[partisan]

> the survival and prosperity of humanity matters a great deal to me

Just curious about what drives that particular viewpoint. Why do you care about the survival of the species? When you die, the world ends. It doesn't really matter what happens after that, does it? You could be dead two milliseconds and then a big rock hits the Earth and everything is gone. Still it doesn't impact you, because you are dead. And I am asking for the sake of discussion, purely.

[mikeash]

I'm going to be around for a while, probably, and living in a better world makes for a better life. After I'm gone, I still want a better life for my child.

[foobarian]

I suspect this kind of thinking is an innate evolutionary reflex. Similar to why people love having kids.

[ageofwant]

Sure. All live will grow until it consumes all available resources. There is no such thing as voluntary growth control in "natural systems". Agent Smith was wrong when he claimed all other life seems to find a "balance". Balance emerges from mortal competition between species.

Only humans have this: http://www.vhemt.org/