The morals and doctrines you choose to follow dictate the delivery of your persevering ideals and your mannerisms. Altruism is an act performed by a person in the best interest of others at the cost of their own. People look at altruism by its literary definition, which is how society wants you to look at it. Society possesses the cultivated ideology that ‘altruistic’ acts are executed out of mere and pure empathy; these acts show a sense of humanity’s courteousness and nothing more. Some oppose this to be the reasoning behind such refining deeds and ponder if it is all truly selfless.
The duality of altruism has all to do with the intention and motive of its provenance. Therefore, it cannot be purely selfless as it requires at least a hint of selfishness. The german philosopher Max Stirner offered much insight into the ambivalence of altruism whilst discussing the upholding of the ego in our minds. He rejected the antiquated definition of altruism and provided one of his own. His notion was that egoism is the advocacy of embracing the ego in all of us, thus providing our ego with the power to uphold our mind to act in our best interest. With that perspective, it is clearer to us now how altruism could also be selfish. If you were to perform a chivalrous act just in hopes of getting a smile on someone’s face, you are doing so for the gratification you get afterward. Yes, you succeeded at making a homeless man happy by providing him with your lunch, but had it not made you feel better about yourself and gratified you, you wouldn’t have done it. In all of this selflessness, you somehow managed to show a glimpse of selfishness.
The ego is more superior than we acknowledge it to be; it controls our thoughts, twists our beliefs, and makes us aware. By granting our ego a pedestal, we will realize its power and succession each time it overtakes our train of thought; we realize that we truly are selfish and not as altruistic as society shaped us to believe we are. Abiding by your ego does inevitably make you selfish, but that doesn’t make you a horrid human, for you are simply human. If we are all selfish and gratify our egos, then the concept of selfishness itself isn’t so taboo after all. Embracing your ego and all the ways it subjects you to power includes selfishness, which certifies how an act is not purely altruistic.
Free will can be defined as the ability to act upon choosing without being influenced by external factors, or as the ability to be placed in an exact past situation and be able to choose differently. Many philosophers over the years, such as Schopenhauer and Nietzsche, have argued that free will does not and cannot exist. This brings forth certain questions: What is free will, and why can’t it exist?
First and foremost, one must truly understand what free will is to make a judgment. As previously stated, free will is the possibility to have acted differently in a previous situation. That being said, if a person could be placed in a situation of major decision-making in the year 2017, with the knowledge that they had at that exact moment and without knowing the outcome, would they have still made the same choice? The real answer is yes because choices are either based on will or obligations. Even when one is forced to choose to do something-- like studying for an exam or picking a university major based on their parents’ expectations-- they will only act on it if there is a certain will behind the situation; in these cases, getting a good grade and achieving validation from parents respectively. Therefore, it can be said that choices are only based on will. However, our will is out of our control.
One famous quote by Arthur Schopenhauer on his judgment of free will is, “Man can do what he wills but he cannot will what he wills”. In other words, people can choose to do whatever they want, but they can't choose to want whatever they decide to. One cannot simply control their desire for chocolate ice cream, for example. It is the desire which controls them and their choices. It is a desire which stems from infinite previous events added up together to give a sum of only one realistically possible choice. In this scenario, to buy a tub of chocolate ice cream on a Sunday at 8 PM from a specific supermarket. This very simple example of choice starts with a craving for chocolate ice cream, resulting from one’s preference for chocolate ice cream, coming from the first time one has tried chocolate ice cream due to this person's parents feeding them chocolate ice cream in their youth, and the reason their parents made that decision has other endless sequences of events leading back to the beginning of time. All of these sequences of events acting as addends can only have one outcome acting as the sum, and you cannot deny the fact that 1+1=2 or that 1+2+3+4=10. All of this information proves that every choice you’ve ever made is the only choice that you could ever make, at least in this universe.
All in all, the impossibility of the existence of free will is a rather gloomy topic as it suggests that we are in no control over our decisions even if we feel free. From here, you have two options to choose from, given that one is better than the other. The first is the acceptance of this truth and of the fact that there’s no real purpose to our lives, allowing the fact to consume you and be your demise. The second is also accepting this truth but still moving on and creating a sense of purpose as you go, because living an illusion is better for us sometimes to fit into the society we built and the values we created.
“Sometimes you will never know the value of a moment until it becomes a memory” - Dr.Seuss.
