13 November 2012
Discussed Text: Emmanuel Levinas, "Bible and Philosophy," in Ethics and Infinity
“Why do we have to see what the others see?” was the question stuck in my head after yesterday’s lecture. At the top of my head, my answer to this would be because I don’t want to be a nigger. The nigger here defined by Arthur Rimbaud as an unproductive man of society bent on making money and money only.
It seems that nowadays, there are a lot of people who become ignorant that there are others living in the world outside their selves. Too busy grinding on with their lives thinking of ways on how to get the biggest income, highest chances of winning bets, or thinking of ways to earn money fast by any means necessary. This can be happening because of the way the world’s system is built and these people are forced to live this way. Although it is sad to say that this way of living is like living the life of a kalesa horse.
Do you know what those eye patch looking flaps on the horses eyes are for?
They are for keeping the horse concentrated on its path and not get distracted by the cars and people passing on both sides.
The kalesa horse is forced by its master to walk whichever direction its master wills it to. It is guided by the reigns connected to its face and then it just moves straight towards that direction. Trained to ignore everything else around it.
This can be the same thing the system does to its people. This also why it is important to break away from time to time, to take a walk. Travel. See the world outside. As mentioned in the lecture, when you travel, you provide yourself with a possibility to recollect and comeback to oneself. This video might prove the point that if ever at some point in your life, you become Rimbaud’s definition of a nigger; you may find that there is a way of redeeming yourself through travelling.
**There was no racism intended at all. It may come off as satire but if you think about it, the irony is striking and awesome.
I've always pitied these horses when I see them on the road. Usual sentiments are "Kawawa naman yung kabayo bigat bigat ng dinadala". Whenever I see someone, a human being doing somewhat the same, being overly possessed by an obsession of material wealth and success I just seem to ignore it. For me, it's typical. Who doesn't want to get rich right? But with further consideration I ask myself, why don't I pity them too? What makes them different from those poor horses? Nothing, really. Except the fact that they have choices and these horses don't. As human beings, we have the choice to not merely survive and get through the day but to exist. What makes us different from these animals is the capability of emotion, compassion and choice. It's sad enough that these horses don't have a choice in life because that was they were meant to do. But for humans, nobody can dictate our lives but ourselves.
ReplyDeleteI like your metaphor. But I think that as a person, it's almost impossible to take away those eye patches completely. Books can help, as they show you other possibilities in life. They provide us with stories of people who are able to contribute to society without being rich, or of people who use their riches for the betterment of society (eg. Lindsey's mom in a book called Abundance of Katherines). In the end though, I guess books can only help. It's still ones determination and willingness to help that can take away the eye patches.
ReplyDeleteNathaniel Barretto
ph102 A
I guess this is why it is important to be open-minded to all experiences in our lives. Each of one of us has a different story to tell based on our experiences and for us it's a learning experience whenever we listen or read them. It gives us a wider view about the world around us and life in general. It's sad that many of us are so caught up with achieving certain goals in life that we forget to live in the present and just enjoy the blessings that we have. Because of this, we just "flow" through life without living it to the fullest.
ReplyDeleteKat Balonan
Philo 102 A
Rimbaud's definition of a "nigger" clearly denotes how our world has been "broken" in a sense that it has become too standardized and robotic to the point that equality, brotherhood and freedom have been forgotten. Everything now is all about getting "instant results" and "easy money". We've forgotten how to grow organically and to savor the moment before it passes on into the wind.
ReplyDeleteNiko Peña
Philo 102 A