I am a former bank manager. I am 81 years old and in 2000 I discovered what I call my basic idea. Since then I have been a thinker: of this idea and its environment [1].

I first summarize my ideas, which can be seen in more detail in appendix A and on my website: www.supervivenciayaltruismo.org.

And then I develop the possible applications to be implemented by the leaders.

The basic idea. The idea is obvious: like all species of living beings, ours, Homo sapiens, has the goal, or priority goal, of its own survival, as such or by changing one or more species. Without prejudice to the fact that there may be other transcendent objectives. This objective or purpose is implicit and operative in all living beings. And this is how the more than two million known species have come to this point.

Thinkers and leaders of all times have taken these ideas for granted and used them, but they seem not to have realized their importance.  In all the research I have done over the years, I have only seen them mentioned, in passing, by the biologist and Nobel Prize winner Jacques Monod [5] and by Dr. Natalia López-Moratalla, Professor of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology [6]. And without applying them to humans.

Possibly nobody has seen them for humans because it is not necessary to do so, since our young species has had the enormous success of growing to almost 8,000 million people acting in partial groups, larger and larger (family, clan, tribe, city, state…) and with partial objectives and virtues (peace, welfare, … cooperation, coexistence, industriousness, ….) together with the natural means of competition and struggle…

Those who lead know, or should know, how important it is to work towards objectives. And that there are leaders who are clear about their priorities. And the ability to act and control. Leading is often not easy because those who act are departments and networks that are assigned partial objectives. In order for the system to work, it is necessary that some partial objectives are not exceeded to the detriment of others. In banking, it is often the case that too much credit growth occurs at the expense of risk quality.  This is the most frequent cause of bankruptcy. Also, growth in resources with excessive costs. Or trying to grow by opening branches in unprofitable markets.

In the case of humans, our species has been enormously successful in very few years. Thanks to its enormous qualities to live in society. It seems that the current problem is the same as that of any large, poorly run organization.  There has been no explicit common basic goal, no clear global authority. And growth has been done by groups and partial objectives. Nor have the people known and do not know the basic goal. They have acted and act instinctively following their implicit life imperative and inherited group and cultural norms. Like other living beings Global leaders at all levels and collectives, both vertical and horizontal, continue to plan and act without making the basic objective explicit. I would like to think that they do not know it, or that they are incapable of taking it on board and disseminating it.

At the moment, the UN and the world’s plans are focused on the goals of the 2030 Agenda. These 17 goals are certainly good one by one. But they have the problem of partial goals, which, if they improve some, it is at the expense of others. This is aggravated in this case by the different opinions of the various actors, secular and religious, insufficient transparency and the use of some inappropriate means.

Broad altruism. The term altruism is polysemous, but with some variations it is often used as defined in the dictionary of the Royal Academy: “diligence in procuring the good of others even at the cost of one’s own”. For my part, and for lack of a better term, I use the broad concept of altruism to include everything that is done or omitted that is good for another or others. And which is therefore also good for the basic objective. And this altruism is always self-interested because it is always rewarded.

Content of broad altruism: work, study, trade, teach, …. Whatever the motivation (paid, free, onerous, pure). It includes all social virtues: cooperation, solidarity, honesty, justice, … And those that make us better for others: healthier, wiser, holier, solvent, cheerful…: and those of austerity, prudence, fortitude, charity, wisdom, industriousness, …

Altruism is only understood as a means for the survival of the species. Altruism is the most efficient and effective strategy adopted by social species to attempt the survival of their individuals and of the species. In other words, some form of altruism is indispensable for the survival of the social species.

Utility. According to the above, altruism is a self-interested element that social individuals use as a means to survive, to reproduce iteratively, and to improve their own and their group’s well-being.

It is important to note that, with these ideas, the terms altruism and selfishness change the meaning usually assigned to them.

Things to do

(For a note on the Tasks and To-Do’s website click here)

We now know that the primary goal of our species/humanity is to survive and that the meaning of our life, as living human beings, is to cooperate to achieve that goal. We also know that the best way to do this is to be altruistic, collaborating with other human beings. It is now a matter of thinking about the possible things to do.

When I say “we already know”, I mean myself and a few other people, including those who have read the above. Therefore, it seems that the first thing to try to do is to make these ideas known as soon as possible to as many people as possible. And if possible by people who want to spread and use them until they are known and used by the majority of humanity. I estimate that this global process could take between 20 and 50 years. If there are still humans in that time. It seems long, but time passes quickly and important results can be achieved early on. Therefore, the earlier the better (see text on Human Present and Future).

In the following, I summarize a list of 17 major applications, which are broader than those of the 2030 agenda, and which prioritize the universal basic goal towards which the 17 sub-goals of the 2030 “sustainable development” should be oriented.

