It is essential to acknowledge that delving into the depths of human existence, where the mind forms its core and serves as the main artery of thoughts and emotions.
We must strive to balance the importance of technical knowledge, extensively covered in previous articles, with the humanities. These disciplines, encompassing psychology, anthropology, and biology, explore human societies and unravel the mysteries of civilizations built on rational foundations. Discussing human issues is a daunting task, intertwining rationality and emotional conscience, leaving the thinking mind perplexed, especially when considering contemporary human societies.
The Palestinian plight, enduring prolonged oppression by Zionism and its allies, exemplifies the complexity of such issues. Discussions and proposed solutions often focus on historical, political, and religious angles, neglecting psychological and philosophical perspectives that could provide deeper insights into the roots of societal dilemmas. Integrating these perspectives with history, politics, and religion can enhance awareness and liberate societies from the constraints of collective mentality that stifles creativity and ethical behaviour.
In my Arabic book Thus We Evolve and articles, I touched upon civilization, languages, religions, and ideas. This exploration continues to intrigue me, driven by the mind's thirst for understanding the depths of human nature. Alexis Carrel's Man the Unknown which I read many years ago, left a lasting impression, stimulating thoughts about the will, behaviour, and passions of humanity.
Meaning, which each of us seeks, emerges in various forms. It could be in faith connecting us to God, or in a philosophy or principle held steadfastly. Viktor Frankl’s Man's Search for Meaning delves into the human psyche, exploring its outcomes and struggles in quest of meaning. Observing human societies, I see conflicts driven by competition, often disregarding the moral foundations we consider crucial. This is evident in some Western societies, particularly among politicians, where a disconnect between theory and practice is prevalent. These leaders endorse theories advocating justice, equality, and freedom of expression, deceiving the uninformed with an appearance of morality, yet in practice, there is a glaring contradiction. The support some Western politicians offer to the Zionist entity, aiding its genocidal acts in Gaza and suppressing freedom of expression, underscores the ethical void obstructing justice and human rights.
Amidst the conflicts within human societies, where moral instincts clash with survival instincts through conflict-driven means, some perceive an existential chaos, mistakenly believing in the absence of a creator and viewing life as random and chaotic, stripping away the will of existence. This chaos is prevalent, incompatible with ethical principles, due to the dominance of groups oppressing others, often exploiting humanity in the absence of awareness and ethical elevation. A segment of humanity falls victim to collective mentality and the will of powerful individuals, utilising methods that evolve with time. In our era, media steer the collective mindset, frequently undermining ethical values and breeding criminals.
In a contrasting scene, efforts to restore humanity and its ethical foundations to their existential essence, rooted in human awareness, emerge. This represents a resistance against the chaos and conflicts within human societies. This scene manifests in the global rise of human consciousness, transcending religion, race, or ethnicity, expanding the moral awareness of individuals within societies. This counters Colin Wilson's concept of the Outsider describing individuals in societies driven by conflicts and trivialities, feeling disconnected from a society lacking ethical foundations, and overshadowed by injustice and oppression.
Wilson's writings in 1956 reflect the harsh experiences of Western societies during the World Wars, fostering a sense of despair in the 'Outsider.' Yet, the awakening of human conscience bridged the moral gap, addressing the chronic ethical dilemmas threatening human societies, nearly extinguishing life’s ethical aspects. The global liberation of the mind from constraints blocking ethical impulses signifies a rejection of the enforced disconnect between these impulses and the desired reality.
Oman Observer is now on the WhatsApp channel. Click here
