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The Baha'i primary principle of Unity, that there
is only one human race, takes on enormous significance given that we are
on the verge, for the first time, of directing our own evolution by means
of our intellect and our science.
It might be natural, given the history of biological evolution on the
planet, to assume that we humans would split apart into many different species
as we direct our own evolution, with each species adopting a unique mode
of advancement, and with the totality of the species thus spawned competing
with each other in a Darwinian struggle for survival of the fittest.
But if we are one human race then we must strive together. And this makes
sense if we recall that, for the first time, evolution will be advancing
using thought and intelligence and *planning*. While we might suppose that
humans and indeed all primates and even other animals have been using mentation
for evolutionary gain for some time, it is undoubtedly true that we now face
the first *planned* evolutionary development.
The principle of Unity advanced by Baha'u'llah shows us the way by means
of revelation, where we simply would not have known the way for sure by any
other means. We must go forward together, in unity.
This takes on even more importance when one considers that we may have
to ultimately replace ourselves with robots or cyborgs, in order to properly
continue the appropriate advancement of civilization. Without a Unity imposed
by our conscious design, then robotic life would surely not retain the crucial
contents of our millions of years of biological evolution. Superior intelligence
and abilities are not enough. We must program our values, our loves, our
ethics, our morals and our spiritual and religious principles into the very
constitutions of our robotic and cyborgian successors.
Once intelligence and Spirit have manifested themselves in the universe,
they must not only be retained, preserved and enhanced, but Spirit must be
unified. Once Spirit has evolved to the point where it is conscious of itself,
it would not be right for Spirit to strive against Spirit.
This could have been determined in no other way than by Revelation of
a Manifestation. For otherwise, we would have likely imitated our only previous
experience and model, that of biological evolution on the planet earth, with
its competing speciation and survival of the fittest.
But, this being the most significant break point in the history of life,
it is appropriate that we be given this guidance of a radical departure in
mode for further evolutionary advances.
Back to "19 Meditations"
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