Not very long ago I was listening to a speech by Steven Pinker on "Everything you know is wrong". Pinker is a prominent Canadian-American science writer and an experimental psychologist.
In the 20th century we witnessed the atrocities of Hitler, Stalin, Mao, Pol Pot, Rwanada and other genocides, and the start of 21st century has not been sweet either. We have already witnessed the horrors of Darfur and Iraq. These conflicts and terrors make us believe that we have moved away from the state of harmony, in which our natives lived.
In fact our ancestors were far more violent than we are and that violence is on decline for long long time, and today probably we are living in the most peaceful time in our species existence. The above statement may sound absurd. But the statistics and the logic put forward by Pinker reveals the truth picture.
A surprising statistic reveals that if the tribal conflicts had continued in the 20th century, there would have been 2 billions deaths compared to 100 million American and European deaths in the world war.
If we look into the ancient civilizations, the one mentioned in the bible, we find that the people were slaughtered for petty crimes. And now, if the law gives capital punishment to some genuine murderer, human right activists will blow our heads off with slogans and rallies.
Reasons sited by Pinker are quite logical.
a) Pinker sites some points from Thomas Hobbes, Leviathan that if the authority for illegitimate use of violence was vested on a single democratic agency then such a state can reduce the temptation of attack because any kind of aggression would be punished. In the present era we have such agencies.
b) In the ancient and early modern era life was considered cheap because of the level of sufferings and early deaths. So one had little compunction in taking one's life. As economic and technological advancements had made life pleasant and longer, people have started putting higher value on life in general.
c) Pinker further sites the concept of "Non zero sum game" provided by the journalist Robert Wright. Wright points out that under certain circumstances cooperation and non violence can benefit both the parties. He further points out that technological advancements have lead to global interactions and increase in international business. So one would benefit more from one being alive than dead. From one of the many reasons, I don't want to bomb the japanese is that they built my laptop.
There are many other reasons that justify the above argument. But I feel there is still lot of violence in the world and it would be best for mankind to live in peace and harmony.
Sign
ps: courtesy www.ted.com
Wednesday, October 31, 2007
Sunday, October 28, 2007
She Who Must Be Obeyed
The title is a translation of the honorific used for Ayesha by Amahagger, a tribe whom SHE had subjugated. You must be thinking that what am I taking about.
Well, last few days I had been busy, enjoying the sudden change in Bangalore's weather (for the better), reading a fictional classic titled SHE by Sir Henry Rider Haggard. In this work Haggard developed the Lost World sub genre which many authors enumerated.
Horace Holly, a Cambridge professor along with his adopted son Leo Vincey and servant Jobs, travel to Africa in search for clues about the ancestors of Leo, by taking lead from the potsherd left by Leo's father. There they encounter a queen Ayesha and are enthralled by her beauty. She is apparently ageless and had survived for 2000 years by bathing in pillar of fire. She is breathtakingly beautiful and merciless. And would not hesitate for a moment in slaying anyone who disregards her or comes in front of her wishes. She shows this dark side of her character by killing Ulesha, the woman Leo loved and had vowed to be her husband by the customs of Amahagger. Later they realize that She believes that Leo is the reincarnation of Kallikrattes, her long lost love.
In the climax of the story, She takes the three English men to the pillar of fire. She wants Leo to bathe in the fire and become immortal and pure just like her. But Leo was uncertain about the idea. So She herself steps into the flames. However, with the second submergence she transforms into her actual age and withers and dies. But before she takes her last breath she tells Leo that it is a parting only for a little while (ironically little here refers to maybe another 2000 years :D). And says "I die not, I shall come again".
The story is a classical fiction and a creation of abstract thinking and observation. Throughout the novel Haggard explores the idea of love, solitude, power, reincarnation, death and fate. Overall an excellent novel to read.
Well, last few days I had been busy, enjoying the sudden change in Bangalore's weather (for the better), reading a fictional classic titled SHE by Sir Henry Rider Haggard. In this work Haggard developed the Lost World sub genre which many authors enumerated.
Horace Holly, a Cambridge professor along with his adopted son Leo Vincey and servant Jobs, travel to Africa in search for clues about the ancestors of Leo, by taking lead from the potsherd left by Leo's father. There they encounter a queen Ayesha and are enthralled by her beauty. She is apparently ageless and had survived for 2000 years by bathing in pillar of fire. She is breathtakingly beautiful and merciless. And would not hesitate for a moment in slaying anyone who disregards her or comes in front of her wishes. She shows this dark side of her character by killing Ulesha, the woman Leo loved and had vowed to be her husband by the customs of Amahagger. Later they realize that She believes that Leo is the reincarnation of Kallikrattes, her long lost love.
In the climax of the story, She takes the three English men to the pillar of fire. She wants Leo to bathe in the fire and become immortal and pure just like her. But Leo was uncertain about the idea. So She herself steps into the flames. However, with the second submergence she transforms into her actual age and withers and dies. But before she takes her last breath she tells Leo that it is a parting only for a little while (ironically little here refers to maybe another 2000 years :D). And says "I die not, I shall come again".
The story is a classical fiction and a creation of abstract thinking and observation. Throughout the novel Haggard explores the idea of love, solitude, power, reincarnation, death and fate. Overall an excellent novel to read.