Memory is defined in psychology as the faculty of encoding, retrieving, and storing information. Memories are the key to an individual's self and personality. After every experience and encounter, we build memories; they either affect us negatively or positively. If we were deprived of our memories, we will be deprived of everything emotional. We would be hollow shells of humans; not emotionally alive, but only biologically. All our organs would be functioning just fine, but we would be void of everything that makes us human. We would be just moving around in this world with no aim, background, or future; A mere empty entity. Through memories, we build our true personalities, and through experiences, build our bonds with many. Memories ensure that we are comforted when no one is around to help. In addition, people who have amnesia often live in a reality surrounded by strangers, no matter how close the person next to them is. These memories, which are the key to human relationships, help people recognize their surroundings, close friends, and family, as well as past lessons they have learned. That being said, even having miserable memories is better than having no memories. All types of memories help us develop, grow, and know how to deal with our lives. It helps us recognize the past and strive to have a better future. Thus, they strengthen our sense of purpose and presence. In conclusion, people need to learn to cherish every memory, no matter how bad it was, to be able to develop a better sense of presence, identity, and future instead of wishing them away and becoming emotionless beings.
~Alissa Ayache
Some people tend to be more social or more vibrant than others and that is due to what they have experienced. Those experiences come from the changes and problems that everyone is destined to go through over the course of their lives. We face them because of the decisions we take, the people we surround ourselves with, and the everyday choices we make. We were all raised in different ways and taught different morals, we enjoy some moments and dread others, and thus we build memories. However, human life is meaningless if we don’t face any obstacles or problems. Humans are prone to having a change occur that will alter the course of action of our lives no matter how miniature or drastic that is. It can change our perceptions and ambitions. We could be affected by the change that has occurred for the rest of our existence in one way or another. That event will engrain itself in our memories and will always affect us even subconsciously. Later on, we’ll go through more tough changes that can be for the better or worse. We’ll feel relieved once we have overcome them, and they’ll be experiences that will aid us in the future. Without those experiences and memories, we won’t be able to continue with our life. It’s all a chain that helps in shaping who we are as individuals. Our memories have an immense impact on our behavior and personality. The start of the chain is our early childhood memories; without them, we wouldn’t have a solid base of identity. We’ll have no importance, as we are nothing without our memories.
~Haya Hannawi
Wondering why war still exists among mankind is like wondering why a butterfly was once a cocoon. How the catastrophic process of war is compared to the natural process of metamorphosis most likely originates from their shared concept of evolution. However, what is the merit of this concept? War has indeed 'resolved' various historical conflicts in the past. This gave world leaders a chance to reflect and learn from previous mistakes which would help them avoid future multidimensional issues and allow the world to enter new eras. That’s not always the case, as wars don’t always achieve their goals. Some last for decades without having accomplished anything but destruction and violence. In fact, holistically speaking, wars always result in violence whether effective or not. They are the gasoline to the fire of hunger, homelessness, disability, death, and illiteracy. Therefore, it is almost impossible to speak of war without speaking of its undeniable gut-wrenching consequences. War is clearly not the most suitable approach to conflict; it is very much rather kept as the last and most avoidable response to disputes in today's world, as there are more humane and peaceful ways to resolve conflict.
However, some might argue that violence is the only way to foresee real change. I do believe that man is the creator of war, and man is a creature of habit. Humans tend to wreak havoc in search of stability, as they themselves are flawed. The question arises, how do we break a centennial pattern of war in the name of evolution and good when it’s what humanity has utilized to evolve? How are we supposed to break free from the sins of the past when we used them to arrive to the sinful reality of the modern day? Can we, being such flawed creatures, live in a utopian world where war and hunger are abolished? I think the answer to all of these questions lies within the fact of the idealistic expectations we have for ourselves as people, but aren’t fully ready to immerse in the process of true meaningful change that pushes us towards a more peaceful world. Perhaps we are taking minor steps to change the error of our ways. Time can only tell how far forwards or backward these steps will take us, acknowledging as well the misconception that evolution leads to eventual utopia. No matter how evolved, we will always be the source of destruction to our world.
