by Denise Tan
Death--- such a powerful, confronting yet commanding word.
“The fear for the death of the other is certainly at the basis of the responsibility for him.”
We recently hit a touchpoint of Levinas’ philosophy regarding one’s responsibility for the Other. And I think this is the anchor of his whole philosophy, realizing the realness of death itself and how this significantly correlates to our calling of being ultimately responsible for the Other.
Death here may not be used in its literal sense, although in some cases, it can be. It generally just depends on how you perceive it. But for me, what stood out the most is the fact that there is a call for us to respond to responsibility—as soon as we can. The discussion last time imparted in me a sense of urgency in answering the call. In my own freedom, in my own thinking, in my own will, I realized that there is really so much that can be done. With that, no time should be wasted and the call to act starts now.
Every second, every minute, and every hour wasted on the self is already a sign of passing, a sign of ignorance, a sign of the Other’s death. It is more of an unjustified reality that everyone is to face, but if we are to apply ethics and utilize it to purposely make the other’s life speak of its worth, then I think we can give as much comfort and kindness to one’s natural passing.
Death for me signifies more of a deprivation. We deprive Others of experiencing their worth, their infinity. But most importantly, we deprive them of ethics. Ethics for me is a continues, influential act. It is an unbroken chain of connection. If one falters to act on his/her responsibility, the continuous act of compassion/kindess will dwindle. The power of influence, inspiration, innate goodness of humanity will be derpived. The expansion of possibly sharing this philosohpy then decreases. There will be a contraction in the sharing of this philosophy.
We ourselves are responsible in influencing the human race to the direction of ethics and responsibility. And if we are to waste time on ourselves and miss the ultimate point of the urgency of the other’s death, then we are not living up to our life’s worth.
Thursday, March 13, 2014
Responsibility for the Other
by Stephen Vera Cruz
Marianne Williamson's famous quote really reminded me of our discussion about responsibility for the other. In our busy world today, we always seem to ask ourselves why we should have to be men and women for others. We fail to understand that only being interested in our own selves allows us to only live a limited life. To be interesting means to be interested in other people. The line, "And as we let our own light shine, we unconsciously give other people permission to do the same", reminds me that I have to be there for the other in order for both of us to succeed. By allowing others to enter my life and not hesitating to help them, I unconsciously let them shine in my own presence. I unconsciously say that I am indeed here for them and in turn I surrender myself into doing something for the other. The line, " We are all meant to shine, as children do. We were born to make manifest the glory of God that is within us. It's not just in some of us; it's in everyone." reminds me not to block myself out from the other because the other comes into my life because of the infinite. The infinite is inside all of us. We are attracted to the other because the overwhelming presence of the infinite. God is within all of us and he calls us to be men and women for others because the other is not an annoying disturbance. When we allow the other to enter our lives, we are forced to go out of our comfort zones to make room for their presence. As we allow them to enter into our lives, we are compelled to let their light shine to us because we cannot grasp them. Since they have the infinite inside of them, the other is the only person capable of revealing their light to us and make their otherwise invisible face visible.
“Our deepest fear is not that we are inadequate. Our deepest fear is that we are powerful beyond measure. It is our light, not our darkness that most frightens us. We ask ourselves, Who am I to be brilliant, gorgeous, talented, fabulous? Actually, who are you not to be? You are a child of God. Your playing small does not serve the world. There is nothing enlightened about shrinking so that other people won't feel insecure around you. We are all meant to shine, as children do. We were born to make manifest the glory of God that is within us. It's not just in some of us; it's in everyone. And as we let our own light shine, we unconsciously give other people permission to do the same. As we are liberated from our own fear, our presence automatically liberates others.”
