by A.T. Meininger

Created on: November 03, 2009

What is perfect? The standard associated with the word needs some clarification, however, I will say that this world is pretty damn awesome.

Nature exists. The world is understood by humans as far as we know this. Humans are rational and objective enough to understand nature apart from themselves, yet cannot escape the fact they are nature. This intelligence has in many ways separated man from the rest of nature. Cities make an exclusively human atmosphere of paved cement, automobiles, skyscrapers, and very few animals compared to other parts of the earth. Francis Bacon made the statement that "nature, to be commanded, must be obeyed".

As human knowledge grows (and has skyrocketed since the enlightenment) our understanding of nature has given us power to create amazing innovations that improve humanity as we know it. For example, let's take the idea of bacteria. If neither of us knew of bacteria, and you told me that tiny plants I cannot see are making me ill, I'd be pretty skeptical. If you told me before the 1960s that there would be man on the moon, I'd look at you with much doubt. It is because of the vast imagination of humans of what could be that allows us to use our understanding of nature and morph materials to better suit our needs and desires. This is nature-that has physical laws and limitations, and in our understanding of those limitations can create a world in which past generations could only dream about (as those things are as surreal as a dream).

Is this a perfect world? No, far from it. But man's ability to adapt and change his environment and nature makes the world such a great place to live. A tsunami or flood can wipe out thousands of human habitats, but humans can invent transportation of food and supplies to help those in aid. An avalanche can bury a human in snow, but with a GPS tool, they can be found. A snakebite can kill within a matter of minutes, but an adventurer that's emergency-ready can give himself an anti-venom to keep himself alive. A tree branch can fall on a person, but modern medical technology can help fix a broken bone.

Human knowledge makes the world a great place to live. In the past, humans lived as little more than animals. In large part, humans only had themselves to blame for stunting progress. The enlightenment, the separation of church and state, the scientific method, the industrial revolution, and the idea of capitalism, have brought people to incredible levels of intelligence, wealth, health, and happiness. The current anarchist, atheism, self-esteem, enlightened parenting and un-schooling movements will bring man to the next level. The future children will bring the world to such an incredible level that today's world will look like the Dark Ages.

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