The idea surrounding the innate evilness and goodness of man has long been debated throughout history by various philosophers and physiologists. Plato and Socrates believed in humankind’s inherent capability of goodness. In this interpretation of humankind, the bane of evilness lies in their environment; hence, humans are born inherently good and then are exposed to an environment in which they either remain good or succumb to evil. Studies such as the Milgram experiment, the Stanford prison experiment, and the BBC prison study seem to support the idea that humans will turn towards evil under certain conditions, or as some may say “get tempted into sin”. However, how would we know if humans were born with good intentions?
The question of whether humans are inherently good or evil might seem derivative of religious disputes about Original Sin. It’s a state of sin that issued to be innate in all humankind as a result of the first sin committed by Adam and Eve which led to their expulsion from the Garden of Eden. This aids the claim of innate evilness since according to the original sin, all humans are inherently sinful and born evil. However, what if humans were neither good nor evil? After all, humans are complex creatures capable of both good and evil; every individual is different, so aren’t we all born with different souls as well?
John Locke says that at the beginning of life, every person is a naked board with no positive or negative side. Tabula rasa or "blank slate" refers to a belief that at birth, all humans are born with the ability to become anyone. John Locke’s tabula rasa further explains the mind to be a blank paper inscribed gradually by experience. The idea of a blank slate seems to be more rational than innate goodness or evilness since humans are creatures placed on this earth to grow, explore, and find themselves; if they were to be born solely good or bad, it will limit the complex and intricate nature of humankind. There cannot be an exact dichotomy of good and evil on earth. In my opinion, people are born blank slates, neutral souls, and impressionable receivers who are ready to be affected by the environment surrounding them; this ideology grants a chance for a person to be good or evil based on their choices instead of predestination. Balance needs to be attained between good and evil in the world, and that can only be achieved when we have the possibility of being either.
Philosophy, as we know it, is the mother of all sciences. Science studies and unravels the laws of the physical world that we all share. Unlike philosophy, science strives to reach one final answer, leaving no room for ambivalence. To first understand why we hold science in high regard, we must grasp its significance in our life.
Reality can be interpreted as a compilation of three layers: the physical (experienced by the body), the psychological (experienced by the mind/ego), and the spiritual layer (experienced by our consciousness). The first layer of reality is presented as the physical world to which our body is subjected; hence, it uses its senses to discern this somatic realm. Science seeks objective truth which is shared among all beings. It caters to the human tendency of pursuing stable, solid answers to most if not all questions. Science gives peace of mind and reliability, something human beings are in constant search of. It gives definite, valid answers where the mind or consciousness does not play a role in affecting it. With no subjectivity or agonizing abstract mental efforts applied, science prevails as the foundation people rely on in their daily lives. From medical findings that aid humanity to ingenious breakthroughs in astrophysics that help us comprehend the mechanics of the universe, the world dependably turns to science to dictate the methodology of their mere physical existence.
When our second and third layers of reality are governed by the mind and consciousness, which are purely subjective, human beings find the existence of science relieving. Science offers the comfort of validity and unambiguity, which are unattainable in the other two layers of reality. Another way to approach this question would be to take into account the nature of science itself. Science is a human-found field that is a natural expression of our minds and our curiosity. Science is nurtured by humanity and its contributions. It comes from us to help us understand the world around us. How can we not have faith in it? How can we not have faith in something we have established and worked hard to develop throughout the evolution of mankind and all of the conditions of existence that come along with it? Going back to the initial question, it is not the belief that we have when we talk about science but rather faith. Our faith stems from our nature of submitting and succumbing to what gives our mind solace.
When dissecting the history of mankind, it becomes evident that humans possess an authenticity allotted to them by individual consciousness. This phenomenon allows civilization and innovation when cultured. Nonetheless, with the absence of a dominant figurehead or ideology, humans have proven to be primitive in their nature. However, when introducing a new order to contain people’s chaos, what guarantees the people to follow?
As eras of time and belief have elapsed, a need for structure has been birthed, and in the rising ages of hierarchy, law, and order, there was no differentiation between religion and state. Karl Marx claimed, “Religion is the opiate of the masses.” Why? The Opium War weakened the Chinese dynastic system and expanded western influence in China. In proportion, Karl Marx symbolized religion as a drug that is capable of leading billions in its magnitude. Nevertheless, one cannot simply generalize religion to be the roots of different ideologies, for their manner of expansion altered the rule of peoples uniquely. Abrahamic religions apply the notion of eternality and implement a narrative of justice through purgatory and everlasting peace or doom. These books written by humans to control humans all share the principle of fear and instill it in people while disguising it as gospel meant to enlighten. Spirituality is manifested through faith and love as opposed to fear and guilt. However, faith has never been enough to maintain societal rule as people require a stronger incitement that is tangible. Despite the uncertainty of eternal suffering, people chose to comfort themselves by conforming to the safer option and blindly following a religion that promises them a rewarding demise in return for their compliance. Scarce were those who followed out of love the concept that their god had been associated with.
