On Wednesday we talked about Kelsin's theory that justice is not a set in stone philosophy. He argues that justice is "social happiness". This does not, however, mean individual happiness because everyone cannot be made equally happy in a situation. He goes on to argue that we as humans have this desire for an ultimate say on things - an absolute truth. In seeking the absolute truth, we transfer it to some transcendental rhelm that is inaccessible to human cognition.
When one steps back and examines the human formation of the idea of an absolute truth, it seems almost counterproductive. We have this idea that we are governed by this absolute truth, but we are never able to reach it. For example, with many religions, we spend our entire lives "on a journey" to become closer or better know a higher power, but never actually reaching it. We blame it on our inherent evil or the fact that no one is perfect, but why do we strive to be?
Kelsin would say that one of the reasons humans form this transcendental rhelm of truth is that is it easier to obey a master than be one's own master. Take for example Dr. Johnson's discussion of abortion on Wednesday. I bet if you walked down the street and asked people whether or not they thought abortion was acceptable, many of the one's who would argue against it would claim that the reason it is abhorrent is that it is not God's will. But this is not a conclusion that the person has come based off of his or her own judgments. So in essence, it is not a valid argument.
Now whether or not abortion is right or wrong is not the point. The point is that it is acceptable in our society to claim a set of values based on some higher power who's methods one can knowingly never comprehend. Why is human nature inclined to do this? I feel that just like how people gravitate to a system of government, people gravitate to a system of preset values. It is easier to accept the belief system of the ones around you rather than step back and create your own. And even creating your own is subject to the influences of the values of one's society, family, friends, and school. And though social happiness is important, the happiness of others for the sake of developing our own values should not be our ultimate goal as humans.
This is an interesting post. It definitely is easier to accept the belief system of the ones around you because you grown up believing it and it's difficult to change your beliefs. When we're little we trust our parents and other family members so we look up to them. Over time as we get older our own experiences start to influence us and our belief system. Whether we are operating under the belief system we've always known or altering it for our own, they have both been influenced by the values of society and our experiences. I do not think it is possible for us to adopt a belief system that isn't linked to a personal experience. We use our experiences to help us navigate through the world and figure out what's right and wrong. I think this is why Kelsen says that there can't be an absolute definition of justice because we all have such varied experiences. I agree with you that social happiness is important but we should not develop our own values based off of this concept.
ReplyDeleteI definitely agree with Carrie in that people seem to be extremely lazy and rely on society to tell them what is right and wrong. However this seems to be a facet of the modern world where media greatly influences the way we think. If the average person were to sit down and actually think about the values they wish to set for themselves and justification for those values, then as Esha mentioned those values would be linked more to personal experience rather than the views of others. I like the ideas that both of you have concerning social happiness.
ReplyDeleteIt is interesting that you mention the media Haley, because I totally agree. It is scary to think how much the media influences our world today. From politically skewed news channels to violent movies, the media is shaping our society in a scary way. And it is sad to think about how hard it is to find a news media outlet that's first goal is to report the truth, or as close to the truth as possible, especially during right now's election. But this is coming from someone whose favorite show to fall asleep to is Jersey Shore, so I guess I'm not one to talk.
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