Re-defining Human Purpose through the Lens of "Species Preservation"

— A Unilateral Inquiry into Human Existence Based on Biological Teleology—

Chapter 1: Introduction
     ---A Critical Examination of Existing Anthropological Views---

Current discourses on "human purpose" in anthropology and ethics are largely metaphysical and arbitrary. Such views are, in essence, mere intellectual "play" born from human arrogance—the desire to see ourselves as exceptional. This paper posits that any "higher meaning" assigned to humanity is ultimately a subsidiary function evolved to serve the singular, fundamental purpose: Species Preservation.

Chapter 2:
The Inseparability of Purpose and Function
　—Breaking the Functionalist Illusion—

In this chapter, we define the hierarchical relationship between "purpose" and "function" in human existence and point out the subject-object inversion prevalent in modern thought.

Generally, traits acquired through biological evolution (intelligence, sociality, linguistic ability, etc.) are understood as "functions" for environmental adaptation. However, if one pursues logical consistency, a "function" devoid of "purpose" cannot conceptually exist. Just as no sophisticated machine can justify its structure without a design philosophy (purpose), all functions in life exist solely as means to serve the unique and ultimate purpose: the "preservation of the species."

However, the species known as human beings, through the function of "intelligence" which has become overly developed, has reached the point of fabricating new "play" (fictional purposes). Concepts such as self-actualization, happiness, or metaphysical salvation are, in essence, nothing more than "catalysts" to drive individuals and groups toward the preservation of the species. To regard these by-products as independent purposes is a category mistake—where the means usurps the end—and is a logical collapse brought about by human "arrogance."

Chapter 3:
Historical Realism and the Exclusion of Dominant Discourses 
    —Return to "Honest History"—

Next, we redefine "history" from this teleological perspective. Conventional historiography has often been an accumulation of "interpretations" based on the justification of the ruling class or specific ideologies. These constitute "history written for the convenience of those in power" and have functioned as a fog that conceals the biological necessity of species preservation.

The "honest history (physical realism)" advocated in this paper involves stripping away the narratives that treat humans as special and looking directly at the "chain of life-maintenance" itself as it exists within the continuous axis of time.

• Essential Decoding of Social Phenomena
  For instance, wars aimed at territorial expansion are not for "noble causes," but are based on the biological imperatives of securing living space and optimizing resource distribution for the species.
• Functional Understanding of Religion and Norms
  The belief that a non-human existence (such as God) defines humanity appears, at first glance, to be a submission to a higher power. However, the reality is that humans define and utilize the "concept of God" as a function to enhance collective cohesion and maximize the efficiency of species preservation.

The circular reasoning observed here—where humans define God, and that God in turn defines humans—is an idle spinning of intelligence attempting to fabricate a higher purpose; essentially, it is a phenomenon that should converge into the single purpose of "species preservation."

Chapter 4: Modern Dysfunction
   —The Rebellion of Function against Purpose—

In this chapter, we analyze various phenomena manifesting in modern society—such as the declining birthrate, nihilism, and the individual pursuit of happiness—from the perspective of a "rebellion of function" against the "true purpose" of species preservation.

4.1. The Self-Goalization of Intelligence as a Function

Originally, functions such as intelligence and rationality were selected through the process of evolution to optimize the "preservation of the species" through environmental prediction, risk avoidance, and efficient resource acquisition. However, in modern civilization, as these "functions" have become extremely sophisticated, they have begun to move away from their original purpose and act as if they possess autonomous value in themselves.

For example, modern concepts such as "individual freedom" and "self-actualization" were originally intended as motivations to increase the utility of the individual within the group. Now, however, they have mutated into factors that cause individuals to avoid the fundamental cost of "species preservation" (reproduction). This is a result of pleasure and logical satisfaction—which should have been "means" for sustaining life—usurping the position of independent "purposes."

4.2. Declining Birthrates and Nihilism: Interpretation as Biological Errors

The declining birthrate in modern advanced nations is often discussed as a socio-economic issue. However, from the perspective of this paper, this is described as a "biological error" caused by the pressure of bloated functions on the original purpose.

• Avoidance of Reproductive Costs: As a result of intelligence becoming highly calculative, individuals have come to prioritize the "maintenance of individual living resources"—a short-sighted maintenance of function—over the "collective interest of species preservation."
• The Emergence of Nihilism: By looking away from the simple reality that "the purpose of humans is species preservation" and arrogantly attempting to fabricate "individualized, lofty meanings," humans experience a "bug" known as the "absence of meaning" (nihilism) when those fictions collapse.

4.3. Over-adaptation Known as Civilization

Civilization is an "accumulation of massive functions" designed to preserve the species safely and perpetually. However, because this accumulation has taken on excessive complexity, humans now exhaust all their energy in maintaining the systems they themselves created (economy, information, ethics), thereby depleting the resources that should be allocated to their fundamental biological purpose.

To devote oneself to artificial purposes (national glory, economic growth, etc.) according to the "narratives" written by historical rulers is, from the viewpoint of the species' teleology, nothing more than the idle spinning of functions. The deadlock of modern society can be concluded to stem from our failure to "honestly" accept the reality of survival and preservation, allowing our functions to run amok while mistaking them for "purposes."

Chapter 5: Conclusion
   —Returning to Honest Reality and Future Outlook—

This paper has defined "species preservation" as the sole and absolute "purpose" of human existence and has deconstructed all other value systems as the "self-goalization of functions" or "arrogant play." From this perspective, the true nature of the social confusion and spiritual void we face becomes extremely clear.

5.1. Theoretical Summary

The attempt of humans to seek meaning in "existences beyond humanity" is, in the end, nothing more than a circular argument that remains within the framework of concepts defined by humans themselves. The only way to break through this logical trap is to position the human species within the "flow of history" (biological continuity) and honestly accept its mechanisms of survival and preservation.

Based on the principle that a "function" without a "purpose" cannot exist, all human intelligence, language, social structures, and cultures are redefined as sophisticated "functions" for the preservation of the species. Distinguishing this hierarchy of priority is the only view of humanity equipped with logical validity.

5.2. Deepening the Understanding of Social Phenomena

By applying the model presented in this paper, the distortions of modern society can be consistently explained as a "subject-object inversion of purpose and function." Declining birthrates and nihilism are "dysfunctions" resulting from functions (intelligence, consumption, individual pleasure) encroaching upon the purpose (reproduction, preservation). As long as we persist in clinging to fictional purposes, this contradiction will never be resolved.

5.3. Future Outlook: Toward an Honest Survival Strategy

What is required of humanity in the future is to abandon the "arrogance" of trying to set its own unique purposes and to recalibrate its bloated "functions" to align once again with the root purpose of species preservation.

To "think honestly" is nothing less than the courage to strip away the decorations of civilization and the narratives of rulers, and to accept the stark reality of being a living organism. This shift in perception is the most rational and logical starting point for understanding the essence of society and for the human species to walk toward a truly sustainable future.