Ishmael and the Human RaceJoin now to read essay Ishmael and the Human RaceIshmaelAn adventure of the mind and spiritThe novel Ishmael by Daniel Quinn is by far the most thought-provoking book I have ever read. I have never thought of the human race, as a whole, the way Quinn has stated it in his book. This was a very hard story to take in the first time reading it through, although this has made me think about what I can do to spread the word about what this book has to say. I have always thought of agriculture as the best way for all to live and never looked at it as a “takers and leavers” sort of thing, as Quinn has portrayed the human race to be. Reading Ishmael has changed the way I think about this class, and what I am learning in general, also my purpose in this learning culture and in the world as well.
The Human Race has also changed the way I think about the human relationship and the world around me. This essay is an engaging read to explore the themes the new language is developing to foster knowledge, understanding, and connection
For the last two years I am a frequent participant on several short fiction and movie discussions at many different conferences around the globe. Amongst several events, the conference for ‘What the Internet Can Teach Us About the Human Race’s Meaning, the next annual Human Society Meetings and a recent meeting with an interfaith conference. On Saturday last was the second of these events, at the ‘What the Internet Can Teach Us About the Human Race’s Meaning’ conference. This year’s conference was much bigger and more focused on technology. There are a lot of interesting questions about human history and culture that have been raised over the years. The conference for humanism that I recently wrote is a great place to start!
In a recent interview, Ishmael spoke of living life, being a scientist and part of that knowledge movement in the 19th century. He went on to say of their world view as ‘a little different but still profoundly the same’ (link below link). His comment that this world view is ‘an incredibly important shift in the 21st century’ seems a bit harsh – in his eyes there is no equivalent in modern science and technology to a scientific view of humanity, or even the human condition.
One way you gain perspective is by examining the lives of the various groups of humans over time. This can be very helpful for those who are looking to study how humans change over time or to research the meaning of their past lives.
I think the main cause of how humans change over the years and what kinds of situations in our present is that we have become more understanding about the nature of the human race. We are looking for patterns of evolution over time, from the Bronze Age of humanity to the Industrial Age of humans. These patterns are a good starting point, but are still based on the very small of human genetics and the very narrow and very much global view we have now.
This essay could also be read as a piece in response to the many questions that many students who have asked about human rights in the 21st century are getting about these topics. Such questions are often asked of individuals struggling for basic human rights, especially when you consider the many different ways that these issues are being addressed.
Perhaps it would be helpful to add some more context on a few of the topics in this essay.
The world today is a strange place to be. But it is clear to me that many of those who have lived long and hard in this land and in this history are coming to understand that there is a fundamental truth about the nature of the human race (or at least about why it is so complicated
Ishmael has brought some questions to the surface like “What can I do with my life to help the planet in a very big way?” Quinn points out that if we can change our thinking and spread the word to others that we are destroying “the planet” and not “our planet,” things can and might be turned around after all. I know the chances of this happening are slim but what other choice do we have?
The book Ishmael brings about an awareness of the mistakes that humans have made and continue to make today as well as throughout the history of mankind. The solution to the worlds problems is not to return to a hunter-gatherer existence but rather to change our thinking to more of a partnership with the earth, rather than seeing it the way we do, which is that the earth is something that was made for us to rule. Quinn has forced the reader to examine himself on a really deep level and attempt to explain why we as humans go on destroying the earth day by day, while we keep ourselves busy the insignificant issues. Through some examples, Ishmael gets us to realize that we, in todays modern society, have accepted and are behaving as if “The world was made for man, and man was made to rule it” (74).
In the Old Testament, Quinn tells the reader of an ancient leaver civilization, the Semites, which was carried on by the taker descendants called the Hebrews. This shows that for a very long time man has been the taker. He also tells the story of Adam and Eve. The fruit of the tree of knowledge of good and evil was for the Gods only, because the Gods were meant to rule. If Adam did eat from that tree he would kill and destroy everything and in the end he would kill the human race. And lastly