Does the Homo Sapiens need a global government?
In his book Evolution Teodosius Dobshansky, one of the fathers of synthetic theory, cites the Wright's map that contains adaptive “peaks” and “valleys”. The tops of the "peaks" are occupied by the “genetic elite", having the genotypes that are best adapted to the environments in which the species lives. The less fit perish in “adaptive valleys”.
Evolutionary map by Sewall WrightThe Homo Sapiens, like other species of social primates, survived for many years of its history in small groups. The creation of larger groups was essential for our development: from family clans to tribes, to cities and states... We went from groups of 15 or 20 individuals to those of more than 1,400 million people living today in India or China. Leadership in social species it can be genetic, cultural or mixed, p.ej. lions, wolves, elephants, or primates.
As in other primate species, our government has been historically led by groups of elites who seek their own survival and well-being as a priority. And so we have had enormous reproductive success and global well-being but with serious group imbalances, coexistence problems and degradation of the common habitat that threaten our survival.
Historically, there have been many attempts to exert a global authority with influence throughout the known world: the Egyptian pharaohs, the Persian kings, the Chinese emperors, the Roman Empire, longed for by Edgar Morin ... And there have also been attempts to establish by different doctrines the concept of a cosmopolitan humanity with a shared morality: the Stoics, Kant, religions with an ecumenical tendency, Internationalism Communist.
Currently, the leadership of our species is exercised by the elites of the countries integrated in the G20 and the leaders of the large corporations that are represented in the World Economic Forum and other international groups. Besides different global organizations have been created: the UN, the World Bank, the International Monetary Fund, the ILO, the WHO...
There are different groups and movements that try to solve or mitigate the most serious global problems such our habitat, hunger, poverty, wars, inequalities... Most attention is focused on the Sustainable Development Goals and the UN 2030 Agenda. Other social movements also collaborate: religions, environmentalists, NGOs, foundations, long-termism and effective altruism...
World leadership exercised by very powerful groups with enormous technical capabilities produces serious imbalances because, in general, these groups seek good but partial objectives. And there is no a common ethical foundation for the norms of behavior of the different countries and groups.
All this said, and despite the risks that it may entail, it is necessary and urgent to establish an authority, or World Ethical Council, whose target is the whole humanity. Such authority should have a priority common goal and an ethical foundation for universal behavioral norms, as well as for partia and contingent ethics of different groups and cultures (2).
The different countries, groups and cultures can and should continue with their norms, uses, moral and legal criteria as long as they do not negatively affect the survival of the species and the well-being of the rest of the groups. Furthermore: out of reciprocal altruism and self-interest, each group must seek their well-being and that of their environment as a means to contribute to the common objective of survival and well-being of the species/humanity.
Until now we are being one more species of living beings. If a World Authority were established that had the explicit objective of survival and with broad altruism as its main strategy, our species would take a great step towards a higher level in the evolutionary process of Life. (3)
(2) The Present and the Future of Humanity Section 3. Point 1.