- Marianne Williamson
Marianne Williamson's famous quote really reminded me of our discussion about responsibility for the other. In our busy world today, we always seem to ask ourselves why we should have to be men and women for others. We fail to understand that only being interested in our own selves allows us to only live a limited life. To be interesting means to be interested in other people. The line, "And as we let our own light shine, we unconsciously give other people permission to do the same", reminds me that I have to be there for the other in order for both of us to succeed. By allowing others to enter my life and not hesitating to help them, I unconsciously let them shine in my own presence. I unconsciously say that I am indeed here for them and in turn I surrender myself into doing something for the other. The line, " We are all meant to shine, as children do. We were born to make manifest the glory of God that is within us. It's not just in some of us; it's in everyone." reminds me not to block myself out from the other because the other comes into my life because of the infinite. The infinite is inside all of us. We are attracted to the other because the overwhelming presence of the infinite. God is within all of us and he calls us to be men and women for others because the other is not an annoying disturbance. When we allow the other to enter our lives, we are forced to go out of our comfort zones to make room for their presence. As we allow them to enter into our lives, we are compelled to let their light shine to us because we cannot grasp them. Since they have the infinite inside of them, the other is the only person capable of revealing their light to us and make their otherwise invisible face visible.
Wednesday, March 12, 2014
Death and Suffering
by Inah Robles
Levinas states that we are responsible for the death of the other. We might not have directly killed someone, we might not have blood on our hands but we do have a fault.
We live in a finite world. A world where opportunities are limited, and each time we take an opportunity, we have essentially taken a chance away from someone. We have taken their chance at a job to support their family, a chance to go to the school they've always dreamed of. This is part of life, but this also means that for every opportunity we get, we must do our best in order to be just to those who were not granted the same privilege.
More than just the finite word, we face structural injustices. Poverty, oppression are common occurrences in the world we live in. However, too few do anything to challenge the status quo for the fear of becoming an outcast or simply many "do not have the time". It is this mentality that has allowed many to die from poverty, from the lack of shelter, and water- all these deaths could have been prevented if enough people had the were responsible for the other.
Unfortunately, we live in a capitalist world where profit and wealth have been the objective of most people. Many are willing to trample on the dignity and basic rights of the other in order to gain more than what they need to survive- hence the tale of the 1%. Where 1% of the population live extremely comfortably, while the 99% have difficulty meeting their daily needs.
We must remember that the world was never filled with enough resources to fulfill everyone's wants and capricious demands, seeing the other's needs and as an equal you are responsible for can help alleviate the 99%'s suffering.
Levinas states that we are responsible for the death of the other. We might not have directly killed someone, we might not have blood on our hands but we do have a fault.
We live in a finite world. A world where opportunities are limited, and each time we take an opportunity, we have essentially taken a chance away from someone. We have taken their chance at a job to support their family, a chance to go to the school they've always dreamed of. This is part of life, but this also means that for every opportunity we get, we must do our best in order to be just to those who were not granted the same privilege.
More than just the finite word, we face structural injustices. Poverty, oppression are common occurrences in the world we live in. However, too few do anything to challenge the status quo for the fear of becoming an outcast or simply many "do not have the time". It is this mentality that has allowed many to die from poverty, from the lack of shelter, and water- all these deaths could have been prevented if enough people had the were responsible for the other.
Unfortunately, we live in a capitalist world where profit and wealth have been the objective of most people. Many are willing to trample on the dignity and basic rights of the other in order to gain more than what they need to survive- hence the tale of the 1%. Where 1% of the population live extremely comfortably, while the 99% have difficulty meeting their daily needs.
We must remember that the world was never filled with enough resources to fulfill everyone's wants and capricious demands, seeing the other's needs and as an equal you are responsible for can help alleviate the 99%'s suffering.
How our Lifestyle Kills the Other: 911 McDo Delivery
by Len Virata
"I am responsible for the death of the other". To me, this was the most powerful phrase I heard this morning in doc g's lecture. Powerful in a way that i have come to gain deeper insight on how the lifestyle of many of us plays a twisted consequence on the other (whether we are aware of it or not). In the world today, witnessing social injustice at work has become a normal sight. Most of us acknowledge that there are well off families and poor families. Some become successful in life, and some fail. That is how the world works. Moreover, earning a living today has become more competitive therefore we have come to live in a society that is pragmatic in a way that we make decisions on what will most benefit us. Looking at Philippine society, the social structure is very stratified. Meaning there is a huge gap between the rich and poor. Most of us were blessed to be in the upper part of the social classes. We are lucky to be living comfortable lives and experiencing an easy lifestyle. Due to this, we have become unaware of the other and how this (to some) lavish or convenient lifestyle for us has affected the other.
