We destroy the earth to survive. What is our moral responsibility? Daniel Quinn wrote a book about how things got to be the way they are. He is interested in the meaning of the world and the destiny of humans. Ishmael, the main character, is a teacher of great wisdom, in addition to being a gorilla. Not being an ordinary gorilla, Ishmael recognizes the failure of humanity in relation to its moral responsibilities. It ultimately directs usage toward a solution to the problems we have created for the planet. Ishmael is trying to convey that humanity lives in such a way that we cannot last. Our sheer numbers alone hinder our survival. Moral responsibility is a clear theme of this text. A good example is: “Who among the people in your culture want to destroy the world?” "Who wants to destroy it? As far as I know, no one specifically wants to destroy the world." "And yet you are destroying it, each of you. Each of you contributes daily to the destruction of the world." (Quinn, 1995: 25) This quote opens your eyes, I don't know anyone who wants to destroy the earth either. The majority of humans don't think much about what happens to the earth because of their actions. When most of us drive a car or spray deodorant, we don't think about the consequences. It is the responsibility of those who create problems to help resolve them and prevent them from happening again. In today's society, it's......middle of an article......sentence. Ishmael emphasizes that people should learn from each other and that learning from peers is an important part of learning and life. If we did not learn from each other, the world would never prosper and would never be able to adapt to the changes brought by modern times. The moral responsibilities of humans highlighted by the text are essential to living a good life. The responsibilities mentioned are important in the teaching of religious education. All teachers have a responsibility to develop skills and qualities in their students that benefit their lives and the lives of others. Works Cited Quinn, D (1995), Ishmael, Bantam/Turner Book Publication. United Nations for Education (UNESCO 1995-2009), Scientific and cultural education, Education for sustainable development Available at: http://www.unesco.org/fr/esd/ (Date of consultation 21/12/09)