HISTORY IS NATURAL

For reading on my Kindle I download books that can be acquired for free on the Internet, and there are many fine ones. My main source is Project Gutenberg, at http://www.gutenberg.org

There you won't find the newest Best Sellers, for Project Gutenberg offers only works that are free of copyright, so they're old works, mostly over a hundred years old. However, much of the greatest literature, many excellent autobiographies and treatments of history are now out of copyright, and they're free for the taking, in various reader formats.

I've been reading H.G. Wells' A Short History of the World, copyright 1922. It's a bit dated, but the broad sweep of recorded history is nicely presented. For example, it's good to be reminded how unusual the Sixth Century BC was, when so many great thinkers sprang up at the same time. Among the Greeks were Socrates, Plato and Aristotle. Also then, Isaiah was carrying Jewish prophecy to its sublimest, and in other parts of the world Gautama Buddha was teaching in India, and Confucius and Lao Tzu in China.

Taking the teachings altogether, it's striking that they share one point above all others: Their messages were simple, down-to-earth ones. For example, the Buddha taught that the key to happiness was to overcome one's desire. Aristotle taught us to be curious, and to think systematically and honestly.

It's important to me to notice that Nature also teaches in broad, simple strokes. She says, "Don't waste resources, and recycle what you do use," then She depends on us to work out the details. "Respect diversity," She insists, and then She deals with what happens if we don't. "Always strive for refinement, for understanding, for greater feeling and empathy," She asks of us, then lets those who don't refine, understand and feel be replaced -- eventually -- by those who do.

All these admonitions are clearly stated by Nature in terms of paradigms visible in Nature Herself. Our best example of that is how Life on Earth has evolved. If the biosphere is structured so that plants and animals don't waste resources, and recyclable resources are recycled, then humans should do the same.

That's because we're natural, too. We are not only enmeshed in Nature, but we are as much a part of it as any rock, star or butterfly, and natural laws apply to us just like everything else.

Once this sinks in, the next step is to realize that certain natural laws can be proven in test tubes, but others have to be confirmed by thinking or feeling. It seems to me that some of the greatest failed societies are those who may have respected some of the laws, such as those dealing with sustainable resource management and respect for diversity, but ignored the law made clear by the direction taken by evolving Life on Earth -- the law that's engendered ever-refining human mentality and feeling.

In fact, my impression from the History of the World is that more than any other natural law, the one we need to focus on right now is the one that's produced human mentality and feeling. If written out, maybe it would say, "In harmony with the general flow of evolution of Life on Earth, humans are meant -- both individually and socially -- always to strive for refinement, for understanding, and for ever greater feeling and empathy."

If we do that, the natural consequence is that a community's citizens feel a strong sense of solidarity with, and responsibility for, one another and Life on Earth in general, and are willing to make sacrifices now for evolving life of the future.

If we ignore that law, we're lost.