While I was reading a book, as I sometimes do, I ran across an interesting statement. The statement is, "Modernity defines justice as living within the law, not as living in harmony with others." It comes from a book called Transforming Worldviews: An Anthropological Understanding of How People Change by Paul G. Hiebert.
It's a real page turner {read sarcastic}. Well, actually about half way through it is starting to get interesting. It's just that the first half reads like an overloaded anthropology textbook. The author was writing a rather good synopsis of modernity and its effects when I came across this statement and it gave me pause.
Read the statement again. Is this a 'well, duh' statement? Or do you disagree. Think about what you know about modern thought and culture (in case you are unaware, you live in one), is this outcome the desired goal? Is culture going more this way or turning from it? I'd love to hear your thoughts.
Also, I have again recently been harangued about spelling errors, missing words (especially negatives), and grammar flaws in my writing. The truth of the matter is that spell check has gobbled up my ability to spell correctly and my brain corrects grammar mistakes faster then I talk. So, there is no real hope of me ever doing much better.
If I knew I would be writing this much as an adult I would have paid more attention in high school. Okay, that last part is probably a lie. Seriously people, I can barely talk intelligibly, why would writing be any different?
I don't like to live within the law, or get along with others -- what does that make me?
ReplyDeleteSeriously, this makes a lot of sense. Look at our political landscape these days. Forget trying to work together and actually solve problems, You guys up in Wisconsin seem to have some obvious examples of this lately, on both "sides."
Jeff, the political landscape is a pretty clear example on a macro level, but I find it interesting on a micro level too. Day to day interactions with people are often more defined by what one can get away with within the law, or at least not getting caught/punished.
ReplyDeleteWithin that framework others can be seen as threats or narcs, which leads to the general 'mind your own business, I'm not hurting anybody' mentality. Justice becomes an us/me versus them, instead of what is good for the community in whole.