1st Edition
Steering Human Evolution Eighteen Theses on Homo Sapiens Metamorphosis
Humanity must steer its evolution.
As human knowledge moves a step ahead of Darwin’s theories, this book presents the emergence of human-made meta-evolution shaping our alternative futures. This novel process poses fateful challenges to humanity, which require regulation of emerging science and technology which may endanger the future of our species. However, to do so successfully, a novel ‘humanity-craft’ has to be developed; main ideologies and institutions need redesign; national sovereignty has to be limited; a decisive global regime becomes essential; some revaluation of widely accepted norms becomes essential; and a novel type of political leader, based on merit in addition to public support, is urgently needed.
Taking into account the strength of nationalism and vested interests, it may well be that only catastrophes will teach humanity to metamorphose into a novel epoch without too high transition costs. But initial steps, such as United Nation reforms, are urgent in order to contain calamities and may soon become feasible.
Being both interdisciplinary and based on personal experience of the author, this book adds up to a novel paradigm on steering human evolution. It will be of great interest to scholars and researchers of modern history, evolution sciences, future studies, political science, philosophy of action, and science and technology. It will also be of wide appeal to the general reader anxious about the future of life on Earth. Comments on the Corona pandemic add to the book’s concrete significance.
Introduction 1. Thesis One: there is total novelty under the sun: meta-evolution 2. Thesis Two: humankind is Homo creator 3. Thesis Three: humanity probably fails supermind test 4. Thesis Four: action now! Fateful neogenesis challenges 5. Thesis Five: action delayed: ripening neogenesis challenges 6. Thesis Six: tumbling into metamorphosis 7. Thesis Seven: stunned humanity will convulse 8. Thesis Eight: between kismet and karma 9. Thesis Nine: steering human evolution, however hazardous, is mandatory 10. Thesis Ten: ‘who shall decide’ is the historic question 11. Thesis Eleven: political leaders 2.0 are the main answer 12. Thesis Twelve: pluralist decision teams transform governance 13. Thesis Thirteen: without a global humankind-protecting regime the future is grim 14. Thesis Fourteen: humanity-craft guides evolution steering 15. Thesis Fifteen: rights of future require human duties now 16. Thesis Sixteen: globally demos is the foundation 17. Thesis Seventeen: motivation is the master-key 18. Thesis Eighteen: contained catastrophes are our best chance Epilogue: without a Second Axial Age progress may lead into spiritual wilderness
Biography
Yehezkel Dror, a contemplative policy scientist, was born in 1928 and has lived in Israel since 1938. He holds a BA and Magister Juris from Hebrew University, and an LLM and SJD from Harvard University. He is emeritus professor of political science and public administration at the Hebrew University of Jerusalem. He won the Israel Prize in 2005 and has been an adviser to Israeli prime ministers. The founding president of Jewish People Policy Institute, he also serves as an international consultant on policy planning and has been a mentor to senior political leaders.
is the author of the books Public Policymaking Reexamined, Capacities to Govern, Crazy States, Israeli Statecraft and For Rulers. He is also Honorary Member, Club of Rome; Emeritus Fellow, World Academy of Art and Science; and Member, European Academy of Sciences and Arts.
