galaxy or the universe?).
A most essential, and uniquely human, ingrained/inherent need is some degree of self-esteem. The mere survival and existence of human individuals and communities of any size is anchored and established on a foundation of self-esteem culture which is neatly a complete creation of humans. Humanity is urgently becoming faced with the vital need to re-formulate its basis of culture, to anchor and build our life edifice on a rational deeply convincing moral/ethical/social values.
II.
I posit that the first step of a program to set up a global organization to promote science-based international cooperation might be a development of a world-wide consensus on the reasons-incentives-goals for it, by means of a continuous cooperative project of the world-wide scientific community and science-oriented public. And I suggest that such a consensus may be developed by means of the SCM project.
The project, SCM, Science Creed Manifest, will be initiated on-line with a draft of a brief skeletal outline of the target manifest that will be expanded and elaborated on-line, with welcome readers' suggestions, into a finished "first edition" within a set time-period. Thereafter the manifest will be similarly modified and updated once a year.
The manifest will convey the scientific vista of Earth's position in the universe, the scientific conjectures re the composition of the universe and its dynamic processes, the scientific conjectures re the origin and nature of life on Earth, re the mechanism and history of evolution of life on Earth, re the scope of inter-relationship of genomes of all Earth organisms, re the mechanism of emergence and development of human cultures and civilizations, and re the unique nature and mechanism of human survival and evolution.
III.
The SCM PROJECT
A. Prepare and present a Science Creed Manifest (SCM) as a basis of a call for international tolerance and cooperation between humans.
The SCM will comprise the following main themes, written in very succinct format and in plainest non-professional language, yet scientifically updated:
(1) Description of Earth's position in our galaxy, of Milky Way galaxy, and of its position in the cosmos, and of the origin and dynamic state of the cosmos.
(2) Inter-relationship of genomes of all Earth organisms with reference to comparative genomics and to history of Earth's life evolution.
(3) All phenomena of life are fractal, from in-cell to comprehensive total Earth life, including all aspects of human cultures/civilizations.
(4) Life is a "bubble of energy" system, initiated by energy and collects and stores energy in a pattern and direction contrary to the universal thermodynamic drive towards a state of ever dissipating order and energy.
(5) The emergence of human culture and civilization is a Life evolutionary revolution similar to the emergence of cells, with the novelties that culture and civilization functions for Humans as protein toolings function for genes, so that for survival and proliferation humans vary their circumstances rather than become physiologically adapted to them.
B. A Science Creed Manifest might become a germinating and growing seed of promotion of worldwide tolerance and cooperation between communities:
(1) "Scientists" are persons learned in science and/or investigating by scientific rules. "Scientism" is a method or doctrine characteristic of scientists, or the proposition that methods of natural sciences should be used in all areas of investigation.
(2) If all "scientists" would have embraced "scientism" and thus be "truly scientific" most scientists would find themselves sharing similar opinions or attitudes in regards to most matters or issues. However, the fact is that "scientists" are not apart from non-scientists in regards to opinions or attitudes about a host of matters or issues. Together with non-scientists they comprise disagreeing or even hostile groups, especially in most opinion- or attitude-groups regarding social, moral, ethical or religious issues.
(3) The two main reasons for this situation are (a) that social, moral, ethical, religious and other humanistic issues are, unlike physical matters, not considered scientific thus not analyzed nor assessed and treated scientifically, and (b) that many or most scientists have not adopted scientism concurrently with acquisition of various levels of technical expertise in the field(s) of their interest.
(4) It is posited (a) that many or most scientists and science-oriented individuals may be persuaded that each and all humanistic matters and issues are, for human individuals and for human societies, affairs of natural sciences that are functional for survival of humans in the manner that intra-and inter-cell RNAs and proteinaceous toolings are functional for cellular genomes, and (b) that scientists embracing and practicing scientism would inevitably hold and share similar opinions or attitudes about humanistic matters and issues, and/or otherwise would not be hostile towards others holding opinions or attitudes different from theirs.
C. The SCM will be a continuous cooperative project of the worldwide scientific community and science-oriented public. Consequent to completion of its first edition it will be updated once a year:
(1) Its reason, purpose, scope and formating procedure and process will be presented on a dedicated web site and will be heralded in major scientific printed and electronic networks.
