MovieChat Forums > Childhood's End (2015) Discussion > No compassion

No compassion

posted 9 years ago by estocade
8 replies | jump to latest

The evolved collective mind has destroyed the planet by harnessing its energy, does that means that compassion is not a part of evolution into a higher being?

[–] nyarlath 9 years ago

From HG Well's War of the worlds to Independence Day that has been a standard sci-fi trope. Of course its absurdity is that it says more about us than it does higher beings. And it fly's in the face of the evolution of modern ethical philosophical thought.
http://www.subzin.com/quotes/M13284f4ee/Mars+Attacks!/An+advanced+civilization+is%2C+by+definition%2C+not+barbaric.
http://www.subzin.com/quotes/M147525974/Spider-Man/With+great+power+comes+great+responsibility.
http://www.subzin.com/quotes/M31275764/Forbidden+Planet/Ethically%2C+as+well+as+technologically...

[–] leiastarkiller 9 years ago

How does it say more about us? How much compassion do humans have for lower life forms? How much do people care about chickens or lobsters or ants? That's all we would be to a more advanced and evolved alien species. We would be nothing to them, just as the mosquitos you squash are nothing to you.

[–] nyarlath 9 years ago

Hey I Love lobster and chicken. Of course I also understand they have lives of their own and should not be mistreated until they end up in the pan. If someone wiped them all out I would be very angry and outraged. As far as ants, well I don't go out of my way to kill them if they stay out of my house.

As far as mosquitos are concerned, I do kill them because they transmit diseases. But I wouldn't exterminate all of them in the wild because they are a critical part of the food chain.

Sorry if you step on anthills in the wild and abuse chickens. You should get therapy.

[–] Dejay 9 years ago

I never bought that argument "we are like ants" either. There is a fundamental difference. We can speak and we can understand almost any concept. If you become more intelligent, 1+1 doesn't magically turn into something else than 2. We might have to ask them to speak slower and explain a things a few times more.

But the transmitting diseases is a good point. To them we might be a cancer in the universe if we don't change. Imagine from the perspective of an alien, humans colonize all of the galaxy, wiping out or subjugating or corrupting other species with potential where we can. Ant infestation everywhere!

I think a fundamental difference would be between immortal beings that can self improve, and species that evolved and had to pass on their knowledge to their children. The latter have a rational need for compassion and cooperation because they need to love / nurture their children, keep other genes around and need a stable society for schools with murder and mayhem. An immortal being doesn't need that and might only know competition. Maybe the overmind was always such a being and that's why he's an uncompassionate soul eater?

[–] sfmar 9 years ago

The Overmind didn't destroy the planet, nor did the Overlords. The transition of the children into beings or pure energy destroyed it. Regardless, the destroyed planet was essentially a dead rock in space, already devoid of all life. Simply put, the Earth was no longer needed. Any vegetation or weeds seen at the end was due to a faulty screenplay or set design

The time had come for human beings to evolve into a different, higher life form and merge with the Overmind. The Overmind/Overlords didn't cause this to happen - the Overlords just came to monitor the change and pave the way and the Overmind then merged with the evolved humans. We were at the point where we still would have evolved even if the Overlords and Overmind hadn't been involved at all.

This is made far clearer in the book. The screenplay took way too many liberties and changed essential facts and added unnecessary elements to pad the storyline, much to the detriment of the tale.

[–] estocade 9 years ago

So what happened to the planet? Why has all the vegetation and beasts disappear all of a sudden? That is too convenient if you ask me.

I understand that it wasn't the overmind nor the overlords but the evolved higher beings.

[–] sfmar 9 years ago

My best honest suggestion (no sarcasm) is that you just read the book. Many of the items you question are irrelevant in terms of the original novel because the novel either explained them better or they weren't part of the original novel at all.

The book is only about 220 pages, and it's well worth reading.

[–] estocade 9 years ago

I know. But I got enough books on my readlist, maybe someday... Anyway sounds like a plot hole to me, or the author is a supporter of pragmatism and not so much of idealism. Could compassion be a solely human trait?