Time, globalization and the nascent identity of mankind

A person's identity is defined by the ways in which he or she is similar to and different from other persons in body, conduct, and thought. The identi ty of a tribe, nation or civilization is also defined by the ways in which it is similar to and is different from other social groups of its kind. A p eculiar difficulty arises when the identity sought is that of a globalized mankind because there are no other mankinds with respect to which ours coul d establish its hallmarks of similarities and differences. A global society is a one-and-only system of its kind, as unique as is the object we call t he universe or the idea of God, in monotheistic religions. To get around th e difficulties posed by this uniqueness, the paper notes that all identitie s must include references to intentional conduct and hence to time. It then takes advantage of this necessary relationship and discusses some represen tative issues unique to a globalized mankind.