These ideas are not just theories to be thought and said. They are mandates to do things. And possibly many of the problems the world has today are caused because the people who do things have done them without a global vision of the basic goals of humanity, and therefore without prior ideas of what was best to do in their sub-areas.

In my work rescuing a failing bank, I saw that the lousy risk admission model had been decided by the IT technicians. A serious mistake caused by having a general management with other objectives and a risk department with no ideas to guide the IT people.

I have said somewhere that, surely, the people who do things would see my ideas before the thinkers. This writing is a call to those who manage the world to look at them and take them into account in their work. I address myself to officials of global and group bodies, governments of nations, communicators, managers of public and private companies, managers of religions and political parties and associations, opinion leaders, powers that be….

Mayr says: “Non-scientists tend to naively assume that when a new scientific explanation or theory is proposed, it will be accepted without delay. In reality, in very few cases has this happened…” and then: “Many important papers go unnoticed, sometimes entirely, because they have been published in Western European languages other than English” [28]. I have published an English version of Supervivir Amando. (See) And I think Ortega also says three things which I quote from memory: something about how it takes years to “see” new ideas; something about how you only see what you know and look at; and something about how, to be seen and understood, new ideas need the environment and atmosphere to be conducive. The parable of seeds falling on good soil and bad soil is also applicable.

I sense that the worsening environment of our humanity will make it easier for these ideas to be seen and taken up sooner rather than later: those said by me or similar ones said by others. I think that those who make things should think about what may affect their work: directly and indirectly.

I recall the universal ethical principle: Do or omit, with altruism/love, what is good/best for the survival and well-being of our species. I say welfare because Darwin said that happy species survive better [20] (See).

I am going to list 17 major applications, which are already partially working. And with them we have come this far. It is a matter of reviewing them through the glasses of the basic idea and adapting them to our situation and perspectives. The options I have listed are examples of what could be done. The important thing is to take them into account and to have them seen and thought through by experts.

0.- It seems advisable to have a well-done list of those things that can most affect our survival, both natural and human-produced. And both the bad and the good. E.g. bad: pandemics, earthquakes, meteorites, noxious gases, warming, pollution, overpopulation, lethal weapons, consumerism… And good: the resilience of Life and of the Earth, the many human capacities, altruism and all its virtues, the diversity of races, cultures and settlements, …

The things to be done should be aimed at avoiding the bad things or mitigating their harmful effects. And to enhance the good things.  I list the 17 applications:

1.- A world authority. With the risk involved, it seems necessary that there should be some kind of “World Ethical Council” that considers humanity as a subject for the purposes of the basic objective and the means to try to achieve it. With as much authority as possible. It seems that it could be in the UN, but with autonomy and based on a Manifesto [29] accepted by a sufficient majority of countries and entities.

2.- To promote the idea of fraternal humanity. The idea of humanity as a subject is very recent, but it has grown a lot with pandemics and crises. See E. Morin [24].

3.- Review norms, laws and customs. From the Declaration of the Rights of Man, to the rules of neighborhood communities to set heating degrees. Religions should also review their non-dogmatic norms.

4.- The model of world society. We are now about 200-member states of the UN and many vertical and horizontal groupings. I believe that diversity is good. But, applying the basic ethical principle, there should never be disputes over borders or policies or ideologies. And each entity must assume that it is part of humanity and that its obligation is to contribute to what is good for its survival and well-being.

5.- Population. Numbers and quality of life. This is one of the most urgent, important and controversial issues. It must be analyzed and oriented – by sages and saints and with light and stenographers – with the priority objective of survival and with altruism as a means. The number and distribution of people affects all people, alive and to be alive, in many positive and negative issues: survival, well-being…, famines, wars, suffering, deterioration or conservation of the local and global habitat, …

When I was born, in 1941, there were about 2 billion of us living in poverty. Today, in 2022, we are almost 8,000. With many inequalities, but with a much higher global average consumption.  Now, and especially since the Kissinger report of 1974, a lot is being done in terms of population control, but in a hidden and shameful way because of religious differences and other sensitivities. It seems that this issue needs to be seriously and comprehensively addressed. It is urgent in order to avoid much suffering.

I copy some data from today’s “Worldometer”, 29.8.2022 at 20.21, more or less: Total population 7,970,822,093. Births today: 325,084. Deaths: 136,478. Net: 188,606.  Undernourished people: 863,307,710. Starvation deaths today: 25,957. And overweight people: 1,732,156,305. It seems interesting to look at these data from time to time.

The faithful of the Bible, who obey the command to “increase and multiply and replenish the earth and take care of it” seem to wonder if the earth is already full of human beings and their artefacts. And whether we are “neglecting” the created, even the many millions of human beings who are marginally surviving.