One example that came to mind was when manila got flooded almost a year ago. While most of us were lucky to be in a house or a condominium, a lot of people lost their make shift houses and roofs due to the heavy rains and running water. While these people were fighting for their lives, property, health and loved ones, there were people we knew (and maybe even us) who were complaining about having no electricity to watch television, no wi-fi to play games, or no air-con to sleep comfortably through the night. It's a horrible realisation that this is the reality we live in. That there are people complaining about the most unnecessary things while there are others suffering right outside their doors. One complain that struck my attention though came from a tweet i saw from my friend and other users about wanting a Mcdo delivery. So given that there was a flood, everyone was stuck at home. That meant we had to make us of whatever we had at home to either entertain us or use. This also meant, we had to eat whatever we had at home. For some reason, some of my friends weren't satisfied with the food they had home so they had a brilliant idea to decide they wanted a delivery from their favourite fast-food, Mcdonald's. He even had the nerve to tweet after that he hoped the delivery will be fast because he was hungry. When i saw these tweets, i felt so angry because there was so much wrong thing with it. First, how was this person so insensitive and selfish at a time like this? Second, does he not know that he is putting the delivery boys safety in jeopardy just for food? Third, are there people who really are that ignorant?
This instance really makes you think what kind of people you are living with in this world. But is it really his fault? I'd like to believe that there aren't really that ignorant people but it is because of the lifestyle we are living in that has made us forget about the other. We get things so easily and in convenience that we forget the long process that it comes from that has to do with the other. In this case, we can see the other as the delivery boy. Some of us might have forgotten that the process of a delivery has to deal with real people, not just our purchases. It is still a person who will go from one area to your home to deliver these things. We only care about what is delivered and we forget about the other involved. Have we ever even paid attention to him at all? The death of the other can be seen when my friend wanted to have his food delivered knowing that the area was flooded. He completely had no regard for the other. He probably didn't even realise he's putting someone in danger because he was so selfish to just think of himself. Or maybe he did know, but he didn't care because it was just a delivery boy to him. Either way, this kind of attitude results in us negatively affecting the other.
Seeing now how connected our actions & attitudes reflect on the other, it should make us more aware and more sensitive on how we live our lifestyles and deal with things. Just because we can afford to do things or we are capable to do things, does not mean we should. Looking back at the mcdo example,
the company should not have even allowed the delivery boys to be on duty because it is dangerous. But they did, and even so that does not mean we should take advantage of this. We can play our part through not ordering a delivery thus not putting the other in danger. We should take this small example to the bigger context to show that sometimes living simply and paying attention to not just the other but the distant other are ways in which we can change our lifestyle so that we can ease the burden off the other and become more mindful of the others around us.
"I am responsible for the death of the other". To me, this was the most powerful phrase I heard this morning in doc g's lecture. Powerful in a way that i have come to gain deeper insight on how the lifestyle of many of us plays a twisted consequence on the other (whether we are aware of it or not). In the world today, witnessing social injustice at work has become a normal sight. Most of us acknowledge that there are well off families and poor families. Some become successful in life, and some fail. That is how the world works. Moreover, earning a living today has become more competitive therefore we have come to live in a society that is pragmatic in a way that we make decisions on what will most benefit us. Looking at Philippine society, the social structure is very stratified. Meaning there is a huge gap between the rich and poor. Most of us were blessed to be in the upper part of the social classes. We are lucky to be living comfortable lives and experiencing an easy lifestyle. Due to this, we have become unaware of the other and how this (to some) lavish or convenient lifestyle for us has affected the other.
