New Mars Forums

Bill White

Member

Registered: 2001-09-09

Posts: 2,114

Re: Self, Culture and Society - Clarity or mud?

In another thread I linked to this page and sought to use this example as a metaphor for the relationship between self and society. I now see I was far less clear than I intended and therefore I will try again to muddy the waters.

We can choose whether to focus on the faces or on the goblet yet the faces cannot exist without the goblet and the goblet cannot exist without the faces. Indeed, the faces are defined by the goblet and the goblet is defined by the face.

Each is a function of the other and is utterly dependent on the other. You cannot erase either one without erasing both.

Setting aside faith in the "self" as being an immaterial soul formed from "God-stuff" (a possibility that cannot be ignored but also cannot be discussed scientifically) I submit that culture acts as the boundary line or interface between self and society rather like the pencil lines in the drawings form an interface between the goblet and the faces.

Each "self" is defined by and is dependent upon the society in which we live and in turn our society is defined by and is dependent upon the the individual selves that come together to form society.

Society is necessary for the existence of human selves. A human infant isolated from ALL human culture (language and the companionship of others) cannot possibly mature into an adult being we would accept as "human." Could you even think if you had no language? Could an utterly isolated human infant create language on its own? The Tom Hanks movie Cast Away portrays what happens to a strong, well educated adult cut off from society. It ain't a pretty picture.

Yet society itself is formed by the coming together of many individual selves and we recoil at the prospect of a society which shows no regard for the sanctity of each individual. Most of us would rightfully flee a society that did not acknowledge our private interests. And, a society which recognizes the "sacredness" of each individual will usually out compete a society which views each human a  merely a cog in a machine. Perhaps paradoxically, a society which proclaims the "sacredness of self" will induce its members to greater group loyalty.

Therefore a balance is needed between the rights of the group and the rights of the self and ambiguity cannot be avoided in our recognition that we are simultaneously many yet one. Mars cannot be settled by individuals. The task is too difficult. The question becomes which groups of humans are best situated to actually acomplish settlement. One of the initial key questions for the formation of any new Martian culture will be where do we draw the lines between the rights of each individual self and the rights of the group.

clark

Member

Registered: 2001-09-20

Posts: 6,362

Re: Self, Culture and Society - Clarity or mud?

The question becomes which groups of humans are best situated to actually acomplish settlement.

Our children.