The Destruction of Man

The Destruction of Man

At one point or another, man grows to fear that there is the possibility of the extinction of the human race. The development of nuclear warfare and the atomic bomb have us worrying whether or not there will be a tomorrow and whether man will be able to survive and continue the species. But from a certain point of view, there is really nothing to far. Man is far too great to be destroyed.

In the past there have been many incidents where man could have been wiped out completely without a trace. For instance, the Black Plague and the Crusades swept through Europe, each claiming thousands of victims. War have been fought and they have produced casualties. Nonetheless man has survived all this time. It seems that even if all the wars in world history were fought all at once, man will survive mainly because, like pests and vermin, there are too many and we can’t be completely wiped out. What may be killing people in Europe does not directly affect those in Africa or Australia.

In similar manner of the vast population, human beings reproduce quickly as a result of natural desire. For instance, China, perhaps the world’s largest country, has so fast a ‘reproduction rate’ that it has to be put under control. Should a massive tragedy strike, without a doubt within a year or so the population will spring back on its feet. Simply give it a little time and everything will go back to normal.

The same goes for animals. If reproduction rates are fast, then the species continues. The extinction of several species, then, is determined in part by how fast can the species recuperate after being struck.

The human race is also, in a sense, superior. From our own thoughts and ideas we have found means to survive our environment and its cruelties. Eventually, we control our environment in part. Of course, we owe all this power to technology, another aspect that derived from our thoughts.

Technology is perhaps the very thing that keeps us alive and well. It is the advantage that holds us above any other species. Through technology we have the ability to survive and control our environment. We can keep warm in the winter and cool in the summer, and we can control our area to a certain extent in the sense that we can build dams where there is too much water and irrigation systems where there is too little. We may not be able to stop a tornado in its tracks but we can take precautions so that it would not cause so much damage and quickly pass away.

Equally so, technology has given us more means of destruction than ever before. No other animal has this incredulous power. The possibility of man destroying himself via technology may strike fear in many hearts, but to this day the possibility of total elimination of man has yet to turn its ugly head. True, there was the infamous Hiroshima and Nagasaki bombs, to name a few, but nonetheless what destroyed one area warned and halted others from further destruction.

Even if man is utterly destroyed, technology along with our already superior position in nature will help the human race spring back up on its feet. Cloning, for example, can rejuvenate an exhausted species easily.

There is nothing to fear. Man has survived for more than two thousand years, thanks to its vast population, rapid reproduction rate, sheer will to survive, and technology that serves two purposes: survival and adaptation to the environment, and, in a certain sense, discipline.

. . .

From my American Literature class, this was perhaps one of the worst essays I have ever written. But then again I have never been really good at timed, in-class essays. I can't think. Anyway, this essay was written on the question on whether man will perish like the dinosaurs. Naah...that can't be. We're too great. My friend Tarin told me I should stick to lemmings and stay off this topic. I only wish, man.