I must admit, last Thursday was a very engaging and interesting session during which many great ideas were shared. While I certainly took note of several things mentioned, what struck me the most were the underlying themes, so to speak, present in our discussion. The topics that we spoke so strongly about were clearly motivated by far more than the texts we were assigned to read. Essentially, I feel that what the issues we were addressing were motivated by our sociological, political, and spiritual beliefs more than anything else. They are far outside the realm of cut-and-dry fact and there is no real right or wrong answer to what any of us said.
However, I believe that this point is exactly what drove such enthusiastic debate. Everyone, regardless of where it is they actually stand, believes how they feel is absolutely true and right. This is a microcosm of the universal vs. relative monger that we discussed particularly in relation to female genital mutilation (FGM). While most of us clearly view it as a heinous and morbid practice, at the same time we cannot simply call it wrong and denigrate it unconditionally. Instead, we must look deeper and observe the factors that motivate things of this nature. In almost every instance of FGM, it is done because of deep-seated and strong cultural ties and traditions that have been carried on for centuries. In Africa, for instance, where FGM is a rampant and widespread issue, it is viewed as a means to an end for women to be faithful to their husbands. Obviously, this is no justification in our eyes; in our common culture such an idea is almost unspeakable. However, the fact that it IS done for a reason is significant; while it is senseless and cruel, it is not done randomly or in cold blood, which certainly changes the dynamic of what takes place.
Bottom line: it is not our job to play world police on every single human rights issue that arises. Sure, when a ruthless dictator is mindlessly murdering hundreds of thousands of his own people in a genocide, we are obligated. However, in a case like this where it is slightly more esoteric and motivated by often thousands of years of culture and practice, we have no place. What is right for me is not necessarily right for a counterpart in Ghana or even my roommate. :Universal" is universally irrelevant.
-Dylan Parker
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I agree with the idea that universalism in ethics is pointless. I too believe that simply because we live in a country that happens to be a global superpower does NOT mean that it is our job to intervene everywhere we see fit. I definitely agree that with an issue like FGM, we cannot simply inject our own cultural beliefs into other countries' affairs. The only problem is, it is impossible for us to turn a blind eye when we see what we perceive to be violations of human rights. In fact, I believe we intervene not only because we believe the other country is doing something wrong, but because we can't live with ourselves if we simply sit back and do nothing. I don't mean to get too graphic, but imagine if you personally witnessed an FGM on a newborn baby girl. It would be hard for any decent human being to look at that and think, "Oh it's okay because they've been doing this for hundreds of years".
ReplyDeleteSo what do we do? I don't have an answer, and I doubt I ever will. There will never be a system that pleases all 6 billion people on this planet. Is it "ethical" to please as many people as possible, even if we know that a select few will be ignored/hurt? I really don't have an opinion on this issue but hopefully by the end of the semester, I will have learned more to make more educated opinions on the matter.