2012-01-03
Explanation
This comic is titled "A Brief History of the Purpose of Man" and presents four famous thinkers across history, each offering their answer to humanity''s ultimate purpose. Socrates says "Justice and right thinking," representing the ancient Greek philosophical emphasis on virtue and reason. Aquinas says "Contemplate the divine," reflecting medieval Christian theology''s focus on knowing God as the highest aim. Bentham says "Maximize happiness," summarizing the utilitarian philosophy he founded. Finally, Darwin says "Make more mans" (with the intentionally ungrammatical plural), reducing human purpose to its bare evolutionary function: reproduction.
The humor comes from the progression. Each successive answer strips away more philosophical grandeur, moving from noble abstractions to raw biological reality. Darwin''s blunt, crudely worded answer -- "Make more mans" -- is funny precisely because it undercuts centuries of sophisticated philosophical thought with an observation that is technically accurate from an evolutionary standpoint. The deliberate use of "mans" instead of "men" or "humans" adds to the comedic effect by making the statement sound almost caveman-like, despite coming from one of history''s greatest scientific minds.
The votey panel shows Darwin more aggressively yelling "MORE MANS!" with sharp teeth, doubling down on the joke by making Darwin seem almost feral in his insistence on reproduction as the sole purpose of existence. It exaggerates the reductionist evolutionary viewpoint to absurd extremes.