This blog is inspired by a really really fucked up video. The link is http://www.ebaumsworld.com/video/watch/34068 . Its a video of two guys being gang bashed. Little John brought it to my attention (not the rapper, the cool little john)
Now, I would honestly love to systematically destroy everyone of the attackers in that video. However, i am a pacifist at heart, and I know violence begets only violence. But it makes me wonder a few things. Firstly, as a pacifist, why do I still get so angry and bloodthirsty when I see a video like this? I mean, I understand it from a moral and biological perspective, but from the philosophical view, why would I throw away all of my beliefs to seek revenge?
Secondly, how has humanity gotten this bad? Where to people go to learn that disgustingly vile behaviour?? Where did the crack in society start? More importantly, can we fix it??
God help us all if we cant...
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4 comments:
Those people need Jesus luke.
Interesting how an issue of gang violence, which is demonstrably unjustifiable, is turned into an issue of faith and belief.
As for philosophy: if you were there, what would you have done?
In answering this question as honestly as possible (and you wouldn't really know unless you were there I suppose), but it should reveal the natural of the biological responses. To either fight for the underdog (based on moral fortitude and perhaps perceived ability) or staying the hell out of it: because you don't want to get your head done in like that poor kid on the ground.
Why would you throw away your beliefs? The idea of faith and believing in an ideology (in this case pacifism) constitutes a rejection of human nature. Often orthodoxy and belief seem to project an idea of perfection being truly attainable. It would be, in my opinion, a reduction in humanity to deny man his instincts.
At the end of the day, we are just as likely to act for our own self interest or as a part of a group (i.e. the people who helped with the gang violence without question) because these are basic human instincts. You can't expect to eradicate them because you believe that moralistic perfection is possible.
The feeling of revenge is two fold. Firstly, it is your moral objection. Secondly, it is your instinct to respond in fairness to the instance of injustice. These are seen to be positive attributes: high morals and a strong sense of justice. But therein lies a similar ideological orthodox stance: of taking an eye for an eye. The death penalty for murders is acceptable for some, because it is 'equal justice'.
Your second point on humanity's perceived deterioration is inaccurate. In a wider context of history, one can observe violence and cruelty. The question is not whether or not there has been an increase or decrease, but instead whether or not change has actually occurred.
The major difference is that people are not as likely to be murdered on the basis of perceived difference. The victims here were not 'lynched' or hanged. They are, presumably still alive. In the scheme of things, that is something to hold on to.
I am not trying to present a world of immoral cynical pricks who go around pointing out how lucky those poor people are because fifty years ago they would have been killed, no questions asked. Instead, I am suggesting that although society is seen to value "moral righteousness", we still can attribute our behaviour to human instinct and habit over orthodox belief.
As to the question of whether or not it can be fixed, the answer is yes. But to do that: one must take the path of any twisted leader(to a fanatical extent see Stalin, Hitler): instilling his/her own orthodoxy upon the population to meet supposedly perfect ends. Ultimately, these endeavors are failures. We perceive this to be undesirable because it rejects the habit, instinct, cognition, behaviour and feeling of human existence.
Who told you that feeling "bloodthirsty" is pure evil and must never appear in your repertoire of expression? To suppress that emotion/behaviour/thought is to be unconscious. Hence: orthodoxy is unconsciousness. Furthermore it is inhumane to control the individual through his or her thoughts. Of course we apply it to ourselves sometimes - I do too, don't think I'm exempt from experiencing all this stuff: even the stuff about ideology, I'm not perfect.
Faith, belief, orthodoxy, pacifism will not necessarily help you overcome human instinct no matter how truly nasty it is.
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Kathy: These people all need Jesus because he will save them from getting beaten half to death, and at the same time prevent them from beating others half to death? As much as I believe that a God could exist, I think to suggest that God can heal the humanity in humans is a little far fetched. Please don't attack me for approaching religious belief with rational thought. It's a whole different topic. Perhaps having faith could help them realise the mindlessness of their actions - that beating someone up doesn't prove anything...But I couldn't speak on behalf of religious teaching.
umm benn lol i meant the people who were beating the poor kids up. If they knew there was a greater love in this world they would not have needed to resort to such measures for their own gratification *nods* jsut an opinon though.
Faith...or i can jsut say christianity[cause thats what i'm living]is not just an idealism for me but a truth and has helped me grow more than anything. It is something that has not made me complacent, stationary but desiring constantly to be more than i am..to be able to help society. Whether i have reached that...is another issue.
People cannot blame religion for things that happen. They happen because of people.
anywayy i hope you read. i love talking about this stuff.
email me ;)
people are people, only human as some would say, yet there are those who can reframe from those sorts of acts of violence, and rather than make a killing, make a political and heartfelt difference in the world.
but just about the jesus thing, im bhuddist and im im no way saying that that comment is wrong, but needing a person is the same as following, they may have needed jesus, but instead found it easier to follow some brute who terrorises other humans.
we can not change everyone yet we can still try and make peacefuly changes, to end things such as war, racism and also violence, which overall can have an influence on an overall group of people.
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