The article talks about what humanity as a whole is, what distinguishes its distinctive features, and what a possible future awaits us.
Ancient times
Life on our planet has existed for more than 3 billion years. It is extremely difficult to comprehend this term, but it is worth noting that it is a reasonable person who dominates the Earth, according to approximate estimates, for about 100 thousand years.
So what is humanity? It is the totality of all human beings that have ever existed. But often this term is understood only by the modern inhabitants of the Earth and their relatively close ancestors. One of the most striking and distinctive features of humans as a species is a multifaceted and complex civilization with a rich culture and idiosyncrasies. Humanity is, first of all, diversity, in which people, albeit with difficulty, still manage to coexist peacefully. Although, like all other animals, people sometimes have attempts to destroy their own kind by racial or other differences. But first things first.
Numbers
Now there are about 7.3 billion people on our planet. And, interestingly, the largest population growth in history occurred in the middleXX century, when scientists created herbicides and pesticides, which made it possible to significantly increase the yield of cultivated plants in naturally disadvantaged regions, for example, Africa. Naturally, further growth will lead to gradual overpopulation. Mankind understands this, but, alas, birth control is possible in a single state, as in China, but not on the entire planet.
Genetic and social differences
All people belong to the same biological species, but despite this, they are different. The first and most important is racial difference. There are three of them - Caucasoid type, Negroid and Mongoloid.
Second, it's gender. People can only be of two sexes, female or male. Naturally, if we are talking about a he althy person, but due to some genetic mutations, deviations appear. Such a division is determined not only by biological differences, but also by cultural ones. And only in our time, in most countries, women have received the same social rights as men. But some regions are still distinguished by their harsh, if not cruel, attitude towards them. Progressive humanity does not approve of this, but it is extremely difficult to peacefully resolve such a situation.
The third difference is the language. The division into language groups occurred in ancient times, and most of them received the status of "dead" long ago.
Fourth, these are the bonds of kinship. Again, even in prehistoric times, our ancestors understood that it was very profitable to keep in touch or live with your relatives. This has been preserved in our time - all ethnic and other groups attach great importance to family ties.
The fifth difference is ethnic. It is formed depending on the common history, region, tradition, common language or culture. Most people also attach a lot of importance to this.
Sixth and last, political. Any society, even the smallest, is in need of leadership, ranging from petty disputes at the level of savage African tribes to developed and large states. For this reason, almost all of history, wars and revolutions arose, since not everyone likes this or that political system. Alas, even the future of mankind, probably, will not be deprived of this. Although, according to some futurologists, one prevailing order should prevail on Earth. And there are prerequisites for this, the same democracy in most of Eurasia.
What awaits humanity?
Alas, no one is given a glimpse into the future. But, if we talk from the point of view of sociology, then the overpopulation that has already begun will cause a lot of problems. Also, environmental pollution due to exhaust gases poses a threat - the carbon dioxide contained in them seriously increases the greenhouse effect.
But in general, everything is not so scary, if you follow the course of world history, you can notice, albeit unhurried, but an improvement in the quality of people's lives. For example, the absence of mass starvation, epidemics, and world wars. So the future of humanity should not be as dire as some make it out to be.
Ifturn to the opinion of science fiction writers, who often predict the course of history, like Jules Verne with his faxes, telephones, electric chair and others, then humanity has several options for development.
The first and negative is mutual extermination due to overpopulation, famine or nuclear wars.
The second is the general welfare and prosperity in a world without conflict, hunger and want. Both of them have the right to life, but if modern humanity has not yet exterminated each other at the height of technology, then let's hope that it will do without it in the future.
The role of the individual
Despite the tendency to self-isolate and withdraw from public life, the role of the individual in the life of any modern system is important. Many people think that their actions, even the best ones, do not change anything, but this is not so. As Stanislav Lets said: "Not a single snowflake in an avalanche considers itself to be to blame." Of course, in our time it is more difficult, but sometimes personalities are born that change the course of history.
Man and humanity are indivisible. There is also a growing phenomenon that sometimes people tend to withdraw from society.
Culture
Even our distant ancestors understood the importance of its meaning. The first found primitive musical instruments, toys or animal figurines date back hundreds of thousands of years BC.
The Renaissance showed that the normal development of society without art or culture is impossible.
The culture of mankind is incredibly diverse, and mostpeoples is striving in every possible way to preserve its former, and strengthen the new one.
