Yuval Noah Harari ‘s read 21 Lessons for the 21st Century, published in 2019 was pertinent and thought-provoking. This essay refers to Chapter 18, titled "Science Fiction." In this provocative chapter, Harari details the irrationality of Homo sapiens displayed during their history and begins the first segment titled Meaning. He provides an historical review of nationalistic ideas that are equated with suffering ,malignant aggression and wars. He maintains that suffering has nothing to do with the righteousness of these fictional plights. A brief review follows.
Harari begins with a Hindu story about life's meaning in which the God Krishna told Bhagavad Gita "Each being possesses a unique Dharma, which is the path you must follow and duties you must fulfill. If you realize your Dharma, no matter how hard the path may be, you'll enjoy peace of mind and liberation from doubt, this occurs within the great cosmic circle. “ According to this story., each individual has a fixed identity that determines his duties. During his existence, his life's duties will be displayed eventually by insight which will then reveal his true identity.
A Muslim story follows . It’s a linear drama that has a beginning, a middle and an ending . Allah created the entire universe and layed down its laws . And it's up to virtuous loyal Muslims to uphold the laws and spread the knowledge to others. When Judgment day occurs, Allah will reward the righteous with everlasting bliss in paradise while rest goes to hell.To find favor, Muslims can pray five times a day , donate money to build a new mosque and struggle against the many apostates and infidels.
A Zionist story relates biblical adventures ,achievements ,2000 years of exile , persecution and climaxes with the Holocaust , peace, prosperity to the establishment of the state of Israel. Also, Israel becomes the moral and spiritual beacon in the world. The mission for the Israelites is to fight and retake Jewish territory. And, on Independence Day ,school children sing various songs together, praising actions that's done for the sake of Israel like singing a song about building a house, planting a tree or writing a poem about being in the land of Israel.
The communist story focuses on socioeconomic class with two diametrically opposing forces. There is a battle between the Bourgeois and the Proletariat. It's a battle for supremacy and eventually a victory for the proletariat. It begins with the establishment of the Communist Party in which no one will own anything but everyone will be free and happy. The task is to speed up and resolve the global revolution by writing pamphlets, organizing strikes, assassinating greedy capitalists, boycotting, invading Ukraine and so forth .
These stories portray others as foes or an enemy.. Within the movements are leaders that easily influence their followers . The followers display fanaticism and loyalty for the sake of their nation . It's no wonder that when there's a consensus, leaders employ armies, and so forth with ease by saying we are attacked by evil, and we have to defend ourselves. Listen to the phony stories of Putin and his rationale for invading Ukraine .
According to Harari, these stories, myths and rituals provide humans with memory and identity, even though they are fictional .However, people believe them, make them real, even kill others and themselves with their beliefs. These stories help individuals create meaning and an identity . Belief and faith are necessary For example, Christ is made real in the ceremony of the mass. The priest takes a piece of bread, a glass of wine and proclaims that the bread is Christ's flesh and the wine is Christ's blood .And by eating and drinking them, the faithful attain communion with Christ..
Also, rituals increase the religious meaning. Food is an example that has spiritual significance . Easter eggs symbolize new life and Christ's resurrection . On Passover,bitter herbs and unleavened bread symbolize the bitterness ,the hardship in Exodus ,the escape from the pharaoh's slavery and wandering in the desert for 40 years. Also, rituals have been used for political purposes. Crowns, thrones, and staff represented kingdoms and the empire in which millions of people died in brutal wars waged over the possession and honor of the crown.
Self-sacrifice is another example that takes place in these various stories as we have martyrs that kill others or kill in the name of God. Religious practices can also be harmful .For instance , on the Sabbath In Israel ,there is no public transportation between sundown Friday and sundown Saturday. However, no public transportation affects many poor who are unable to visit friends, loved ones on their work day off..
Another point made by Harari relates to nationalism as in fascism. The story portrays my nation is unique and special.. It's the greatest and I have obligations to live or die for it as represented in songs, poems, movies,novels, flags, and so forth. I have to submit and be a loyal patriot and do what my leader, or nation demands. Some of those January 6, 2020 stated and/ or believed they were patriots and attacked the capital. The truth was irrelevant and they were doing and justified for their actions. In fact, they knew they were going to be pardoned or protected If held accountable. One could say that this evil looked beautiful as they were doing what their leader wanted. It didn't matter that they were attacking police officers. Once again, it's about the story, their gullibility, their actions, irrespective of truth and morality.
A recent Trump story was found in the March 16, 2025 edition of the New York Times titled "Trump Tries to Use White South Africans as a Cautionary Tale." This article was about him saying South Africa is a terrible place for white people. They face discrimination, are sidelined from jobs ,and live under constant threat of violence of having the land stolen by a corrupt black led government that has left the country in disarray. Factually, white people make up 7% of the country's population. They own at least half of South Africa's land. Police records did not show that they are any more vulnerable to violent crime than others. The White South Africans are far better off than black people on virtually every marker of the economic scale.. Harari began the chapter. “ Life Is Not A Story.”
According to Buddah, there is no life story, "Life has no meaning, and people don't need to create any meaning, they just need to realize that there is no meaning and therefore be liberated from the suffering caused by our attachments and our identification with empty phenomena. “ "What should I do? The Buddha advisest do nothing, absolutely nothing."
Reality, the human rights record of Buddhist Miramar is among the worst in the world. During a 2007 interview the Buddhist monk Ashin Wirathu, when confronted with allegations that Muslim women have been raped by Miramar military., he laughed and said, "impossible. Their bodies are too disgusting."
In the final section of Chapter 18,Harari states that there is no reason for despair, even though these stories are fiction, generated by our own minds. He said that we humans have conquered the world thanks to our ability to create and believe in fictional stories. However, we are particularly bad at knowing the difference between fiction and reality. He also said be careful when you hear these words sacrifice, eternity, purity, and redemption as they foreshadow some fiction . He concludes that knowing about truth, the universe, meaning of life and about identity is necessary. And, the best place to start is by observing suffering, and exploring what it is and the answer isn't the story.
In conclusion, a brilliant chapter with thought-provoking ideas from a historical perspective. Harari understands and concurs with the writings of Spinoza, Marx, Existentialists, Freud and others about man's motivations , irrationality of thinking and the power of emotions. Also, Ruth Ben Ghiat and Timothy Snyder have written about the dangers of fascism. Harari’s reading is powerful from an historical point of view. However, from a human nature point of view, man’s behavior has additional motivational components such as the unconscious, ego needs ,narcissism, incestous ties and character . These components are required for an in depth understanding of Homo sapiens frailty and motivations..With that being said, when it comes to self and inflicting harm on others , our species is supreme ..
0 comments:
Post a Comment