Man’s Place in Nature — Past and Future

Through the evolution of the conscious mind in the human species, nature became aware of itself and can thus, for the first time in more than three billion years of natural evolution, influence and even to some degree take control of its own future development according to intentional goals. Since these goals are at the same time inevitably our own wishful visions, our species becomes not only nature’s managing agent but also morally responsible for the future of nature including our own future.