The Homo Sapiens Death-Life Paradox

Dear readers!

Today, I want to address a topic that has entered our daily lives but which we often avoid thinking about in depth: death and life. For this reason, today's article will have a philosophical core. I know that the word "philosophy" alone can cause boredom in the human spirit. With so much trouble already, who wants to deal with philosophical arguments?! However, to make my thoughts more effective and understandable for you, I must resort to philosophical terminology. Thank you in advance for your understanding.

EXPLANATION OF LATIN WORDS

There are two Latin-derived words in the title of the article: Homo Sapiens and Paradox. I know most of you have probably heard these two words before, and even used them in your daily conversations. But if, by chance, you don't know the meaning of one or both, there's really nothing to be ashamed of! Humanity's knowledge and vocabulary are developing so rapidly that it's impossible for us to know everything.

If you'll allow me, let me first explain the term Homo Sapiens. Homo Sapiens is the Latin (scientific) name for modern humans (yellow-black-white races). Since Homo means "human" and sapiens means "wise" or "intelligent," the full equivalent of Homo Sapiens is "wise human" or "intelligent human."

Millions of years ago, hominids, that is, human-like or human-resembling species, emerged and spread across the world. For example, Homo Erectus (upright human) and Homo Neanderthal are a few examples I can give. Over the years, many hominid species became extinct. Among the hominid species that survive today, we can count modern humans, gorillas, chimpanzees, and monkeys. So, out of thousands of hominid species, only four have managed to survive to this day. Of course, here I must make a parenthetical note and respectfully acknowledge the proposition, "God created man," as foreseen by religious and theological thought. But since my main purpose is to share my thoughts with you through a scientific explanation, I will set aside theological (religious) explanations.

Homo sapiens (modern humans) did not evolve from monkeys, as some claim. Humans, monkeys, gorillas, and thousands of other hominid species coexisted simultaneously or in different time periods for millions of years. Over time, most hominid species died out, bidding farewell to the world. What remained were modern humans and a few other species. Among these species, gorillas, chimpanzees, and monkeys have now lost their natural development and have, in a sense, become toys in the hands of modern humans. They are no longer rivals to us humans. They have become entertainment for children in zoos or the focus of interest for some scientists' doctoral studies. If you ask why some hominid species became extinct while others were able to continue their existence, my answer will be short and concise: the evolution of species and technology. These two factors are closely linked. Until now, scientists have tried to explain this change with the theory of species evolution. They have neglected the technological dimension.

Fish in the sea and animals in the forest were only subject to the evolution of species. However, Homo sapiens, that is, us humans, began to change through both the evolution of species and technology. Technology developed along a paradoxical line in human life.

Now I would like to give the true meaning of the word "paradox." A paradox is when a situation arises contrary to our expectations. For example, if a person gets more tired when going slowly instead of fast, this is a paradox. Because a situation has arisen contrary to our expectation (the fast runner gets tired). Similarly, if a person sweats in the cold and shivers in the heat, this is also a paradoxical situation.

EVOLUTION OF SPECIES

Since our topic is hominid species, I would like to give an example related only to this. Like all other hominid species, modern humans also evolved over time; for example, Homo sapiens, who once had tails, lost them when the need for them disappeared, because the only factor triggering the evolution of species is the principle of "need." As the need for an organ decreases, the organ tends to disappear; conversely, if the need increases, the organ develops.

Some scientists attribute the extinction of dinosaurs to factors caused by changes in climate, i.e., environmental conditions, due to a meteor striking the Earth. According to evolutionary theory, new species emerge, and to continue their existence, they either eliminate rival species or consume other species as food.

TECHNOLOGY

After such a tedious explanation, I have finally come to the main point. Homo sapiens (humans) discovered a very simple tool at a certain stage of their lives: the chipped stone. It may sound ridiculous to you now, but by merely learning to chip stone, our ancestors both improved their hunting skills and eliminated rival species. Thus, they managed to spread rapidly across the world and become the dominant species. Thanks to this technological tool, the chipped stone, Homo sapiens gained power on the one hand, but also lost power on the other. That is, a paradoxical situation emerged. Homo sapiens, who chipped stones better and even went further by, for example, attaching a handle to turn this tool into an axe, killed both other hominid species and other Homo sapiens, seizing their living spaces. While Homo sapiens thought that their lives would improve thanks to the chipped stone, this tool also turned into a deadly weapon against themselves. In other words, a new invention (the chipped stone) both empowered humanity and accelerated its own demise. Unfortunately, this paradox is a situation that humanity cannot escape or control. The existence of Homo sapiens on the stage of history, their development, and finally the possibility of bringing about their own end will be due to this paradoxical law.

IBN KHALDUN, HEGEL AND KARL MARX

The famous 14th-century Tunisian thinker, statesman, and historian Ibn Khaldun, if we express it in very simple terms, attributes the development of humanity and civilization to the conflict between nomadic and settled societies. This explanation was sufficient to explain a process spanning thousands of years, but it falls short in explaining the current situation of modern humans because situations like Genghis Khan's

"nomadic" forces have now disappeared. The settled social order has been generally accepted worldwide as a general rule. In other words, Ibn Khaldun's thesis is insufficient to explain the current state of humanity.

