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Civilization and its Excesses
Bahá’u’lláh called on all human beings to work for the advancement of civilization, yet he also warned of the danger of carrying civilization to excess. All men have been created to carry forward an ever-advancing civilization.[1] And yet: If carried to excess, civilization will prove as prolific a source of evil as it had been of goodness when kept within the restraints of moderation. Meditate on this, O people, and be not of them that wander distraught in the wilderness of error. The day is approaching when its flame will devour the cities….[2] Bahá’u’lláh wrote in the 19th century. His insight of the approaching danger saw far ahead of his contemporaries, who tragically could not see the appalling dangers ahead. The following is from an…
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Human Nature: What Does It Mean to Be Human?
What does it mean to be human? We rarely think about it. Yet implicitly and explicitly our actions are based on assumptions or beliefs about human nature. Are human beings essentially selfish? Are we essentially material beings – animals with enhanced intelligence? Are we defined primarily by our material characteristics, such as our nationality or our gender or age? What, for example, are models of human nature embedded in our legal system? How does society implicitly and explicitly define us? The language we speak, our cultural context, the day to day behaviours we engage in – all are profoundly influenced by ideas about human nature. In an age of media saturation…
