The causes of the global problems of mankind

Confrontations of military, political and economic forces in different regions of the planet are ongoing. As soon as there is a lull in the western hemisphere, the causes of global problems appear in some other part of the Earth. Sociologists, economists, political scientists and representatives of various cultural and scientific circles give explanations for these phenomena from the perspective of their vision, but the complexities of mankind have a planetary scale, therefore it is impossible to reduce everything to problems that exist in any one region and a single period of time.

Global problem concept

When the world was too big for people, they still ran out of space. So the inhabitants of the Earth are so arranged that the peaceful coexistence of small nations, even in vast territories, cannot last forever. There are always those to whom the neighbor’s lands and his well-being do not give rest. The translation of the French word global sounds like “universal,” that is, it applies to everyone. But global problems arose even before the advent of not only this language, but also writing in general.

If we consider the history of the development of the human race, then one of the causes of global problems is the egoism of each individual person. It just so happened that in the material world, all individuals think only of themselves. This happens even when people care about the happiness and well-being of their children and loved ones. Often, one's own survival and obtaining wealth is built on the destruction of one's neighbor and the taking of wealth from him.

So it has been since the days of the Sumerian kingdom and Ancient Egypt, the same thing is happening in our days. In the history of the development of people there have always been wars and revolutions. The latter came from good intentions to take away the sources of wealth from the rich in order to distribute to the poor. Due to the thirst for gold, new territories or power in each historical era, its own causes of the global problems of mankind were discovered. Sometimes they led to the emergence of great empires (Roman, Persian, British and others), which were formed by the conquest of other peoples. In some cases, to the destruction of entire civilizations, as was the case with the Incas and Mayans.

But never before have the reasons for the emergence of global global problems so sharply influenced the planet as a whole, as they are today. This is due to the mutual integration of the economies of different countries and their dependence on each other.

Ecological situation on Earth

The causes of global environmental problems did not initially lie in the development of industrial production, which began only in the 17-18 centuries. They started much earlier. If we compare the relationship of man with the environment at different stages of his development, then they can be divided into 3 stages:

• Adoration of nature and its powerful forces. In the primitive communal and even in the slave system there was a very close relationship between the world and man. People deified nature, brought gifts to her so that she would have mercy on them and give a high harvest, since they depended directly on her “whims”.
• In the Middle Ages, religious dogmas that although man is a sinful being, but still - the crown of Creation, raised people above the world. Already in this period, the gradual submission of the environment to humanity begins for the good.
• The development of capitalist relations has led to the fact that they began to use nature as auxiliary material, which should "work" for people. Mass deforestation, subsequent pollution of air, rivers and lakes, the destruction of animals - all this led terrestrial civilization in the early 20th century to the first signs of an unhealthy ecology.

Each historical epoch of the development of mankind became a new stage in the destruction of what surrounded it. The subsequent causes of global environmental problems are the development of the chemical, engineering, aircraft and rocket industry, mass mining and electrification.

The most tragic for the ecology of the planet was the year 1990, when more than 6 billion tons of carbon dioxide produced by industrial enterprises of all economically developed countries combined were emitted into the atmosphere. Although after that scientists and ecologists sounded the alarm, and urgent measures were taken to eliminate the consequences of the destruction of the ozone layer of the Earth, the causes of the global problems of mankind only began to really manifest themselves. Among them, one of the first places is occupied by economic development in different countries.

Economic problems

For some reason, historically it has always been the case that civilizations appeared in different corners of the Earth that developed unevenly. If at the stage of the primitive communal system everything is more or less similar: gathering, hunting, the first crude tools and transitions from one abundant place to another, then already in the Eneolithic period the level of development of settled tribes varies.

The advent of metal tools of labor and hunting puts the countries in which they are manufactured in first place. In a historical context, it is Europe. In this regard, nothing has changed, only in the 21st century ahead of the planet is it not the owner of a bronze sword or musket, but a country where there are nuclear weapons or advanced technologies in various fields of science and technology (economically highly developed states). Therefore, even today, when scientists are asked: “What are the two causes of the global problems of our time,” they point to poor ecology and a large number of economically underdeveloped countries.

The countries of the third world and highly civilized states are especially discordant such indicators:

Currently, many countries are economically dependent on each other. If 200-300 years ago tea was grown in India and Ceylon, it was processed there, packaged and transported to other countries by sea, and one or several companies could participate in this process, today raw materials are grown in one country, processed in another. and packaged in the third. And this applies to all industries - from the manufacture of chocolate to the launch of space rockets. Therefore, often the causes of global problems lie in the fact that if an economic crisis has begun in one country, it automatically spreads to all partner states, and its consequences reach a planetary scale.

A good indicator in integrating the economies of different countries is that they unite not only in the period of prosperity, but also in times of economic crisis. They do not have to deal with its consequences alone, as richer countries support the economies of less developed partners.

Population growth

Another reason for the global problems of our time, scientists believe the rapid population growth on the planet. There are 2 trends in this issue:

• In highly developed Western European countries, fertility is extremely low. Families with more than 2 children are rare here. This gradually leads to the fact that the indigenous population of Europe is aging, and it is being replaced by immigrants from African and Asian countries, in whose families it is customary to have many children.
• On the other hand, in economically underdeveloped states, such as India, countries of South and Central America, Africa and Asia, a very low standard of living, but a high birth rate. Lack of proper medical care, lack of food and clean water - all this leads to high mortality, therefore it is customary to have many children there so that a small part of them can survive.

