Is the universe friendly?

[Sofista]

This is known history... which also tells that the various crowns reacted to the bulls from Rome the way they chose to - of course, the crown of England did not almost on principle. Fun fact: Britain waited until 1752 to adopt the Gregorian calendar.

For instance, in 1639 it's the Jesuits of Brazil and Paraguay who ask for a word from the Pope to condemn the enslavement of the Indios. Referencing Paul III before him, Urban VIII confirms that

under threat of excommunication latae sententiae [...] it's forbidden to reduce to slavery said Indians, sell them, buy them, trade them, give them as gifts, separate them from wives and children, remove them from their place, take away their freedom in any way, keep them as slaves; also, to give those who follow these practices counsel, aid or assistance, under whichever pretext or meaning; to preach or teach that this is just [...]
About those who contravene, rebel, don't accept what is said above, as they've fallen into excommunication etc., we give you full, large and free faculty and jurisdiction.

Once they read that in Rio, the Jesuit college was raided.

 

[Lexicus]

The notion: we are part of the universe, so we determine it's demeanor, ignores what infinitesimal small part we play in the universe.

We're the only conscious subjectivities we know about in the universe, that makes us the protagonists by default

In short, the very opposite of what they'd been promised when the missionaries and other Europeans came and said whatever it took to get their hands on the natural resources they wanted.

Interestingly, Catholic priests were among the earliest recorded critics of Spanish policies towards the natives of the Americas.

 

[AmazonQueen]

Interestingly, Catholic priests were among the earliest recorded critics of Spanish policies towards the natives of the Americas.

There were only the Spanish and native Americans there early on and nobody was asking the natives.
Still, the Valladolid debate and subsequent New Laws passed show that many in Spain had qualms about what was going on and there were attempts to protect the natives.
When it came to a conflict between revenue and protecting the natives the latter usually lost though.

 

[Ziggy Stardust]

We're the only conscious subjectivities we know about in the universe, that makes us the protagonists by default

Sure. But that still doesn't mean we determine it's demeanor.

 

[TheMeInTeam]

The universe doesn't need to be anything, let alone a binary between friendly and unfriendly. Most applications of philosophy are just symptoms of ego.

Yeah. What does "friendly" even mean in this context? What should we anticipate if we make one conclusion vs the other?

 

[Berzerker]

yin and yang, the unfriendly creates the friendly

or would that be yang and yin, death and life

 

[Valka D'Ur]

Interestingly, Catholic priests were among the earliest recorded critics of Spanish policies towards the natives of the Americas.

Well, considering that up here it was French, not Spanish, the sought-after prizes were beaver and other animals, we didn't have a lot of pyramid-shaped temples with storage rooms filled with gold and precious jewels, and there were different sorts of missionaries scattered around, and promises made by Europeans in various positions of authority... let's just say that our experiences were not the same as in Mexico and Peru, the natives believed the Europeans would hold up their part of the treaties, and of course they did not.

 

[warpus]

Imagine you are a lizard or chipmunk or some sort of a fish or whatever animal you want (that isn't a human or an apex predator) and ask this question again, but this time in the context of our planet.

Is the Earth friendly? For the vast majority of life on this planet the answer is probably NOPE. I mean, penguins probably usually have a pretty friendly time, most of the time... except for those times when they are hunted and eaten alive by seals or killer whales. Or when they have to walk 5,000 miles through ice and snow in order to get laid. Even predators are being hunted by humans and some are near extinction (or already extinct).

It seems that in order to have a friendly time on this planet, you have to be a member of the most successful species - aka human. And even then, most humans don't have a very friendly time here. Statistically speaking most of us are poor and starving, without access to clean water or proper healthcare or education.

If the Earth is not very friendly, why would the universe at large be any different? Especially since we have no idea what's out there? It would be dangerous to assume that it's all cute cuddly aliens out there and green alien babes willing to lick our genitals. I bet that's what a newly born deer thinks right after it takes its first step. "WOW SUCH A BEAUTIFUL WORLD". And then a fox eats it and that's all she wrote

 

[Valka D'Ur]

Imagine you are a lizard or chipmunk or some sort of a fish or whatever animal you want (that isn't a human or an apex predator) and ask this question again, but this time in the context of our planet.

Is the Earth friendly? For the vast majority of life on this planet the answer is probably NOPE. I mean, penguins probably usually have a pretty friendly time, most of the time... except for those times when they are hunted and eaten alive by seals or killer whales. Or when they have to walk 5,000 miles through ice and snow in order to get laid. Even predators are being hunted by humans and some are near extinction (or already extinct).

It seems that in order to have a friendly time on this planet, you have to be a member of the most successful species - aka human. And even then, most humans don't have a very friendly time here. Statistically speaking most of us are poor and starving, without access to clean water or proper healthcare or education.