6.- Sexuality, family, procreation. As I said, in recent times there has been an attempt to reduce the birth rate. And this has led to attempts to change morals and customs all over the world. These include separating sexuality from procreation through “sex education”, “family planning”, the use of contraceptives, female labour, sexual multigenderism, abortion, … The measures affect more Western cultures, but will be extended to the whole world. With the partial curbing of religions, especially those of the Book,

Possibly the objective of reducing the birth rate is good, but some methods are not. I believe that the monogamous family model has been and is an excellent way to raise and educate children, both materially and in the virtues of love and coexistence. And responsible parenthood seems a good goal for families and for everyone. And indiscriminate abortion and euthanasia do not seem the best means to this end. It would be necessary to rethink all these questions, and urgently.

7.- Human ecology. Ecology is a recent science and there is considerable confusion about its content and application. Three tendencies can be noted according to the subjects to be cared for: the earth, animals and humans.  It is convenient to consider all three in the light of the basic objective. This would increase efficiency and avoid imbalances.

8.- Genetic and environmental engineering. All species influence their environment. Ours has developed enormous capacities to modify inorganic elements, plants and other living beings. And it is making great strides in new capabilities to change humans themselves. Therefore, this application is very important for the survival of the species, both in its reactive part to preserve/heal the species, and to improve it. Or even to create another or new ones if necessary for the basic objective.

9.- Social engineering. All social species do some kind of engineering to communicate and implement their knowledge and rules of coexistence. Humans have survived and “triumphed” thanks to the development and exercise of our enormous communicative capacities. For the basic objective it is essential to have good social engineering, both in its reactive facet by adjusting the usual messages to disseminate the resulting new ethics, and actively through campaigns to disseminate the new “morality” that affects global and group uses.

10.- Education. Without going into the technical contents that will have to reflect the changes brought about by these applications, education is a basic element for the implementation of the new ethics. And for the training of people who must think about the changes to be made and the new concepts to be handled, both globally and as a group.

11.- Economic and social policies. The basic objective can be pursued with any economic model: capitalism of different types, socialism, communism… But it seems that things should be changed in order to optimize economic and social policies with a view to the basic objective and the well-being of all people. We would have to review the goods and services to be produced, the systems of production and distribution, the distribution among the living considering their different needs and cultures, …

All of this seems complicated, but these are technical problems that I believe are perfectly solvable if other applications are taken into account and this is done gradually and in a harmonized way. As K. Popper says in “The misery of historicism”, changes must be made in a partial and staggered way [30].

12.- The marginalized. The poor. I call marginal people, collectives, and even countries, who, for some reason or other, are outside civic norms: those who have no morals, the maladjusted, the conflictive, …

As for the poor, we have seen that there are almost a billion people with serious problems to feed themselves. These people are identified by groups and countries.

A first idea is to inform these people, groups and collectives, both marginalized and poor, of their basic duties and rights as human beings. And, at the same time, to help them to fulfil them, with themselves and with others. With the means provided by the other applications.

Given the urgency of some of these problems, their resolution must be initiated or increased, locally and as a group, as soon as possible.  And it is technically easy if the two basic commandments are assumed by those who have the power and the local means.

13.- Religions and other ethicists.  Religions, ideologies, philosophers, politicians, leaders and communicators… have been and are extremely important in the creation and implementation of global and group ethics, permanent and contingent.

The possible World Ethical Council or Authority can orient and define, both actively and reactively, the general principles and contrast some partial ethics, but the creation, diffusion, application and judgement of group ethics, both vertical and horizontal, corresponds to group leaders and to religions, sages, ideologies…

14.- Nationalisms and other group ideologies. The basic idea is against everything that sets humans against each other. And I think it is good that there is a diversity of vertical societies: cities, nations, states. And horizontal collectives and groups: religions, political parties, other groupings…

The basic idea is compatible with all societies and collectives. And with all ideologies, religions and forms of government, without them having to renounce their beliefs and dogmas. The condition to be met is that the people in these collectives assume that, above all, they are human beings and that, therefore, they must have the universal ethical principle as the basis of their rules and policies.

15.- Crimes and offences against humanity.  Like all ethics, universal ethics should also have its list of crimes and misdemeanours that typify those behaviours that most seriously threaten global survival and well-being. Normally the simple list of crimes and offences would be an important factor for improvement. E.g. in what affects the habitat, coexistence between people and groups, wastefulness, scandal or bad example, … These lists could have global and group components.

16.- Universal virtues and values. Similarly, there could be a list of universal and group virtues and values that are good for the fulfilment of the two commandments.  I believe that something similar already exists in China.

