Are We Human?
Humanity has accomplished many great feats through the endeavors of many great individuals. There have been advances in medicine, technology and science that have literally altered, for the better, many lives around the World. Great achievements have taken place in many aspects of our Global Society that have enriched everyday life for the masses. Yet, despite Humanity's many Social Successes and Technological Advancements, as a whole, WE continue to be so INHUMANE to each other and to the rest of the World.
I thought the answer was going to be very complicated. I figured that what caused people to be atrocious to animals would be different from what caused them to be murderous to one another. Yes, the individual causes to these particular acts are unique in every case. Yet, when these individual instances of callousness are analyzed as a social whole, the answer as to why humans are so inhumane comes down to one single conclusion.
KILL THEM ALL
In the Philippines, the recent election of President Rodrigo Duterte, has led to a wave of heinous acts against people purported to be Drug Dealers and Drug Users. The Philippine President allowed for the murder of anyone suspected or accused of being involved in Drugs, whether they are Drug Addicts or Distributors does not matter. People have been gunned down in the middle of the streets, in front of their families and in plain Public view by the vigilantes, who act with impunity. Vigilante Death Squads have begun to form and if this continues, it will only be a matter of time before the Death Squads turn to other types of accusations and crimes to continue fueling the fire of this Madness. The Criminal Justice system will no longer be needed when Justice can be delegated quickly and cheaply on the streets.
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And recently, in Japan, a tradition that has probably been ongoing for centuries continues with the slaughter of Dolphins. I have always been partial to the Dolphin since my childhood days of watching re-runs of "Flipper" on TV. Their intelligence and capacities for empathy always intrigued me as a young child. I always loved reading and learning about them. As I grew older and learned more, came to realize that shows like "Flipper" and places like Sea World are not the greatest places for such intelligent and beautiful creatures. Then one day I saw an article about this Japanese tradition of luring Dolphins into a cove for slaughter and I just could not understand it.
OR
THIS??
-- We Can Make A Difference --
I realize that no people, society or country is absolved from such atrocities whether to humans or animals. The Great American West had its buffalo population decimated. In China, they have a place where they have a monthly festival celebrating the eating of Dog meat. In Mexico, butchering people is so common place that it now takes worse acts against the human body to inflict a reaction from the public. Hanging and bullet riddled bodies no longer make front page news. It takes a human face to be sewn into a soccer ball to instill shock and awe.
The Denominator
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As I began to look for answers, the usual suspects were first to be identified as suspects in the leading cause to INHUMANITY. Jealousy and Greed were easy culprits to locate. Envy and Fear, tending to hide in the shadows were also easily identified. These were made easier to figure out because they had one thing in common; they all had Motive. It was the more senseless acts that were elusive in providing an answer as to why the acts were committed, if they even had a motive or reason. Mass murders and some serial killings are of this nature.
It was these acts that had no "rhyme or reason" that proved the most difficult in solving. In figuring out the cause to these types of unfathomable atrocities, I would be figuring out the basis for all INHUMANE acts. Such acts as treating your neighbor's pet dog poorly because it barks at night, stealing from your employer, poaching Animals on the Brink of Extinction and even murder all have one common denominator.
The Spirit of Abstraction
Gabriel Marcel, was a French Philosopher, Author, Playwright and Existentialist. As an Existentialist, Marcel favored the human subject's Individuality and self worth versus the human object that is categorized and marginalized by society. In his book, "Man against Mass Society" he introduces the reader to his idea or reasoning for the act of war. He calls this concept, The Spirit of Abstraction.
Chapter 2 of this book is titled "The Spirit of Abstraction, as a Factor Making for War." Marcel postulates that in order to commit heinous act against another such as during a war, that all Humanity must be removed from the enemy. The enemy is stripped of their human identity and become mere objects of war, whose demise is a mere function of that war. In the case of the Taiji Dolphin Hunt held yearly in Japan, the death of these Dolphins is a mere function of the hunt, although we now know that Dolphins are extraordinary mammals with high cognitive capabilities and the abilities to emote and have empathy.
Avoid The Spirit of Abstraction
Although we might not be responsible for Mass Murder or the slaughtering of animals, we can still compartmentalize others in our daily lives, leading us to fall into the Spirit of Abstraction trap. The trap can come in many forms from physical bullying to verbal abuse. Anytime you cut some one off on the highway, mistreat someone, or are just plain nasty to others you are falling into that trap where others have no value and simply become objectified as a function. This type of attitude can lead to cruel and vicious acts.
Falling prey to the Spirit of Abstraction is easy to avoid. Simply think of your being or person as one side of a coin, and the other side of the coin belonging to the other being (man or creature). In other words, see it from their point of view; empathize. Gabriel Marcel attempted to interject this idea into many of his works for he truly believed that the end to all Inhumanity would come when everyone and every creature was accepted as having individual self-worth. If this World could truly incorporate this philosophy there wouldn't be Terrorism, Wars or the Slaughtering of Helpless Animals.
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------ ALL STEEM DOLLARS EARNED FROM THIS POST WILL BE DONATED TO HELP CONTINUE THE FIGHT AGAINST THE SLAUGHTERING OF DOLPHINS ----- If you are interested in donating, here is the link to International Marine Mammal Project
I donated $100 just to kick this off plus I get a nice T-shirt (coming soon)
Proof
Other groups to support:
Dolphin Project
BlueVoice.org
For the Philippines:
Amnesty Intl.
FULL $TEEM AHEAD!
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sources:
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onlinephilosophyclub.com
plato.stanford.edu/entries/marcel/#8