DEVELOPMENT

in terms of progress from this time forward, as reflected in the media debate, almost everyone seems to be fastened on economic development.  but beyond a certain minimum level of security of the person, economic development may not be the most enlightened form of development or the development that is most necessary to keep the world and its occupants healthy and secure.  there are other types of development which should be moving to the fore now.  we have essentially solved the problem of how to feed and clothe and house a decent number of human beings on the planet earth (even if proper distribution is lagging behind and overproduction of nonessentials is contributing to planet degradation).  we are not about to go away because we arent economically advanced enough.  but we may be going away because of other failures, because we have neglected to continue to advance in other more important, and actually more interesting, ways.  there is nothing beyond being fed, clothed and housed and safe from attack that is so particularly significant about our physical wellbeing at this point in our evolution.  increased wellbeing will come from increased understanding of what life is, of what human life is, of what human beings are, of what animals are, of how singular is the story called ‘life’, of what the whole cosmos is about (or not about, in fact).  spending time and treasure in pursuit of this more interesting and increasingly needed understanding will prove more useful and more rewarding to individuals, to societies and to the planet itself, and will make us much safer and more secure in our future here than continuing our narrow focus on economic wellbeing.  the progress that will come through understanding, understanding that comes increasingly from reliance on science and education for all the world’s people, is now the most important path to future security.  in fact, it may be the only path.