One example that came to mind was when manila got flooded almost a year ago. While most of us were lucky to be in a house or a condominium, a lot of people lost their make shift houses and roofs due to the heavy rains and running water. While these people were fighting for their lives, property, health and loved ones, there were people we knew (and maybe even us) who were complaining about having no electricity to watch television, no wi-fi to play games, or no air-con to sleep comfortably through the night. It's a horrible realisation that this is the reality we live in. That there are people complaining about the most unnecessary things while there are others suffering right outside their doors. One complain that struck my attention though came from a tweet i saw from my friend and other users about wanting a Mcdo delivery. So given that there was a flood, everyone was stuck at home. That meant we had to make us of whatever we had at home to either entertain us or use. This also meant, we had to eat whatever we had at home. For some reason, some of my friends weren't satisfied with the food they had home so they had a brilliant idea to decide they wanted a delivery from their favourite fast-food, Mcdonald's. He even had the nerve to tweet after that he hoped the delivery will be fast because he was hungry. When i saw these tweets, i felt so angry because there was so much wrong thing with it. First, how was this person so insensitive and selfish at a time like this? Second, does he not know that he is putting the delivery boys safety in jeopardy just for food? Third, are there people who really are that ignorant?
This instance really makes you think what kind of people you are living with in this world. But is it really his fault? I'd like to believe that there aren't really that ignorant people but it is because of the lifestyle we are living in that has made us forget about the other. We get things so easily and in convenience that we forget the long process that it comes from that has to do with the other. In this case, we can see the other as the delivery boy. Some of us might have forgotten that the process of a delivery has to deal with real people, not just our purchases. It is still a person who will go from one area to your home to deliver these things. We only care about what is delivered and we forget about the other involved. Have we ever even paid attention to him at all? The death of the other can be seen when my friend wanted to have his food delivered knowing that the area was flooded. He completely had no regard for the other. He probably didn't even realise he's putting someone in danger because he was so selfish to just think of himself. Or maybe he did know, but he didn't care because it was just a delivery boy to him. Either way, this kind of attitude results in us negatively affecting the other.
Seeing now how connected our actions & attitudes reflect on the other, it should make us more aware and more sensitive on how we live our lifestyles and deal with things. Just because we can afford to do things or we are capable to do things, does not mean we should. Looking back at the mcdo example,
the company should not have even allowed the delivery boys to be on duty because it is dangerous. But they did, and even so that does not mean we should take advantage of this. We can play our part through not ordering a delivery thus not putting the other in danger. We should take this small example to the bigger context to show that sometimes living simply and paying attention to not just the other but the distant other are ways in which we can change our lifestyle so that we can ease the burden off the other and become more mindful of the others around us.
What is Fair?
by Kate Bonamy
I remember my theology teacher telling us that it is not fair that Ateneans get offered jobs even before they graduate, while others from the more rural areas do not get jobs even after they graduate. It is, in a way, unfair for them, but this is mainly because Ateneo has built a reputation to be one of the best universities in the Philippines. However, Ateneo has a higher standard too, meaning, people who get in are required to give more effort into specializing in their fields. So in a way, this is what makes it fair.
But how do people get in, in the first place? Some are more blessed intellectually, but do not have the resouces to hone their gifts. Some, on the other hand, are more loaded, and are able to cultivate what they have. In order to get into the Ateneo, you need to have both the intelligence and the luck to have enough resources to cultivate your intelligence. You need enough money to not have to quit school, or even go to school with an empty stomach. These conditions are not a choice, unfortunstely. That is where "unfair" begins.
Life is generally unfair, and no matter how hard we try to even out things, it will never be perfectly fair. But as the more priviledged ones, we can fulfill what it means to be an Atenean, being men and women for others. You do not blame yourself for being able to afford your current lifestyle, but you start to blame yourself when you begin to feel indifferent to the people around you.