The German philosopher Hegel tried to explain the development of humanity with the triad of thesis-antithesis-synthesis. To explain briefly, for example, if fire (thesis) and its antithesis, ice, come together, water (synthesis) emerges. This time, water has become the thesis. If water (thesis) and its antithesis, fire, combine, steam (synthesis) emerges. However, since steam has no antithesis, this development stops, and steam becomes an "absolute" value. With this reasoning, Hegel declared the Prussian state in which he lived as "absolute consciousness," that is, the most perfect system humanity could achieve. We all know today that he was mistaken.

The German philosopher Karl Marx tried to explain the development of humanity through class struggle or class warfare. This theory was sufficient to explain slave societies, feudal societies, and capitalist societies where classes existed, but it fell short in explaining what the engine of change was and would be for primitive communal societies and communist societies where classes did not and would not exist. When will communist society emerge? I don't know, have you seen the American movie "Independence Day"? A giant meteor approaching Earth would destroy the world and humanity if not intervened. Against the common threat, humanity unites, puts aside their class, ethnic, and religious wars, and cooperates to destroy the external threat. After changing the meteor's direction with an atomic bomb, the communist society, which continued its existence for a short time, also ends, and the war of Homo sapiens destroying each other resumes from where it left off.

With your permission, as a humble philosophy enthusiast, I would like to introduce a new concept to you: The Paradoxical Development Theory.

PARADOXICAL DEVELOPMENT THEORY

Karl Marx states that in primitive communal society there was no class struggle, everyone worked according to their ability, and was fed according to their need. He foresees that this will also be the case in communist society. This period of "peace and tranquility" for Homo Sapiens lasted for thousands of years. Karl Marx was unable to explain how primitive communal societies suddenly transformed into slave societies.

The paradoxical development theory makes this understandable. While Homo sapiens lived, Neandertals, another hominid species, shared the same living space. In those years, due to the ice age, living space was only available in the equatorial belt and nearby areas. In other words, the world was small. Since Neandertals were larger and stronger, Homo sapiens had to live in groups and support each other to protect themselves against wild animals and Neandertals; due to this threat, a period of "peaceful and classless within itself" was experienced. Neandertals did not know how to make tools. One day, Homo sapiens learned to chip stone. They were very happy with this invention because, on the one hand, their hunting skills improved, and on the other hand, they wiped Neandertals off the face of the earth. However, soon after the threat disappeared, Homo sapiens, who possessed more advanced chipped stones,

used these powers to subjugate other Homo sapiens, and in this way, slave society emerged.

In short, when Homo sapiens made an invention, they were initially happy, thinking their lives would be easier, but soon this invention turned into a deadly weapon against themselves. This paradoxical situation continues to this day.

Let's give a few examples from history:

THE WHEEL: Homo sapiens were very happy when they first invented the wheel. It became possible to transport heavy loads and stones, but soon, as horse-drawn chariots turned into a weapon of war, dozens of civilizations were destroyed.

THE COMPASS: Homo sapiens rejoiced at the invention of the compass. They thought their lives would be even better. Soon, using the compass, they reached America. Many civilizations were destroyed.

THE RADIO: A miraculous device! Homo sapiens were very happy with this invention. Thanks to this device with a talking person inside, they learned about events happening far away. However, they certainly did not think that one day someone named Hitler would also enter this device. The radio suddenly turned into a deadly device.

ATOMIC ENERGY: When Otto Hahn, who received the Nobel Prize in Chemistry in 1944, succeeded in splitting the atom, he thought that the energy produced would make the lives of Homo sapiens even easier. Soon, the atomic bomb was invented, and the cities of Hiroshima and Nagasaki were destroyed.

THE INTERNET: When the internet was first implemented, joy spread across the world. Humanity was finally looking forward to good days. This trend was called globalization. Human life would now be more peaceful. However, paradoxically, the opposite happened: Today, more than 70% of Homo sapiens use the internet for pornography, gambling, games, and other malicious purposes. ISIS, which shook the world, attracted its militants using the internet and brought them to the Middle East. In a sense, ISIS is an Internet state.

CONCLUSION

Don't rejoice when you hear about a new invention. Soon, the same device will return with the aim of destroying humanity. Each time, this threat grows larger, reaching dimensions that could completely annihilate humanity. In other words, humanity's end will again be at its own hands. Mathematical paradox theory, interestingly, also predicts such an end.

I have painted a pessimistic picture for you. Let's conclude with an anecdote:

In the 1950s, a district governor was assigned to a remote district hidden among the mountains, far from civilization. He set off on horseback with his assistant. On the way, they saw a villager and his wife riding a donkey. The villager had a newborn foal in his lap. The district governor wanted to introduce himself. His assistant warned:

"Be careful, Governor! You never know what these villagers might say."

The governor paid no heed. He approached the villager:

"God bless! The foal is very beautiful! What do you plan to do with it in the future?"

"I can't say anything right now! If it studies, I'll make it a district governor; if not, I'll make it a sergeant."