In current times, religion is no longer the foundation of order as all civilized nations implement capital justice based on a constitution that entails laws. Laws are rules that are placed to clarify what is “objectively” wrong or right. We have undoubtedly progressed over the decades and freed ourselves of the baseless claims that once ruled us, and the rightfulness of our actions and behavioral patterns are now analyzed through science and statistics which are much more solid grounds. Be that as it may, our world order still functions based on fear of governmental repercussions. Some may argue that morals are what stop us from malpractice, but if that were true, we wouldn’t need laws. However, we do, as chaos would unravel in a world without an authority like it once was.In conclusion, faith, morals, and science allow us to understand rules better, provide space for freedom of thought, and inspire self-guidance. Ultimately though, fear is what drives people to obey. In hopes of a cognizant future population, there will reach a point in time when humans shed their primitive nature and unburden themselves of the shackles of narrow thinking. When the time comes, new world order will cultivate the masses and will remain as such.
Religion tends to change people’s perspective on the world, science is no exception. Religious people justify scientific occurrences through religion as religion provides an explanation for their reality. An example of this is in the 19th century. People were aware that there were many different species that are not found anymore—due to unearthing fossils— which led them to discover that life on Earth hasn't always been the same as it is now. They found that species could go extinct, but they were questioning the reasons for how. Some people justified this occurrence through religion, while others delved into scientific analysis.
Charles Darwin came up with a theory about how species evolve over time. He found that new species come from pre-existing ones and that all species share a common ancestor. He found that some species went extinct throughout history due to the struggle of survival. Offsprings tend to have traits passed on from their parents, and with that, Darwin realized that perhaps some individuals in a species have traits that put them at an advantage in this struggle of survival compared to others. As a result of this, this advantageous trait allows them to carry on with life and reproduce, then pass on that trait to their offspring. He called this tendency of advantageous traits being passed on to an individual's offspring "Natural Selection". The species will gradually change until the individual you end up with is completely different than what you started with, and that's where Darwin believes we all came from.
Darwin was intrigued by a philosopher called Thomas Malthus. Malthus was an English scholar who wrote a very famous & hugely influential work named "An Essay on the Principle of Population" despite having scientifically false views heavily influenced by his religious beliefs. Malthus states that there are two things humans need in order for species to persevere; food & reproduction. However, he says that our ability to breed is stronger than our ability to make food. He believed that the more food we make, the more we will breed and that this cannot go on for long; as sooner or later our ability to make food will be exhausted and we will end up with a big hungry population. Malthus even believed that all aid directed to the poor should stop because the poor who are dependent on others is morally disgraceful, wasteful, and unable to think of anything other than satisfaction. He claimed that the poor spend all their time on temporary pleasures when they should be working hard and saving money. He believed that if the rich made life too easy for them they'll breed more and more and we'd have an overpopulation problem. Malthus was a Christian cleric, who says that we should remove any social safety so all humans will work hard and with that become worthy of going to heaven. He talks about how the struggle for survival inspires Christian virtue and how all misery andagony on Earth gains us entry to eternal life in Heaven. Difficult and painful labor is what a person does on Earth. He never considered the possibility of redistributing resources, and never seemed to realize that a rich family of 3 consumes much more food than a poor family of 8 does. The poor consume very little, while the ones who own everything are the rich who create the problem Malthus is so afraid of.
Despite all of this, Darwin seems to believe that we were not designed or created by God simply to find love and faith in him and eventually pass on to his afterlife. His thoughts about natural selection challenged any idea that humans have a destiny in the end. Many people were appalled by that idea, asking how all of this came by pure luck and chance, and to that one has to think about the core idea of natural selection. We did not evolve to be like this by luck, it was a very long process of eliminating "weak" traits in the struggle of survival and passing down "strong" traits which eventually led to how humanity is today. To that claim, religious people counter-argued that he does not know why this variation in traits happens and that natural selection may be a godless process however God is behind it controlling which traits pass down and which don't.