If the Earth is not very friendly, why would the universe at large be any different? Especially since we have no idea what's out there? It would be dangerous to assume that it's all cute cuddly aliens out there and green alien babes willing to lick our genitals. I bet that's what a newly born deer thinks right after it takes its first step. "WOW SUCH A BEAUTIFUL WORLD". And then a fox eats it and that's all she wrote

10,000 baby Emperor penguins in one rookery drowned when the ice shelf they were on melted. They hadn't grown their adult feathers yet, so they were unable to swim and their parents couldn't save them.

TEN THOUSAND EMPEROR PENGUIN CHICKS! It's climate change, warming up the Antarctic. Emperors are among the hardiest birds on the planet, enduring temperatures of -40C and colder, when the males huddle together in the winter, keeping the eggs warm while the females go to sea to eat, recover their strength and energy they put into laying that egg, and finally bring food back for the chick that will have hatched before they return.

For 10,000 of these babies to drown, after all the hardship their parents went through, is a tragedy and an indication that extinction is a possibility.

 

[Kaitzilla]

Imagine you are a lizard or chipmunk or some sort of a fish or whatever animal you want (that isn't a human or an apex predator) and ask this question again, but this time in the context of our planet.

Is the Earth friendly? For the vast majority of life on this planet the answer is probably NOPE. I mean, penguins probably usually have a pretty friendly time, most of the time... except for those times when they are hunted and eaten alive by seals or killer whales. Or when they have to walk 5,000 miles through ice and snow in order to get laid. Even predators are being hunted by humans and some are near extinction (or already extinct).

It seems that in order to have a friendly time on this planet, you have to be a member of the most successful species - aka human. And even then, most humans don't have a very friendly time here. Statistically speaking most of us are poor and starving, without access to clean water or proper healthcare or education.

If the Earth is not very friendly, why would the universe at large be any different? Especially since we have no idea what's out there? It would be dangerous to assume that it's all cute cuddly aliens out there and green alien babes willing to lick our genitals. I bet that's what a newly born deer thinks right after it takes its first step. "WOW SUCH A BEAUTIFUL WORLD". And then a fox eats it and that's all she wrote

Yup, I agree that Earth is not friendly for most of the life on it.

There were other species that we could be talking with right now today, but we killed them all off 300,000 years ago.
Think about that.
https://nationalpost.com/news/world/there-used-to-be-nine-species-of-human-what-happened-to-them

Even today, modern humans consume mostly things that make them angry or fearful all day long.
When we elect leaders, they need to be psychopaths or we don't take them seriously.

We kill anything dangerous that we can't control.

Like aliens.
We would unite to do it too.

Also, hopefully cows and chickens are not in charge of heaven, or that would go badly for us.

 

[Samson]

There were other species that we could be talking with right now today, but we killed them all off 300,000 years ago.

I think the current orthodox belief from genetic studies is that we interbred with these other hominids and so they did not die out but became us. This is confirmed with Neanderthals and Devosians.

 

[Kaitzilla]

I think the current orthodox belief from genetic studies is that we interbred with these other hominids and so they did not die out but became us. This is confirmed with Neanderthals and Devosians.

Ah, so we were all the same species after all then.

Serves them right for diverging in the first place.

**Edit**
Woops, sorry about the stealth edit.
Just hit unlike if I go crazy adding something.

 

[Aiken_Drumn]

On Earth it is Survival of the Fittest, I have no reason to not expand this concept to the Universe.

 

[Aiken_Drumn]

I think we are in a benevolent simulation.

 

[El_Machinae]

I'm not sure we could say that we are, unless there are a lot of sprites that are acting as placeholders to make us feel lucky. But if I go full solipsistic, I definitely feel like the simulation is much more benevolent than it could be.

 

[Aiken_Drumn]

I can't tell if I am more aware, jaded or pessimistic.. or is it really all going to doodoo?

 

[Farm Boy]

I can't tell if I am more aware, jaded or pessimistic.. or is it really all going doodoo?

Yes.

 

[Birdjaguar]

On Earth it is Survival of the Fittest, I have no reason to not expand this concept to the Universe.

I think we are in a benevolent simulation.

I think our choices are limited.

• If we are in any kind of simulation, then it has a purpose of some sort even if it only entertainment. In addition, it implies the existence of some god like mind at work.
• If the beginning was just some whimsical random act where something came from nothing, then rng rules the day. But the presence of physics and physical laws regarding matter and energy seems out of sync with that model.
• And then there is any one of a number of religious models to choose among.

EDIT: It doesn't matter, there is no need to ask the question.

Are there any other choices?

 

[El_Machinae]

I think our choices are limited.

• If we are in any kind of simulation, then it has a purpose of some sort even if it only entertainment. In addition, it implies the existence of some god like mind at work.
• If the beginning was just some whimsical random act where something came from nothing, then rng rules the day. But the presence of physics and physical laws regarding matter and energy seems out of sync with that model.
• And then there is any one of a number of religious models to choose among.

Are there any other choices?

 

[Birdjaguar]

OK, I'll add one more choice: It doesn't matter, there is no need to ask the question.