Reading the above, one might think that the two commandments and their application are a way of limiting men’s freedom and trying to manipulate their conscience. This is true. But if they do not know and accept these universal commands, people and their groups and collectives will continue to be conditioned and bound by group commands and laws. And the past, present and future problems and sufferings will continue.

17.- Individual ethics. As we have seen, the two basic mandates are implicit and the norms that our species and its groups have adopted are based on them. And with these norms we have come this far and we continue to live. Now we have them explicit. Most people don’t have to change anything. They don’t even have to think about it. But, as in all species, including our own, there must be individuals and groups – wise, holy and capable – who “see” what needs to be done at any given moment and guide their groups, and with them the whole species.

References

[0] Corral Lope, José:

. Supervivir. Ideas para una ética universal. Madrid, Letras de Autor 2015

. Supervivir amando. A universal ethical principle. Madrid, Letras de Autor, 2016

[1] Arana, Juan: Los sótanos del universo. Madrid. Biblioteca Nueva, 2012. Pág.263

[2] Mayr, Ernst: (1995) Así es la biología. Barcelona. Penguin Debate, 2016. Pág.147

[3] Dobzhansky, Theodosius: and others (1977) Evolution. Barcelona. Omega, 2009.

[4] Gould, Stephen: The structure of the theory of evolution. Barcelona, Tusquets 2004.

[5] Monod, Jacques: Chance and Necessity, Paris, Seuil, 1970.

[6] López-Moratalla, Natalia:

. Cuestiones acerca de la evolución humana. Pamplona. EUNSA, 2008

. Inteligencia artificial ¿Conciencia artificial? Madrid. Digital Reasons, 2017.

[7] Segura, Evelyn: Adapt or die. Barcelona. Paidós, 2019.

[8] Kant, Immanuel: Filosofía de la historia. México D.F. Fondo de C.E. 1941.

[9] Barash, David P. Private correspondence.

[10] Sequeiros, Leandro: New Perspectives on Evolution: Eva Jablonka and Marion Lamb. Málaga, Bubok, 2022

[11] Aristotle, Nicomachean Ethics. Madrid, Gredos, 2014.

[12] Kant, E. Philosophy of history. México. Fondo de Cultura Económica. 1941.

[13]Trigo, Tomás (ed): En busca de una ética universal: un nuevo modo de ver la ley natural. Document of the International Theological Commission and commentaries. Pamplona, EUNSA. 2010.

[14] Hume, David; Inquiry into the Principles of Morals. Madrid, Alianza, 2014

[15] Ruse, Michael: Une défense de l`éthique évolucioniste. In Fondements Naturels de L’Etique de J-P Changeux. Paris, Odile Jacob, 1993

–Taking Darwin seriously. Barcelona, Salvat, 1994

-(2001): Can a Darwinist be a Christian? Madrid, Siglo XXI, 2007

–Charles Darwin. Madrid, Katz Editores, 2008.

[16] Wilson, Edward O. (2012): The social conquest of the earth. Barcelona, Debate, 2012.

–The future of life. Barcelona, Galaxia Gutemberg, 2002.

[17] Damasio, Antonio (2010): Y el cerebro creó al hombre. Barcelona, Ed. Destino, 2013.

-(1994) El error de Descartes. Barcelona, Editorial Crítica, 2006

[18] Kant, Emmanuel:

–Crítica de la razón pura. Madrid, Librería Bergua, 1934. P. 354- 2nd volume

[19] Teilhard de Chardin (1965): Science and Christ. Madrid, Taurus, 1968.

(1955) The Human Phenomenon. Madrid, Taurus, 1965.

[20] Darwin, Charles: The Origin of Man. Madrid. Editorial Edaf, 9th edition 2009.

[21] Hands, John (2015): Cosmosapiens.  Madrid, La esfera de los libros, 2017.

[22] Koprotkin, Piotr: Ética. Barcelona, Dogal Books, 1977.

[23] Jonas, Hans: (1979) El principio de responsabilidad. Barcelona, Herder, 2004.

[24] Morin, Edgar (1965): Introducción a una política del hombre. Barcelona, Gedisa, 2002.

–La vía para el futuro de la humanidad. Barcelona. Paidós, 2011.

[25] Pfaff, Donald W. (2015): The altruistic brain. Barcelona, Herder, 2017

[26] Klein, Stefan (2010): The generous revolution. Barcelona, Urano, 2011.

[27] Trivers, Robert. Personal correspondence.

[28] Mayr, Ernst. [2] See my Survival and altruism p. 15.

[29] Corral, José. See my Supervivir. P. 339

[30] Popper, Karl (1961) La miseria del historicismo. Madrid, Alianza, 2008.