Tag: championing the cause of justice

Categories
Discourse

Words, Thoughts, Actions

The advancement of civilization – the theme of this blog – is achieved through action.  It occurs through building capacity in individuals, institutions, and communities to work towards a prosperous world civilization characterized by a dynamic coherence between the material and spiritual aspects of social existence.

Why type, why talk, why think? Why read?  Why not only go act?  Plenty of reasons.  Some, like the relationship between action, reflection, and consultation, have already been discussed.  Along the same note, and key to the field of discourse itself, is the relationship between thoughts, words, and actions.  The way we individually and collectively speak influences the way we individually and collectively think, which influences the way we individually and collectively act.  And vice versa.  Each affects the other two – and a transformation of one can lead to a change in the others.  Discourse shapes thought, action, structure, and relationships.

What led to your conceptions of the nature and purpose of a human being? Of a community? Of education?  Where did you get your speech about the idea of health care? Of politics? Of the role of parents?  Why do you do whatever it is you do on Friday nights? On Wednesday mornings? On the first of the month?  How did you learn what to do at a baseball game? A church? A hospital?

Most of this develops on an unconscious level – at the level of assumptions – as a result of all the complex social forces and implicit environmental factors that constantly surround us.  Existing social structures and patterns of community life think, act, and speak a certain way, all of which bears upon how we think, act, and speak.  In turn, however, the thoughts, words, and actions of individuals make up the thoughts, words, and actions of the communities and institutions of which they belong.  Furthermore, words, thoughts, and actions all influence each other.  And this is just one glimpse of the interconnectedness that governs the universe.

Discourse is indispensable in the process of civilization-building.  Speak to your friend about the underlying oneness of humanity, and he will think about it.  Then he will see others’ actions in this framework.  And then act upon this assumption.  Others will see this action, and express the oneness of humanity in their speech.  What the world needs now is for more and more people to openly, consciously, and intentionally think and speak about our shared collective destiny – at the level of principles, at the level of assumptions, and with a real and foreseeable optimism.  And of course this requires courage – any effort to champion the cause of justice does.

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Categories
Development Justice Oneness

Trust and Nobility

Humanity will mature as each member is allowed to contribute to its advancement. Every human being has talents and capacities, the development of which is the right and duty of the individual, and the creation of environments that foster this development the role of the institutions of society. That every human being is created noble captures the idea that each individual has capacities that can be brought out through education in order to benefit humankind.

Justice demands that all shoulder responsibility and participate in the building of a world civilization. And this cannot be dismissed as a utopian ideal, because every person has capacities that can be developed towards humanity’s advance. Thus, in order for universal participation to become a reality, there needs to be a certain degree of trust among all people. The oneness of humanity implies that society belongs to every individual, and as such, no one person should be exalted over another. If society belongs to all, then all must be trusted in their contributions to its development. In trusting, people open themselves to others and commit themselves to shared goals. And an individual who betrays this trust goes against the governing principles of oneness and justice that are inherent in the fabric of reality itself.

All human beings are created noble, with latent talents and capacities that can be manifest towards civilization’s advance. Oneness and justice imply that every individual becomes a protagonist of humanity’s development, on equal footing, working shoulder to shoulder – building of capacity in each human being is a manifestation of justice. The process of advancing civilization is thus characterized by trust between each of us. Without trust, and without a belief in the nobility of all, the cause of justice cannot be championed.

Categories
- Empowerment Human Nature Justice Knowledge

Champion of Justice

Knowledge of human nature is essential in championing the cause of justice. Ontologically, human beings are dual-natured – there is capacity for egoism and altruism, competition and cooperation; in short, there is a lower/animal nature, and a higher/spiritual nature. Self-interested behaviors can be conscious and intentional, and alternatively, they can be unconscious and unintentional. When human being are in a state of ignorance – a cause of injustice – they tend towards selfish actions and thoughts. As we gain knowledge of our true nature, our latent capacities and talents, and our purpose, we can consciously reveal our higher nature. And as we are able more and more to investigate reality for ourselves, we increasingly recognize the oneness of humankind.

Ignorance is a main cause of injustice. Unlike ages past, the oppression of today is not caused by a few evil tyrants actively battling the hapless multitudes. Rather, oppressive forces are the result of countless, small, self-interested thoughts, words, and actions by the vast majority of the world. These accumulate over generations and gradually consolidate themselves in social structures, which then perpetuate this oppression and normalize the selfish assumptions on which they were built.

There is no “us” and “them”. Humanity is one. Every human being is responsible for the current crisis of civilization. Through our words, thoughts, and actions, through advancing self-knowledge and empowering others, all work for justice.