It seems that modern, Western society is plagued by physical degeneracy.
It’s not modern society, it’s always been that way. Haven’t you ever read the tales of how sordid and party crazy the ancient pagan’s were out in Greece and other places? Do you know about the Borgia’s, or the Medici families of Rome? What about some royalty and noble classes that were extremely corrupt and lived pompous life styles? Some Pope’s, Bishops, and Cardinals were even guilty of this.
People are overweight, they drink too much or take drugs, they spend a lot of time on mobile phones or computers, they have developed overly sensitive palates (i.e. they drink designer coffee or whatever), they don’t do manual labor, many no longer have a proper male or female appearance, etc.
Again, not a new phenomenon. Has been going on for centuries. It’s just that now a days we don’t have such horrible classism, where only the aristocrat’s can indulge in such things. Now a days, most people living in the same society are pretty equal and can equally live a comfortable lifestyle. People have had their luxuries, and vices since the beginning of time.
In the 19th Century, any ‘respectable fellow’ could read Latin, could chop wood or go a few rounds of boxing, acted like a gentleman, went to Church, etc. Now, the ‘average fellow’ is barely literate, probably on drugs, overweight, doesn’t go to Church, etc.
Any respectable fellow in the 19th century could read Latin? Where did you hear that from? Most people were lucky to even attend school or have the talent to read and write in the 19th century, depending on where you lived. The streets were filled with starving working class back then, children were sent to work in mills, families died of cold and starvation during the winter months because they couldn’t afford coal for the fire, and this was in places like London, France, where society in general was pretty well developed. Go to more rural or less developed places in the world and it was worse! Also your use of '‘the average fellow’ here is pretty arrogant, no offense. Average people do not do illicit drugs, and so what if they are overweight or don’t go to church, who are you to judge? Also, you don’t speak for billions of people, so how do you know how the ‘‘average fellow’’ lived his life? Back then, rich men had mistresses, did drugs, kept the poor at arms length and treated workers and slaves like rubbish… and if you don’t think they weren’t fat or got drunk, or indulged then you don’t know history very well. Also, people are a lot more smarter today than they were 50 years ago even. We have improved education, and your ‘‘average fellow’’ is very literate, and can read and write. Especially compared to the ‘‘average fellow’’ from the 19th century who would have only attended school if he was rich, or from an upper middle class bourgeoisie family.
I wonder if many of these symptoms of physical degeneracy are related to moral degeneracy? As a human race are we going down hill?
No. It’s related to people having more freedoms and society advancing so that most people can live comfortably. We don’t have slaves anymore, or a peasant class, or a way to force ‘‘undesirables’’ of society to live a cruel impoverished and unequal life like they did back in the 19th century.
And if so, what can be done to improve the situation?
Hop in a time machine, and make the world into a classist Dickensian place again where you take away people’s rights to do as they please and live a secular life if they so choose. Also, remember god gave us free will, and people can either choose to use that free will for good, or for bad. It’s not our place to judge and be arrogant and spiteful to people. If you want more people to come to the life of god, and the church use honey not vinegar. After all, there may be some personal and very grave reasons why someone is overweight, or turns to drugs as a form of escapism. It’s not because ‘‘they are immoral’’. The world is not black and white like that! We need to put ourselves in their shoes and have some compassion.
