I would have to disagree the statements about looking at human history to see how we would react to things that happen today. The mood, morals, values, ideas, customs and everything in between has changed drastically over history. The people of today would react differently to things than the people of 2000 years ago and even the people of 100 years ago. You know yourself and you know your loved ones. You have to ask yourself how you would react and how those you know well would react.
Personally I think If we discovered an alien civilization I would be shocked, excited, and anxious. The last thing on my mind would be fear or the need to conquer. I would have hope that new and exciting things were around the corner. I think I can expect similar reactions from those I know well.
Discuss
Aaron Vallis on April 23, 2008, 1:51 PM
While human civilization has definitely evolved beyond the simple hunter/gatherers of the paleolithic, we must take into account the second party: the alien civilization. More than likely, their civilization has not evolved in the same context as our own, and therefore their social norms will be far different than our own. For example, perhaps their idea of peace is so radically different from our own that upon first contact, we may be convinced that we are being invaded. Furthermore, if we do make peace, how are we to communicate? They certainly wouldn’t speak english, and their physiology culture might make it so that their means of communication is impossible for us to decipher. These are the kind of questions that must be taken into account, rather than simply examining past instances of first contact between human civilizations (none of which, it would seem, have turned out perfectly).
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