Will (in)humanity get worse? Is this 'as good as it gets'?

[prof]

Well said, IDK

Thank you for giving us the historical perspective we all should have.

Yes, what you write confirms my view that ethics "are catching on." That is what I have long believed. Slavery and child labor are largely today in ill repute. Women are gradually being recognized as equals when it comes to human rights. The same with gays.Volunteerism in the USA is up and increasing every year. We have more nonprofits devoted to furthering the general welfare than ever before.

We have more foundations dedicated to charitable causes than ever. We have daily-updated internet sites focusing on "the good news" and they do not run out of material for their pages. Etc., etc. Moral intuition is gradually becoming moral practice. I can envision an ethical planet Earth (with a minority of exceptions.) Ethics evolving into a scientific discipline will help the process along as it inspires the creation of more ethical technologies the side-effects of which are to help people become more ethical and stay ethical. I see advancements toward this goal occurring also.

Ethics courses are now an established part of the curriculum in most Business Schools and Colleges, as well in most Law Schools. The time will come when the insights discovered in Moral Psychology and in the new Science of Ethics will penetrate the curriculum of most high schools and colleges.

[a Shark]

I have just watched a program on the ABC Four Corners, on homelessness in California. It was horrific and frightening to see. The streets lined with people living and sleeping on the pavements, under bridges, no homes to go to, no shelters, spending their nights in car parks, or one room in a motel, accommodating two adults and six children. People living like this, some for two years. There are no benefits for the unemployed. What makes it even more obscene, the people of America rescued the Banks and the fat cats are still receiving their huge million dollar bonuses and the living the good life. Who is going to rescue the people of America. Will humanity get worse. If you had watched this program, the answer is yes, it will get worse.

Jeffrey Sachs ,in his book Common Wealth, "Economics for a Crowded Planet" ,has noted that America grows at approximately 1.7% pa and his projections to 2050 put the USA economic prosperity (GDP) still ahead of the world which is itself growing in wealth.
The entire world will in fact become wealthier ,as time progresses ,with the exception of
some regions, for example, the sub African continent.
However , John Gray ,author of False Dawn, Globalization & its Discontents analyses the dichotomy of American society and notes the segregation of the population to gated communities and prison .
America incarcerates more of its citizens than any country in the world.
America is run by corporations whose global profit motive moves in an opposite direction to social cohesion .
The distribution of income is creating a slave labour market .
You can expect this to get a lot worse in the future.

[reasonvemotion]

Let us not forget War is Business in the U S of A.

http://chuckspinney.blogspot.ca/

[prof]

Let us not forget War is Business in the U S of A.

Hi, reasonvemotion

You are right in what you say about the U.S.A.

For those who live in the U.S.A., these two videos offer some encouragement that things can get better. They tell of efforts to improve conditions, to solve problems. The examples mentioned can give hope that life can get better for folks in this part of the planet - but only if we work to make it happen:

http://video.pbs.org/video/2365107148/

http://billmoyers.com/segment/peter-dre ... activists/