(2) Its first draft and its following annual updates will be composed on-line with the assistance of welcome readers' suggestions. An initial draft of a brief skeletal outline of the target manifest, prepared by a minimal editorial group, will be expanded and elaborated on-line with invited and welcome readers' suggestions, into a finished "first edition" within a set time-period. Thereafter the manifest will be modified and updated every year, with similar public participation.
(3) Only its minimal on-line editorial staff and minimal executive team will be paid; all others, contents contributors, reviewers and peers will serve and function voluntarily.
End.
Dov Henis (Ph.D.)
henisdov@…
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Attachment B
Evolution towards a science-based civilization.
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(1) We humans, intelligently-communicative organisms, are a rare random mutation on Earth. It is staggering to reflect on the odds of, initially, planet Earth and our solar system being in the habitable zone of our galaxy, then of a life evolving in a random energy-chemical constellation, then, consequently, of the occurring life undergoing a tremendous number of random mutation junctions along the stretch from either a pre-celled archaic gene or from archaic cells to the rise of intelligently communicative human.
(2) Among all Earth organisms humans appear to have a most essential, unique, ingrained-inherent feeling of self-esteem, extrapolated to esteem of self's family and extended further to all humankind. This esteem, ingrained in humans by faith and belief, is the basis of human cultures and civilizations, which are neatly the creations of human mind and upon which is founded the security-survival of individuals and of human communities of all sizes. Now,as humans learn ever more about the universe and life our faith-based self-esteem is shaken and we are faced with a vital need to re-formulate the basis of our culture and civilization, to anchor and build our life edifice not on faith-belief as it presently is but on deeply convincing scientific rational moral-ethical-social criteria…
(3) All Earth organisms presently known are genetically interrelated. Most persons with scientific views suggest/accept that life began with individual cell(s), from origin and in manner not yet known. Some persons, myself included, postulate that per Pasteur's "life comes from life" cells are evolutionary products, preceded by and evolved from not-yet-celled archaic RNA genes associations. In this scenario the yet-unknown is the origin and manner of occurrence of the early gene(s).
Going backwords in time to either the pre-cell life scenario or to cell-ex-machina life scenario, to a pre-Pasteur scenario, there most probably occured a constellation in which the combination of energy flow/balance plus combined presence of RNA- or pre-RNA type oligomer with its entourage of associated predecessor molecules happened to be in an energetic direction favourable to replication of the oligomer, initiating life in the form of an archaic gene. Life thus appears to be an energy-storing system initiated and maintained by energy to locally halt or reverse the direction of the observed universal thermodynamic drive to a state of ever dissipating order and energy.
(4) The probable above scenarios raise the question if life is a unique or rare random "energy bubble" phenomenon only on Earth, where so far we have not found life unrelated to us, or also in the universe, or is life a universally ubiquitous phenomenom of energy bubbles. Whatever life turns out to be there were two similar revolutionary evolutions in the history of Earth's Life.
The first was celling of the pre-celled archaic genes-associations plus their (nucleolus like?) retinues and plus their support and environmental menues. The revolutionary aspect of this evolution was being no longer at the mercy of all environmental circumstances but, instead, controling most of them. (Some genes associations celled without their essential menues, becoming viruses that exploit their rich relatives). The following Darwinian evolution of poly-celled life has been a continuation and an extension of this revolutionary evolution.
The second, recent, revolutionary evolution has been initiated, in a similar vein, by some primates that adapted from life in semi- or tropical forests to life on plains. As their changed posture and living circumstances led to modified perceptive/adaptive capabilities and eventually to language communications, humans have gradually replaced physiological adaptation to changing circumstances with self-evolving cultures/civilizations for control and modification of their circumstances. This is essentially similar to life's earlier celling evolution, but with culture functioning for humans in lieu of RNA and protein toolings that function for in-cell genomes.
(5) Human cultural aspects, ALL cultural aspects, function for individual humans and for human communities of ALL sizes and all phenotypes (distinct ethnic/national/cultural communities) in the same manner and for the same ends as biological systems function in cells. This is plainly in accord with the fractal nature of Earth life. The edifice of humankind's cooperative existence is based, though, on faith/belief that induce/convince humans to cooperate in building and maintaining the totality of human life edifice, and the faith/belief is based on the self-esteem of humans.