If we follow the growth of the planet’s population during the 20th century, we can see how strong the demographic “explosion” was in certain years.

In 1951, the population was just over 2.5 billion people. In just 10 years, more than 3 billion people have already lived on the planet, and by 1988 the population has crossed the line of 5 billion. In 1999, this figure reached 6 billion, and in 2012, more than 7 billion people were already living on the planet.

According to scientists, the main causes of global problems are that the resources of the Earth, with the illiterate exploitation of its bowels, as is happening today, will not be enough for an ever-growing population. Nowadays, 40 million people die of hunger every year, which does not reduce the population at all, since its average growth for 2016 is more than 200,000 newborns per day.

Thus, the essence of global problems and the reasons for their occurrence is in the constant population growth, which, according to scientists, will exceed 10 billion by 2100. All these people eat, breathe, enjoy the benefits of civilization, drive cars, fly airplanes and destroy nature with their life activities. If they do not change their attitude to the environment and to their own kind, then in the future global environmental disasters, massive pandemics and military conflicts await the planet.

Food problems

If highly developed countries are characterized by an abundance of products, most of which lead to health problems such as cancer, cardiovascular disease, obesity, diabetes, and many others, then for countries of the Third World normal constant malnutrition or hunger among the population.

In general, all countries can be divided into 3 types:

• Those where there is a constant shortage of food and water. This is 1/5 of the world's population.
• Countries where food is produced and grown, and there is a food culture.
• States that have programs to combat overconsumption of products in order to reduce the percentage of people suffering from the effects of malnutrition or abundant nutrition.

But it so happened historically and economically that in countries where the population is especially in need of food and clean water, the food industry is poorly developed, or there are no favorable natural and climatic conditions for farming.

At the same time, there are resources on the planet so that no one will ever starve. Leading food-producing nations can feed 8 billion more than they live around the world, but today 1 billion people live in total poverty and 260 million children go hungry each year. When 1/5 of its population suffers from hunger on the planet, then this is a global problem, and all humanity must solve it together.

Social inequality

The main causes of global problems are the contradictions between social classes, which manifests itself in such criteria as:

• Wealth, when all or almost all natural and economic resources are in the hands of a small group of selected people, companies, or a dictator.
• Power that may belong to one person - the head of state or a small group of people.

Most of the countries of the Third World have a pyramid in their structure of distribution of society, at the top of which there is a small number of rich people, and below it are the poor. With this distribution of power and finances in the state, people are divided into rich and poor, without a middle class.

If the state structure is a rhombus, at the top of which the powers that be are also, below are the poor, but the middle class is the largest layer between them, then there are no clearly expressed social and class contradictions in it. The political structure in such a country is more stable, the economy is highly developed, and social protection of the poor is carried out by state and charitable organizations.

Today, many countries in South and Central America, Africa and Asia have a pyramidal structure, in which 80-90% of the population live below the poverty line. They have an unstable political situation, military coups and revolutions often take place, which imbalance the world community, as other countries may be involved in their conflicts.

Political confrontations

The main causes of global problems, philosophy (science) defines as the separation of man and nature. Philosophers sincerely believe that it is enough for people to harmonize their inner world with the external environment, as problems disappear. In fact, everything is somewhat more complicated.

In any state there are political forces whose rule determines not only the level and quality of life of its population, but also the entire foreign policy. For example, today there are aggressor countries that create military conflicts in the territories of other states. Their political system is opposed by the world community, protecting the rights of their victims.

Since in our time, almost all countries are economically connected with each other, their unification against states that apply a policy of violence is also natural. If 100 years ago the armed conflict was the answer to military aggression, today economic and political sanctions are applied that do not take human lives, but can completely destroy the economy of the aggressor country.

Military conflicts

The causes of global problems are often the result of small military conflicts. Unfortunately, even in the 21st century, with all its technologies and achievements in science, human consciousness remains at the level of thinking of representatives of the Middle Ages.

Although today witches are not burned at the stake, religious wars and terrorist attacks look no less wild than the Inquisition at one time. The only effective measure to curb military conflicts on the planet should be the unification of all countries against the aggressor. The fear of being economically, politically and culturally isolated must be stronger than the desire to attack the territory of a neighboring state.

Global development of mankind

Sometimes the causes of global problems in the world are manifested on the basis of ignorance and cultural backwardness of some peoples. Today, such contrasts can be observed when in one country people prosper, create and live for the good of the state and each other, and in another they seek access to nuclear research. An example would be the confrontation between South and North Korea. Fortunately, the number of countries in which people seek to establish themselves through achievements in science, medicine, technology, culture and art is greater.

You can notice how the consciousness of humanity is changing, becoming a single organism. For example, scientists from different countries can work on the same project so that, by combining the efforts of the best minds, it will be faster to implement.

Ways to solve problems

If we list the causes of the global problems of mankind briefly, these will be:

• bad ecology;
• the presence of economically underdeveloped countries;
• military conflicts;
• political and religious confrontations;
• rapid population growth.

To solve these problems, countries must become even more interconnected with each other in order to combine their efforts to eliminate the consequences that arise on the planet.