There will be an endless number of people in need, but it is up to you to deal with it. You are there for them, not necessarily to give them alms, but to at least give them an opportunity. You may ask for your capital back, for in the long run, they would no longer be in need of that. What they need is the chance to stand on their own feet. They need a livelihood that would stop them from fully depending on you.
This sounds like a pretty big task,but currently as students, maybe we can start by donating to organizations. It does not have to be big, but it has to be meaningful.
Levinas teaches us about leaving the law of the I, shifting to the law of the Other. It is basically being there for the Others without expecting anything in return. It is a fulfillment of our responsibility to the others. I sure hope that even after we stop reading about Levinas and other philisophy 102 stuff, we would always remember what this course has imparted to us.
I still do not know what "fair" is. Dice are fair. Drawing lots is sometimes fair. But life never is fair. And it will always be our responsibility to make it less unfair.
I remember my theology teacher telling us that it is not fair that Ateneans get offered jobs even before they graduate, while others from the more rural areas do not get jobs even after they graduate. It is, in a way, unfair for them, but this is mainly because Ateneo has built a reputation to be one of the best universities in the Philippines. However, Ateneo has a higher standard too, meaning, people who get in are required to give more effort into specializing in their fields. So in a way, this is what makes it fair.
But how do people get in, in the first place? Some are more blessed intellectually, but do not have the resouces to hone their gifts. Some, on the other hand, are more loaded, and are able to cultivate what they have. In order to get into the Ateneo, you need to have both the intelligence and the luck to have enough resources to cultivate your intelligence. You need enough money to not have to quit school, or even go to school with an empty stomach. These conditions are not a choice, unfortunstely. That is where "unfair" begins.
Life is generally unfair, and no matter how hard we try to even out things, it will never be perfectly fair. But as the more priviledged ones, we can fulfill what it means to be an Atenean, being men and women for others. You do not blame yourself for being able to afford your current lifestyle, but you start to blame yourself when you begin to feel indifferent to the people around you.
There will be an endless number of people in need, but it is up to you to deal with it. You are there for them, not necessarily to give them alms, but to at least give them an opportunity. You may ask for your capital back, for in the long run, they would no longer be in need of that. What they need is the chance to stand on their own feet. They need a livelihood that would stop them from fully depending on you.
This sounds like a pretty big task,but currently as students, maybe we can start by donating to organizations. It does not have to be big, but it has to be meaningful.
Levinas teaches us about leaving the law of the I, shifting to the law of the Other. It is basically being there for the Others without expecting anything in return. It is a fulfillment of our responsibility to the others. I sure hope that even after we stop reading about Levinas and other philisophy 102 stuff, we would always remember what this course has imparted to us.
I still do not know what "fair" is. Dice are fair. Drawing lots is sometimes fair. But life never is fair. And it will always be our responsibility to make it less unfair.
Tuesday, March 11, 2014
On The Streets
by Miguel Jimenez
It was late last night as I was strolling along the streetside of Katipunan that two small boys by the age of 8 wandered up to me. "Pang-kain lang po, kuya", they said, as they begged for spare change.
Instinctively, I avoided their gaze and tried to walk away; it was halfway into the evening after all and I remembered the stories of the criminals which patrol Katipunan's streets.
Thus it was by some coincidence that in that exact moment I recalled our discussions in class on our responsibility towards the Other. My conscience too troubled me a bit and I knew then that I couldn’t just walk away doing nothing and not feel bad about it.
“Yet what could I do?”, I asked. Giving them some spare change outright won’t drastically aid them in their situation and would only further their dependence on others.
An idea suddenly sprung up in my head and I guess it went as a surprise for them when I said “Bigyan ko kayo ng barya, pero tulungan nyo muna ako maghanap ng trike”. Suddenly, their faces which had been feigning gloom all this time changed so much as to appear inquisitive – that kind of face you make when you’re actively thinking of a solution to something. Eventually, I got a trike and rode back home in safety.
