Why Human Being are called rational beings? Its because our ability to think best for ourselves,apply our wisdom. But Does our thought beliefs which involves a sense of individualism can decide the welfare of all? Can Our Individualistic thought can denoted as a collective thought?
Certainly Not,When We decide best for our selves we take in account our well being, happiness,hedonism etc. We Think how long will be it sustainable for so that we can enjoy the benefits of our best decision. But we never take in account at whose cost we enjoying the best we never think, Is it Curtailing rights of someone,Is it taking away someone livelihood, Is it harming our environment? Is it Hurting global peace or not?
The Same was done by Hitler when decided the world conquest as the best for Germany,the genocide of jews best for aryan superiority. But little he did account for the global peace,1943 Bengal Famine,the trauma of jews.But Empire building and quest for Empire building as the best just shows a part of the statement.The Statement is multi faced which will be unpacked in coming Paragraphs.
When a few decides Large suffers?
The democracy-dictatorship debate is an unending discussion in the form of civil war be it the syrian civil war,Yemen Crisis but what the debate fails to decide that lost of lives,the liberty of people to live a healthy,right to education, right to food,the liberty of.Yazidis.Yemen shows a bigger picture of it when the recent the global hunger index ranked it at the bottom of the table.In various nation we have seen male dominated parliament deciding and passing legislation over the reproductive rights of the women without their views taken in account this lead to miscarriage, maternal deaths, infants death, malnutrition,under weight,depression and other health related issues.
The Statement takes a dangerous shape when talked in Economic context of globalization and Capitalism. While many think Opening up economy we think influx of capital,skills,technology,ideas, business models, cheap products, branded goods.But the stakes of competitiveness of domestic economy, Sustainability of Micro Small and Medium enterprises, Dumping of goods by foreign economy, diversion of Capital to Tax havens are diluted.This Ultimately reduces the capital of the country and productiveness of country which hampers the Gross domestic product of the Country.On Similar lines we a few business decides the best for economy we fantasize about huge investment of capital,new innovation of product, jobs for all, more production of goods in country. But we diminish the thoughts of In-formalization of economy, social security, crony capitalism,lowering living standards.This is nothing but unhealthy for human capital who are main wheel of a nation economy.
So, when the Components of Individualism as government,leaders,business man decides for society, nation but what happens when man decides for non human?
When Humans decides Non-Human Suffers
Man thinks that they are the sole decider of the world. But is it so?The recent reports of IPCC suggest that submergence of coastal areas by 2050 due to global warming. So when we decided Industrialization as the best mode we fail to acknowledge the best of coastal areas,the submergence of coastal reef barriers and the diversity in it.The development of economy ,urbanization,encroachment of land,diversion of forest land are another edifice who promises the best of the lifestyle but the recent the pattern of heat waves, changing rain pattern,deforestation hurt the Carbon Sink Sequestration, Migration of locust hurting the crops,Extinction of Cheetahs.When we buy a leather jacket we decide that it looks best on us but did it ever come across how man's consumerism lead to killing of animals.But what about values,ethics morality do they suffers too?
When Only Individual Decides Ethics Suffers
When we decide the best for ourselves we fail to empathize for them who might suffer. This dehumanizes our decision making process and portrays that we are never tolerant of hearing the issues of other as we give preferences to our own rationalist thought. We think we are the wisest and the only stakeholder to decide for other. This may erode the values of freedom of thought, Instability of peace and mostly the Welfare of all.
So if One cannot decide the best of all then how can ever be any decision can be taken? because involving everyone in decision is neither a feasible process nor a healthy practices.
Over the Years man has dived into the problem and has brought various measures by building various institutions like the judiciary like International court of justice,various parliamentary convention, gender budgeting etc. So if mass genocide happens one can appeal to International court of justice. If someone's right to education is curtailed one can under article 32 can also avail the remedies of curtailment.Even if Globalization contributes to dumping government can put counter vailing duty to mitigate the affect or Capital being allocated for the corporate social responsibility.
But building remedial institutions and bringing provisions are one part of the solution coin. But the other part is us as an human we need to focus more on inclusive growth, follow the participatory approach, empathize fellow human being ,adopt the goals of sustainable life style, giving priority to animal welfare over our hedonistic tendencies as we have already are on the verge on Sixth mass extinction.
While making any decision or deciding the best for ourselves we should always take one single thought into account whether its Africa or Asia, Women or Men, Plants or Animals it will have an impact whether positively or negatively it depends on us.
@Freakhoto Beautiful thoughts, my dear friend. :)
Writing is a journey, It's therapeutic and does wonders as we keep doing it regularly. Keep writing and keep sharing. Express your thoughts with the same confidence, always!
Goodnight. :)