Sunday, October 21, 2007
Che Guevara's The Motorcycle Diaries
Ernesto Guevara de la Serna or just Che was an Argentine-born Marxist revolutionary, political figure and leader of Cuban and internationalist guerrillas. The Motorcycle Diaries is an autobiographical novel about his travel through South America with his friend Alberto Granado on a 1939 Norton 500 motorcycle.
The book presents the lighter parts of Che's character and the events which urged him to dedicate his life to fight and die for the cause of proletariat in Latin America. In the book he details the life of autochthonal peasantry throughout Latin America, including mine workers and persecuted communists fleeing their homes.
The book is a good example of the fact that, everybody is the same to start with. It's only when we encounter events and meet people, and the urge to do something special to make the world a better place to live in, we rise above a common man.
The book presents the lighter parts of Che's character and the events which urged him to dedicate his life to fight and die for the cause of proletariat in Latin America. In the book he details the life of autochthonal peasantry throughout Latin America, including mine workers and persecuted communists fleeing their homes.
The book is a good example of the fact that, everybody is the same to start with. It's only when we encounter events and meet people, and the urge to do something special to make the world a better place to live in, we rise above a common man.
Saturday, October 20, 2007
Veronika decides to die.....
The title of the post is a famous novel by Paulo Coelho (author of The Alchemist). This blog is a plot spoiler. The whole story revolves around 4 main characters. Veronika who suffers with a critical heart condition and had once tried to commit suicide by ingesting too many sleeping pills. Mari, who suffers from panic attacks; and Eduard who has schizophrenia and with whom Veronika falls in love.
The kind of mental or physical problems with which they suffer brings them to Villete, a mental hospital in Slovenia. But story is not about how they suffer or how Veronika dies. The story touches few of the most important aspects of a man's life. The story tells us how Veronika's presence affected others in Villete and how they found out the true meaning of life.
There is another main character in the plot, Dr. Igor. He keeps injecting Veronika with medicines which simulates heart attack. Unaware of the fact and the tought that she is about to die gives her freedom. Because of the newfound freedom Veronika experiences all the things she never allowed herself to experience including hatred, love and even sexual awakening. She starts living her life full time and does what she likes to do most. She had always loved to play the piano. From then on every night she use to play the piano. All the patients in Villete are wary of her, but Eduard is the one who stands and listens. This gave Veronika immense pleasure and satisfaction. This goes on for a few days and she eventually falls in love with him.
Mari was cured of panic attacks but was afraid to go back to the real world thinking what would the people thing and how are they gonna treat her. She observes Veronika and Eduard for days and realizes that she should do whatever she wants to do and not to give a damn about others.
Eduard realizes the true meaning of love.
Overall the story tells us to lead a life in such a way that we are not afraid to do things we want to do. Express your love and emotions if you truly love someone. Moreover lead your life as though everyday is your last day.
The quotation from Henry David Thoreau aptly fits here..
Quote:
I went to the woods because I wished to live deliberately, to front only the essential facts of life, and see if I could not learn what it had to teach, and not, when I came to die, discover that I had not lived … I did not wish to live what was not life, living is so dear; nor did I wish to practice resignation, unless it was quite necessary. I wanted to live deep and suck out all the marrow of life, to live so sturdily and Spartan-like as to put to rout all that was not life, to cut a broad swath and shave close, to drive life into a corner…"
The kind of mental or physical problems with which they suffer brings them to Villete, a mental hospital in Slovenia. But story is not about how they suffer or how Veronika dies. The story touches few of the most important aspects of a man's life. The story tells us how Veronika's presence affected others in Villete and how they found out the true meaning of life.
There is another main character in the plot, Dr. Igor. He keeps injecting Veronika with medicines which simulates heart attack. Unaware of the fact and the tought that she is about to die gives her freedom. Because of the newfound freedom Veronika experiences all the things she never allowed herself to experience including hatred, love and even sexual awakening. She starts living her life full time and does what she likes to do most. She had always loved to play the piano. From then on every night she use to play the piano. All the patients in Villete are wary of her, but Eduard is the one who stands and listens. This gave Veronika immense pleasure and satisfaction. This goes on for a few days and she eventually falls in love with him.
Mari was cured of panic attacks but was afraid to go back to the real world thinking what would the people thing and how are they gonna treat her. She observes Veronika and Eduard for days and realizes that she should do whatever she wants to do and not to give a damn about others.
Eduard realizes the true meaning of love.
Overall the story tells us to lead a life in such a way that we are not afraid to do things we want to do. Express your love and emotions if you truly love someone. Moreover lead your life as though everyday is your last day.
The quotation from Henry David Thoreau aptly fits here..
Quote:
I went to the woods because I wished to live deliberately, to front only the essential facts of life, and see if I could not learn what it had to teach, and not, when I came to die, discover that I had not lived … I did not wish to live what was not life, living is so dear; nor did I wish to practice resignation, unless it was quite necessary. I wanted to live deep and suck out all the marrow of life, to live so sturdily and Spartan-like as to put to rout all that was not life, to cut a broad swath and shave close, to drive life into a corner…"
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)