The Destiny of Man, Viewed in the Light of His Origin

"The Destiny of Man, Viewed in the Light of His Origin" by John Fiske, is a reflective exploration that considers humanity's beginnings and what they might say about our future. Written in the 1800s, the essay looks at how our understanding of human evolution, especially through the ideas of thinkers like Copernicus and Darwin, affects our views on life's big questions, like our role in the universe. Fiske kicks things off by explaining that he wants to think about whether humans are immortal, but only after first understanding where we came from, through a scientific lens. He questions old beliefs about humanity's importance, especially when compared to what science tells us. Instead, Fiske believes that what makes us special isn't just our physical development, but also our growing ability to think, feel, and understand right from wrong. This starting point leads to a wider discussion on how our moral growth as a species could mean something for our future, possibly even a life after death.