Using the Civil War as a lesson in Human Development through the use of Data Science
In the wake of the Civil War, then President Abraham Lincoln delivered a historic speech titled the “Gettysburg Address” where he delineated his goals for the United States as they moved forward from the tragedy of the war. He described the end of the Civil War as a pivotal movement for development, the United States was given an opportunity to improve their socio-political condition and they must take advantage of this possibility. Lincoln made a point to emphasize the sheer devastation of the war, and encouraged Americans to honor those who lost their lives by pursuing what they had died for: freedom. Though this speech dates back to 1863, it has modern applications and can be used to analyze current domestic and global environments. The United States has continued to be an international model for freedom, and still our country has flaws that must be addressed if we wish to truly be a free nation. There are countries and territories that have it far worse than us, and everyday the individuals in those areas have to fight for liberties, some cannot fight because the consequence of their activism is death. The absence of civil rights and autonomy from the government, what economist Amartya Sen calls unfreedom, is a struggle that plagues our world, and it is one that does not have a quick fix and a one-size-fits-all solution.
With this acknowledged, it is imperative to discuss the use of data science as it is employed to approach and potentially find remedies for these problems. Data science’s role in this plight is to gain insight and reveal patterns that may not be apparent on the surface, it is used with the intention of helping those who need it the most. This method is one that is designed by people, and it is managed by people. What some fail to realize is that data science can only do so much on its own, it is an insentient model that can illuminate sequences and reveal structures, but that is all it is capable of. The real responsibility falls on the experts behind the science, as they are the sole party that can interpret, communicate, and implement the findings that the data provides. Data science can be used to improve the human condition, but it cannot, on its own, improve the human condition; the only group that can improve the human condition is humans.
Our nature is very complex, that is both the beauty and the pitfall of the human race. To understand our complexity, and to more importantly fix any problems that arise as a result of our complexity, we need to understand why we behave the way we do, we need to understand what makes us complex. Data science does a good job at analyzing us from a numerical and qualitative perspective, but we are more than that at our core, and therefore we can only collectively develop if we focus on the fact that we are humans and not data points.
We do not have to abandon data science, in fact we should not do that because it is a helpful tool, but we must not forget to integrate our own selves in the search for a solution to the world’s most pressing issues. Data science provides a solid foundation, but our action and input is needed if we have any hope for development.
As Joshua Blumenstock writes in his article “Don’t forget about people in the use of big data for development”, we need to humble data science. While it is a valuable instrument, it has been inflated to appear more masterful than it actually is. As stated in the article’s title, we cannot forget that these issues involve real people, and they can only be fixed by real people who want to see them be corrected. Considering Lincoln’s points in the Gettysburg Address from a contemporary frame of reference, too many lives have been lost to and irrevocably impacted by avoidable unfreedoms, and the best way to honor their sacrifices is to make a conscious effort to evolve and develop. If not, these people would have endured loss in vain, and an intangible number of others will suffer the same fate.