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| Outside a church in Kerala |
Philosopher
Spinoza identified three ethical systems that human beings generally tend to
follow. One of them centres on the heart, the second on passion for power, and
the third on the brain.
The
first is the way of the saints and religious people. Jesus and the Buddha, Mahatma
Gandhi and Mother Teresa followed this path of the heart. These people consider
everyone as equally precious, resist evil by returning good, identify virtue
with love, and inclines to total democracy in politics.
Conquerors
and dictators follow their passion for power. From Alexander the Great to
Narendra Modi (whose greatness has apparently been acknowledged by quite a few
million people of India), many people who were perceived as “strong” leaders or
rulers belong to this category. Spinoza argued that for these rulers some people
are superior to others. They don’t care two hoots about equality and such
stuff. They relish the risks of combat, conquest, and rule. They identify
virtue with power. They love to create an elite class around them.
Aristotle
and Albert Einstein and others like them who follow the light of the brain and
intellectual faculties identify virtue with knowledge and wisdom. This
last path is the ideal, according to Spinoza, since it examines the given
reality from multiple angles and gives due importance to both the heart and the
brain. You can’t let the heart run away with its effeminate emotions. [Spinoza
considered love a feminine virtue.] Letting the ruthlessness of power take over
the entire spectrum of human activities is worse. Spinoza considered power and
its ruthlessness masculine. The ideal is a harmonious blend of the heart and
the power-instinct, the philosopher said.
People
like Jesus and Gandhi end up on the cross or in front of a pervert’s gun-barrel.
They may eventually be elevated to the most high positions: Jesus became God
and Gandhi became Father of a Nation. Dictators bring about the destruction of
a lot of people though they may also become heroes for certain groups. Much of
their brutality may be masqueraded as noble acts in the name of culture or race
or something like that.
Those
who choose to follow the path of the intellect don’t kill anyone and generally
don’t end with a pervert’s bullet in the heart though intellectuals are not
always safe in countries ruled by dictators. There are times when we should let
the heart make the decisions, and there are times when we need to put the foot
down firmly. On most occasions, however, a harmonious blend of the heart and
the assertiveness is what produces noble thoughts and deeds.
We
often project love as the greatest ideal. This is a terrible mistake just
because most people are incapable of the kind of love that our religions
preach. This is why our religions are pathetic failures even after centuries of
being in practice. The entire teaching of Jesus was founded on love and yet there
has been no religion that committed acts of unpardonable cruelty as
Christianity. The history of Islam is not much better. Hinduism today seems to be
competing with these rivals to usurp their shocking historical positions.
People
should be taught to forge a harmonious blend between the soft sentimentalism of
the saint and the ruthless pragmatism of the hunter. Religions have failed
miserably and dictatorship is not desirable. Why not try out something
different? This might even work, in the long run.
Well, you have a point there. I appreciate that leaders or rulers perceived as strong in some (or several) sections of people do tend to consider certain people as superior to others, not paying two hoots for equality (and justice as well). And yes, they are fond of creating an elite class around them.
ReplyDeleteThese traits have been around for centuries. Spinoza mentioned these categories and the traits three centuries ago.
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