Journal 2
The
key idea of this section of the course is the Human Condition. The human
condition is an actual term in philosophy, where it is defined as the situation,
or condition, in which every human being finds himself or herself by virtue of being
human. This means that all humans experience certain things, no matter what
their sex, race, religion, or social class they are from.
There
are many parts to the human condition, which may vary depending on who you are
talking to. There have been many people in history, some more recent than
others, who have talked about the human condition. All of what every person has
said is true; it just depends on how you look at the subject. Marcus Aurelius's
view focused on that all men die, no matter how great they are. He uses the
example if Hippocrates who cured many diseases in lifetime, but then died of a
disease himself. Buddha's teachings reflect the human condition as well. The
first Noble Truth is that human life is full of suffering, and we are
constantly trying to find distractions to take our attention away from our
suffering. The problem with this is that often times, these distractions can be
harmful to us, our relationships with others, and our relationship with God.
Other aspects of the human condition include the desire for happiness, boredom, anxiety, pain, and concupiscence. There have also been many other people who spoke of the human condition and a different aspect, such as Erich Fromm and Blaise Pascal.
Three other important ideas in this section come from Rabbi Harold Kushner's When Bad Things Happen to Good People, Thomas Jeferson's letter to his fifteen year old nephew, and the problem of evil.
Rabbi Harold Kushner had a son who died of progeria, a rare disease that makes you age very fast, at a very young age. When this happened, he found that that same answers that he had been giving to people struck with tragedy now weren't working for him. He realized that those answers left him feeling empty, angry at himself, and angry at God. He went through a severe crisis of faith. He asked himself, "How could God let this happen?" and "Why did this happen to me?" He found consolation in the book of Job in the Bible. This is the classic story of bad things happening to a good person. From this he concluded that maybe God isn't all powerful. That God is bound by His own love for us; a love that is so great he cannot force us to do anything. We have free will. That is why bad things can happen.
Thomas Jefferson was an absolutely brilliant man. He was very highly educated and wrote the Declaration of Independence. He also wrote many letters. In a letter to his fifteen-year-old nephew, he gives some very good advice which can be applied to all of us. The first thing he says it to develop an honest heart. It would be better to give up all you have before you do an immoral act. If you find yourself tempted to do such an act, think of how you would act if everyone was watching you, and act accordingly. A knowing head is the second thing. Read philosophy, history, (especially the ancient Greeks and Romans) and learn from them. And finally, exercise. Go for a short walk in the morning to wake you up, and one in the afternoon. Don't think about anything, dont even take a book with you. Just take in your surroundings and relax.
The problem of evil is that if there is and all-powerful, all-good God, why is there evil in the world? Why do people suffer? Kushner came about as close as a person can to an answer to that question. We don't know why it happens, but Kushner tells us that what we do in response is what shpaes us; It's what really matters. Are we going to hate God and withdraw ourselves from others because of some tragedy? Or are we going to go out and try to help prevent that tragedy from happening to someone else?
pictures from this site and this site.
A question i will ask myself is how will i help those who have experienced some tragedy? When they need help and comfort, will i extend my hand to them and just be there for them?
I think doing what Thomas Jefferson told his nephew to do will lead to a more full happiness in myself. Also, in times of tragedy, heeding Kushner's advice will probably help me get through it with my faith and my life still together. By recognizing my human condition, i can start to overcome those things. It all starts with truth.
back to tom's homepage