Bronowski's Warning

A Clip from the Ascent of Man, Episode 13.

Bronowski laments; humanity will continue to progress, but not necessarily with the West at its forefront.

Category:

Education

Tags:

• Bronowski
• Ascent of Man
• Human Advancement
• Western Civilization

[GabberNYC]

He had no way to predict the advent of the internet in his time. The internet guarantees the western ways of though to dominate across all cultures.

[AntiWomyn]

I think you may be right in an aspect of that: the Internet does carry with it an element of cultural dominance with it. However, the Internet is slightly more democratic than you seem to be suggesting. As it spreads into the less-developed world, I think we will see a spreading of Western thought, but also a mixing in of non-western elements. The result, I think, will be a heterogeneous blend, with Western ideals forming the "cement" of it all.

[willwak]

Bronowski was a beautiful man. I loved watching his Ascent of Man series on BBC television when I was a boy and I absorbed the book of the series which my elder brother gave to me as a present. I miss this man and his wonderfully benign intellect.

Now the world seems full of ranting mullahs and strident evangelists all intent on their precious Armaggedon. What savages we have now in this modern age vying for our attention. Compare these with the thoughtful, considered intelligence of this man.

[PackerBronco]

It's hard to say. Remember the Internet can bring the whole world to you, but you select what you see (or others will select it for you) and thus the unintended effect might be to make the whole world as small as you are.

[ketsan]

Not sure Homer is a fossil or Euclid for that matter.

[Xeno426]

How can someone dislike this?

[TheStockwell]

@Skytroop I'm glad you stated that. For all people say about the history of the internet, in 1973 - the year "Ascent" was broadcast - there existed the stirrings of what BECAME the internet. In 1969, the first ARPANET message was sent; the message - if you could call it that - was the word "login." Two letters, l and o, got through. Then the system crashed (Oh, how much as changed!). ARPANET wasn't declared operational until 1975. And so it goes . . .

[ellandelachapelle]

This is Poirot? (haha he was the Poirot of science.)

[brokkolimannen]

And now, many years later, China is buying and investing in a huge part of western companies and have bigger plans than NASA for the space industry over the next 20 years.

[muttley641]

Will Science, has Science headed this warning ? IT is YOU to Answer!

[lee1066]

par excellence

[uriituw]

Awesome series.

Probably my favourite documentary.

[silversurferss7]

.....Does it really matter who leads the way? The thing that really matters is, we are all as one, HUMAN! So knowledge and advancement in intelligence the human way is what counts! As they say ... "Varity is the spice of life". In this case, different races in intelligence.