As we enter the early mental stage of our social evolution we see the characteristics of
our age around us -- the blossoming of individual freedom and initiative, a universal
aspiration for education, a great mental acquisitiveness, and expanding political and
social freedom, amongst others.
Coming together in the mental stage of
social evolution these factors have given birth to a new form of organization whose
creativity and potential contribution to social advancement rivals any advancement over
the past millennium. The recent emergence of the Internet as a worldwide system of
communication, information exchange, education and commerce is opening up unlimited
opportunities for eliminating the barriers to communication imposed by space and time,
leveling the playing field between rich and poor, and making possible universal access to
information and services at very low cost.
The Internet and Mental Stage of
Evolution
While we are aware of the technological roots of the Internet, we should also be
aware that the Internet is really a product of the current mental stage of social
evolution that we have just begun to enter. The Internet is a natural expression and
embodiment of the aspiration of modern society for unlimited and immediate access to
information and unlimited means for individual creativity and self-expression. These
are characteristics of the mental stage of social evolution.
This aspiration has released a colossal
energy in society that is by no means restricted to any single country or form of
expression, but rather flows and overflows through every conceivable channel that will
lend itself as an outlet.
Internet As New, More Complex
Organization
One definition of social development is society's ability to create new and ever
more complex forms of organization. In the mental age of social evolution this
movement to ever newer and more complex forms of organization has only accelerated. The
Internet is perhaps the greatest example of this phenomenon. In one sense what is new and
unique about the Internet, thoroughly in character with the temper of our times, and the
source of its unprecedented productive capacities, is its organization. The Internet is
primarily and preeminently a new model and form of social organization with
untold power to transform the way society functions.
The most powerful
organizations contain systems that are integrated with one another. If one
definition of social development is its degree of organization, then
organizations where systems interrelate contain the greatest potential for
accomplishment and development. In fact, the Internet is not simply a
single system, but an amalgam of systems that are linked to and interact
with one another, forming a dense, perhaps even self-organizing
organization. The reason the Internet is such a force in the world today
is because it is perhaps the ultimate dense organization, where its
systems are interrelated.
When the systems that are
interrelated are more diverse from one another they add an even greater
power. For example, one of the great features of the Internet is the
ability of individuals in various disciplines to cross-reference
information in another discipline. For example a scientist can cross
reference a social theory, or a psychologist can cross-reference a
biological information. When the information in a discipline is organized,
as is done in the Internet, and is then cross-referenced to another
systemized discipline there is no end to the new knowledge and discoveries
that can be revealed. This is perhaps the ultimate power of the Internet.
Like the human mind which instantly cross-references the "disciplines"
of the body, the emotions, the psyche, and the mind so to the Internet can
cross-reference systems and organized disciplines of knowledge that can
unleash infinite possibilities.
Other Points
-If society is in the mental stage of its development and
evolution is a reflection of the power of the human mind, then the
Internet is a reflection of this power of mind.
-One
of the conclusions we have come to at Growth Online is that the power of
mind itself is infinite. if that is so, then it would suggest the infinite
possibility for development and evolution in the future. The internet is
but the latest example of this in human history.
Internet Embraced by Society
It is one thing to have a technology such as
the Internet; it is another for society to embrace it. One of the characteristics of
social development is whether or not society actually adopts initiatives toward
development. In the case of the Internet it is clear that society has embraced the
Internet with open arms. The Internet's entry into the
mainstream of the national life was almost entirely the result of the public’s ready
and enthusiastic response and wholesale adoption of the new form organization that the
Internet represents. The organization was not only new, but enjoyable, easy to use,
and fantastically efficient. Who would have thought that the more rich and complex an
organization became the more enjoyable it would become. (We discuss the topic of
development as more complex organization in another topic at this site.)
Internet and Individual Empowerment
We are all becoming aware of the tremendous practical benefits of the Internet;
everything from electronic commerce, instant access to news and information, a tool for
research, and many others. The increased velocity and better quality of information,
better because more current, has also begun to dramatically increase the speed and quality
of individual decision-making. This in turn releases mental energy and encourages
mental creativity. Thus, the Internet is a very dramatic example of empowerment of the
individual, a fundamental characteristic of the emerging mental stage of social evolution.
In addition this empowerment of the
individual reverberates back outward to the rest of society. The Internet allows the
intellectual work of any individual to reach a far wider audience than is otherwise
possible and to be more fully utilized by society. Thus the impact of individuals on
society is increased, a related characteristic of the emerging mental stage of social
evolution.
Internet and Values
One of the great powers of social development is the power of values, i.e.
what the society really believes in. In the
emerging mental stage of evolution the values of society and of the individual come into
greater play, and reinforce one another.
Organizations, whether business, economic,
or social ultimately derive their power from the values they embody and express. Although
some people decry the absence of values on the Internet, by which they mean the lack of
control over the suitability of content, the Internet actually embodies high and
strong values from which it derives an almost irresistible strength. These include physical
values such as speed, timeliness, efficiency and productivity; organizational
values such as standardization, systemization, coordination, integration and
communication; and psychological values such as equality of access, public
service and empowerment of the individual.
The Internet is far more than a system for accessing information that overcomes the
limitations of time and space. It is a reflection of the social evolution of our society
in the current mental age -- by its empowerment of individuals, through new and vibrant
organizational complexity, and its ability to unleash fresh energies by adopting personal
and societal values.
For additional Growth Online thought on the meaning and Development of the Internet, click
here.
FURTHER READING:
-To read an interview of how the
Internet is an indication of the evolution of humanity, click here.
-To
read an article on the Role of Money and the Internet in Social
Development, click
here. (MSS)
-For further study of the above ideas on the Internet,
please click here.
(ICPD)
-To review an article
comparing the role of the Internet and Money in social development, click here.
(MSS)
New Insights
into Humanity's Future
A Growth Online Portal
Visit Now
Growth Online
Contact Us
