Melodrama Vs. Humanity Choosing melodrama over human rights and clinical justice is one of our most destructive tendencies. Perhaps romantic, nationalistic movements like Nazism can be understood as a mass embrace of melodrama over individual human rights. Emotional satisfaction is important but we should remember that our emotions evolved in the wilderness where populations were small and effective legal justice systems were nonexistent. Today, much of the suffering humans experienced in wild nature is easily avoidable. If we can imagine alternatives to causing unnecessary, involuntary human suffering then it is almost certainly our ethical obligation to due so. Things like art, sports, political contests, and market contests provide us with some emotional satisfaction. However, many of us still feel that extreme, symbolic displays of victory, rejection, and domination are a necessary part of expressing values and shaping human societies. Maybe emotionally satisfying rituals can still be preserved by adopting a set of conventions similar to boxing matches. Rituals where serious harm may occur should require informed consent from all participating parties, with the right to unilaterally disengage at any time. Punishments for leaving a ritual early must be prestated in the agreement that grants consent - where none of the punishments are allowed to violate a participants human rights or civil rights.
Posted on: Sat, 28 Jun 2014 06:24:21 +0000
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