With the evolving better comprehension of the nature of life and of human culture we should actively participate in a worldwide effort to undergo the third revolutionary evolution, replacing the faith/belief base of culture with a scientifically rational foundation of values based on deep conviction.
end
Dov Henis
henisdov@…
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Answers to four questions of readers of the above posting, hopeful horizon of human science-based life:
(1) On the "analogy comparing humans and culture to DNA and proteins".
Human and other polycell organisms as well as monocell organisms, each and every life form, are composed and function to preserve and proliferate their genome. This is life's phenomenon, drive and purpose. This has evolved in the course of the ongoing ubiquitous development of self-replicating life entities in the direction of ever higher organizational complexity.
And every aspect of each and every life form, including of humans, derives from this drive and serves it, and in the case of humans these aspects include all our civilizations and all our forms of cultures, which have evolved to improve our chance to survive and proliferate, for the sole purpose that our base genome survive and proliferate.
Genomes, all genomes, make most sense if celled life evolved from pre-celled life which, by our present knowledge, might have been based on individual archaic genes that evolved and speciated into more elaborate genes, some of whom entered into symbiotic associations, some of whom then celled themselves, some cells then forming further intra- and/or inter-cells associations, etc.,.
Chromosomal genes associations, genomes, are products of evolution and cooperation of their individual gene constituents much as their following mono- and poly-cell organisms are products of evolution of their earlier cellular forms, all being products of evolution of their in-cell genome residents who, by means of their, earlier, RNAs and, later, also protein toolings, evolved and are designed and driven solely towards their replication, the replication of the in-cell residents, the genomes.
The "celling" of the pre-celled archaic genes-associations plus their (nucleolus like?) retinues freed the genomes from being at the mercy of all environmental circumstances gave them some control over many of them. The following Darwinian evolution of poly-celled life has been a continuation and an extension of this revolutionary evolution.
The second, recent, revolutionary life evolution has been initiated, in a similar vein, by our forefathers who adapted from life in semi-or tropical forest circumstances to life on plains. As changed living posture and circumstances led to modified perceptive/adaptive capabilities and eventually to language communication humans have gradually replaced adaptation to changed circumstances with self-evolving cultures/civilizations for control and modification of much of their circumstances. This is essentially similar to Life's earlier "celling" evolution, but with culture functioning for humans for change/control of circumstances in lieu of protein toolings that function for in-cell genomes for adapting their cell's physiology to changing circumstances.
Cultural aspects, ALL cultural aspects, function for individual humans and for human communities of ALL sizes including human phenotypes (distinct ethnic/national/cultural communities) in the same manner and for the same ends as biological systems function in cells. This is plainly in accord with the fractal nature of Earth Life.
(2) I make no reference to the second law of thermodynamics. I write, quote : "Life is a "bubble of energy" system, initiated by energy and collects and stores energy in a pattern and direction contrary to the universal thermo dynamic drive towards a state of ever dissipating order and energy".
This is the best definition of life that I can now do. With some elaboraton : Since Life is begotten from Life, and in view of the characteristics of Life and Death, Life is "bubble of energy system" initiated and maintained by "Energy" in a direction to halt or reverse the universal thermodynamic drive to a state of ever dissipating order and energy.
(3) And about how to "develop a system of ethics just from science", it seems to me that you are pointing at the right direction, i.e. "apply the methods of natural sciences, designed to accurately describe the world, to determine how people should behave and what ideals they should hold" in order to alleviate as much as possible all forms of pain and to apply as beneficially as possible all forms of power and advantage that become available, through science.
(4) The thought behind my proposed SCM project is the promotion of scientific knowledge/vistas for the wide public as a rational base for ethic/moral/social values/convictions in lieu of a faith/belief base. After all, all other organisms on earth around us have survived and proliferated without faith/belief but with natural successful community cooperative living modes.
For "intelligent organisms" that we are an irrational living base leads unavoidably to Darwinian fatal catastrophic struggles between competing incompatible human phenotype powers.
End. DH.