Through it all I realized that applying Levinas’ concept of responsibility does not necessarily have to be in the form of charity or one-sided generosity. More often than not, the best gifts are those of which a part comes from the recipient. Also of note is the traumatism we encounter when we experience the Face. I found it incredibly difficult to look them straight in the eye when I tried avoiding them at first; it was only afterwards when I could converse without feeling tense.
I guess it’s something to keep in mind whenever we go out to the streets.
It was late last night as I was strolling along the streetside of Katipunan that two small boys by the age of 8 wandered up to me. "Pang-kain lang po, kuya", they said, as they begged for spare change.
Instinctively, I avoided their gaze and tried to walk away; it was halfway into the evening after all and I remembered the stories of the criminals which patrol Katipunan's streets.
Thus it was by some coincidence that in that exact moment I recalled our discussions in class on our responsibility towards the Other. My conscience too troubled me a bit and I knew then that I couldn’t just walk away doing nothing and not feel bad about it.
“Yet what could I do?”, I asked. Giving them some spare change outright won’t drastically aid them in their situation and would only further their dependence on others.
An idea suddenly sprung up in my head and I guess it went as a surprise for them when I said “Bigyan ko kayo ng barya, pero tulungan nyo muna ako maghanap ng trike”. Suddenly, their faces which had been feigning gloom all this time changed so much as to appear inquisitive – that kind of face you make when you’re actively thinking of a solution to something. Eventually, I got a trike and rode back home in safety.
Through it all I realized that applying Levinas’ concept of responsibility does not necessarily have to be in the form of charity or one-sided generosity. More often than not, the best gifts are those of which a part comes from the recipient. Also of note is the traumatism we encounter when we experience the Face. I found it incredibly difficult to look them straight in the eye when I tried avoiding them at first; it was only afterwards when I could converse without feeling tense.
I guess it’s something to keep in mind whenever we go out to the streets.
Sunday, March 9, 2014
Frozen
by Trixia Tan
I’m sure most of you have already watched the Disney animated film Frozen, It was a story of two princesses who learned the meaning of true love, and I guess, in a sense, it was also a story of two sisters learning “me here for you”.
First off, princess Elsa, who has fear running through her veins that she failed to acknowledge that life is a lot more than herself. She secluded herself into thinking that solitude is the best path, because she feared her power. Then there’s princess Anna who sees people merely in face value.
These princesses had encounters that opened themselves up and helped them delve deeper within themselves. Anna found Kristoff and it made her see that first impressions may not really be the lasting one. Then, there’s Elsa who had Anna to remind her of the fun that they had building Olaf, the snowman, while helping her see the beauty that is her power.
However, Elsa didn’t have an easy path in finding herself. It took her sister’s sacrifice for her to realize that she is infinite, that acknowledging that she is infinite and urging her feelings out would help her control her powers and become a better queen.
It was just like what Levinas teaches us when we have this certain experience with the other that makes us delve deeper into ourselves; disturbing us and making us realize that there is this infinite within us.
I’m sure most of you have already watched the Disney animated film Frozen, It was a story of two princesses who learned the meaning of true love, and I guess, in a sense, it was also a story of two sisters learning “me here for you”.
First off, princess Elsa, who has fear running through her veins that she failed to acknowledge that life is a lot more than herself. She secluded herself into thinking that solitude is the best path, because she feared her power. Then there’s princess Anna who sees people merely in face value.
These princesses had encounters that opened themselves up and helped them delve deeper within themselves. Anna found Kristoff and it made her see that first impressions may not really be the lasting one. Then, there’s Elsa who had Anna to remind her of the fun that they had building Olaf, the snowman, while helping her see the beauty that is her power.
However, Elsa didn’t have an easy path in finding herself. It took her sister’s sacrifice for her to realize that she is infinite, that acknowledging that she is infinite and urging her feelings out would help her control her powers and become a better queen.
It was just like what Levinas teaches us when we have this certain experience with the other that makes us delve deeper into ourselves; disturbing us and making us realize that there is this infinite within us.
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