Stephen Hawking's answer to the question of human survival: Er, I don't know

by lmurch | August 3, 2006 at 01:08 pm

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It was an unusual move for one of the world's most eminent scientists. Having built a career shedding light on the darkest secrets of the universe, from the essence of space-time to the complexity of black holes, Professor Stephen Hawking turned to the internet for answers to the latest conundrum occupying his planet-sized brain.

Introducing himself to the online community as a theoretical physicist and Lucasian professor of mathematics at the University of Cambridge, the 64-year-old scientist posed an open question: "In a world that is in chaos politically, socially and environmentally, how can the human race sustain another 100 years?"

Professor Hawkins is not a political scientist. Also, he is an empiricist. Understanding the process of the evolution (dialectical process) of human societies offers understanding of the past, present and the possible way ahead for humanity. I say possible, because until the present all new forms of society have evolved with little or no understanding of the process. Briefly, (see Marx/ Hegel) up till now different forms of society, eg feudalism/ capitalism, result from different (evolving) forms of social labour. eg serf labour and in our case abstract labour as value. Until now, these evolving forms of social labour result in class societies. Capitalism is the highest and thus last form of class society. In order to progress to the next, and first non antagonistic (non class ) society takes a conscious effort by, at least the majority. This conscious change has never happened before. This is why most people cannot envisage positive change. The productivity of labour has evolved such that all can be provided with their needs, and much more. Capital, and only capital, creates the conditions that allow humanity to evolve to concrete useful labour as the social form, and not abstract labour as value. Capital, value, (self expanding money) is in decline. Very shortly, (and this is why the question of survival is being raised) humanity will come to understand neccessity, ie, the realm of freedom, versus even more barbarism. The choice will be harshly posed, because we are in the mere foothills of the greatest ever depression in the growth of capital, ie the process of capital accumulation, ie the growth of profit. The capitalist class manage their society but do not control the process. Humanity need only come to awareness of its nature in order to survive.

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