PETITION TO THE LINNEAN SOCIETY

CONCERNING THE CHANGE OF OUR SPECIES NAME

FROM HOMMO SAPIENS SAPIENS

TO

HOMMO EXPLICATUS/LAMARCKIENSIS COQUUS

The Linnean Society of London, Burlington House, Piccadilly, London W1J 0BF, UK

[email protected]

The Argument in Brief:

We call ourselves the smartest of the smart apes; but we're not so smart.

What makes us different from all the other animals is that we interact with the environment almost exclusively by creating explanations (stories) that direct our behavior; and even control our perceptions. The phenomenon of “Confirmation Bias” being the best example.

This mode of existence enables us to rapidly acquire new ways of being; and pass these along to ourdescendants.

Unless we can reach the point where all of our explanations include an acceptance of the legitimacy of “others”; and we cease from attempting to impose our explanations on others; by violence; that is justified by invoking an ipse dixit mandate (theological or scientific); our extinction is certain; and soon upon us.

The Petition

Sirs:

Our current species name, Hommo Sapiens sapiens (The Smartest of the Smart Apes), is not descriptive; nor is it a tribute to the first of our species to describe us. Let's face it. We're not that smart. To which, the despoiling of our only planet, the horrific brutality we routinely inflict on each other, our failure to achieve species wide literacy (the hallmark of our kind) and the way we objectify the female half of our species; most resoundingly attests.

In reality we are the “Explaining Apes”. Our entire mode of interaction with each other; and our planet is via the explanations we construct to organize our experience. This truth is so ubiquitous as to be nearly invisible to us.

By this mechanism we are able to inherit acquired characteristics. These range from the simplest meme to the vast complex arrays; of which our religions, philosophies, ideologies, as well as, all the scientific disciplines are comprised.

Lastly, we are the only species which initiates external exothermic events to pre-process our food before consumption.

Hence, The Explaining Apes who Inherit Acquired Characteristics and Cook their Food

Hommo Explicatus/Lamarkiensis Coquus

This is a serious proposal that we, the undersigned, trust you will give deliberate, thoughtful consideration.

Why Do I Tilt At This Windmill

Surely it will only cast me down into the mire. However, it also carries the possibility of propelling us all to the stars; or at least, to a less self-destructive way of life.

It is my hope, that by turning our focus to what we are, rather than what we pretend to be; we might find a rational path to address the several, self-inflicted woes that now beset us. This would be infinitely more sapient than blundering on, as we are, until the tragedies engendered by our unfettered emotions and our reliance on ipse dixit explanations overtake us.

It is only when we recognize that we are all Explaining Apes and we learn to forego enforcing our explanations on others; by violence, that, as a species we may survive.

The problem with ipse dixit (the argument from authority) explanations is that they condemn us to Existentialist hell. The only resolution to a conflict between explanations, that cannot be defended by reason; is the resort to genocidal warfare.

I do not seek the extirpation of religion. These are vast treasure houses of wisdom and beauty; painfully extracted from more than 500,000 years by our species wrestling with the unchanging realities and conundrums of human existence. To simply cast them aside would be a folly beyond epic proportion.

Moreover, we cannot do without them any more than we can survive without teeth. If we cast off one such system; we invariably elevate another to it place; to serve the same function.

We come to have religion by the same processes, and for much the same reason, as we have teeth. We use our teeth to extract nourishment from a mostly indifferent and often hostile environment. We also use them to bite each other. We use our religions to extract, an even more important, spiritual and moral nourishment; from a mostly indifferent and often hostile environment. We also use our religions to bite each other.

The answer is not to do away with religion (as if we could) any more than extracting all of our teeth would improve our diet. The answer is to STOP BITING EACH OTHER!

Fortunately, we are able to inherit acquired characteristics; and acquire them with a change of a thought; the most insubstantial of things.

If I am not for myself; who will be for me?If I am only for myself; then what am I.And, if not now; when?

Data is not Information. Information is not Knowledge. Knowledge is not Wisdom

However

Without Data there is no Information. Without Information there is no Knowledge.Without Knowledge there is no Wisdom.

We live, today, on a vast ocean of Data.

Let us hope we reach the shores of Wisdom;Before we all drown.