All of this proves that religion has a significant impact on how one view objective science, even outside the theory of evolution. An atheist looks at a flower and thinks "Ah, how pretty!" while a Muslim person looks at a flower and thinks "Mashallah!" feeling in awe of God's creations. A religious person will always turn the facts in their own belief's favor, even if there exists strong evidence against the conclusion they made. Religious people tend to view objective science through the lens of their religion They are strongly convinced by what they would like to believe about the world and often are very close-minded and not open to considering different perspectives about a certain matter.
The perfect life is a vision created by the mind. It holds a person’s deepest desires and it lacks what a person dreads the most. The perfect life imagined by humans is beyond achieving a goal or finding love. It is a life that fills a person with all the tranquility and joy in the world. A perfect life is empty of tragedies and agonies. However, this perfect life does not exist since there is nothing about the condition of our lives that we can control. If humans were able to control what goes on in their lives, wouldn’t they have already achieved the so-called perfect life? However, the non-existence of a perfect life has never stopped people from striving for it. What drives people to that is the fear of the unknown or the dissatisfaction with the present. It is a known idea that if we do not strive for good, we will not achieve it. People strive for the perfect life because they believe that if they did work for it, they will get it. The non-existence of perfection does not mean that this person will be empty-handed at the end of the road, but that the results of their hard work will look different than expected. Secondly, when someone is not content with their current state, they imagine a tomorrow that is more promising, and they work according to that vision. It is important to keep in mind that even though the perfect life does not exist, a prosperous life is not far-fetched. What describes a prosperous life? That is a new question to unravel.
“If you can’t figure out your purpose, figure out your passion. For your passion will lead you right into your purpose.” – Bishop T.D.Jakes. Nowadays, you are told to grow up, go to school and college, and eventually find a job to start building a new family. That is what is expected of us the moment we are born and is referred to as an expected or set purpose. Many often pressure you to stick to these specific roles to fulfill “your purpose”; but what is truly one's purpose in life?
Society and the people around us often influence or control the way we are supposed to live life and the goals we are to accomplish, rendering us helpless and stressed out. When an individual wants to spread their wings and go for a new path, one that aligns with their interests, they are often shamed and made to feel as if that isn’t their true purpose. But then again, who are they to set a purpose for another being when we all have different interests, beliefs, and goals set up? Moreover, many do believe that they have no purpose; they offer nothing to this world, just because they can’t fulfill the roles that have been put out for them. Thus, making them feel useless and eccentric even though they do a lot of good to this world, just not the way people expect from them.
According to Rick Warren, “if you are alive, there’s a purpose for your life”. That being said, our purpose in life is to bring light to the world, not in one particular way, but in many diverse ways. The ways depend on each person’s differences in hobbies, preferences, and goals. While others might not see it as a good purpose, what you act on is the purpose you have set up for yourself by your own will and not according to anyone else’s. For this reason, we have many people who have a family while others don’t, some are doctors while others go on the more artistic route, and there are many more examples. In conclusion, there is not one purpose to life, for we would all be stuck in the same monotonous way of living.
The evolution of mankind lies within the ideology and recognition of mind, consciousness, and spiritual beliefs. Whatever occurs in our daily lives is a result of our subconscious thoughts. When a human mind is conscious, it has fully grasped all the factors and consequences going on. This simple thought or spiritual sense of enlightenment is what is known as consciousness, being aware of and fully awake to everything around you. Consciousness first develops itself from the person's own mind; it might be through self-exploration and getting to know all the aspects that constitute their spirit, almost similar to looking into a higher self. All the qualities and morals your world desires lie within the boundaries of your consciousness, and that plays a vital role in manifesting said desires in real life. Consciousness is acknowledging whatever you put your mind to, perceive yourself as, or believe is true. It is the idealism of being a higher member of society by ranging over what life and genuine humanity are. It is by finding a connection between your mind and your soul and linking them together. It is the proof of yourself being your own leader, having your unique thoughts and vision. Consciousness is perceiving things uniquely and fully understanding life and morals and acknowledging that human beings belong to nature. Reality comes within the quality of the mindset. Your subconscious mind transfers signals to your conscious mind manifesting in real life. Feed your mind with clear thoughts and visions and shift your inner dialogue into an affirmation and a self-boost for a greater understanding of life.