the cult of the person_the cult of harmony

The Cult of Harmony

The idea of harmony stems from the Chinese quest for balance and equilibrium - avoiding all ‘excess and extravagance’ - that fall back to the certain measure called ‘never too much.’

In general, the cornerstone of these three beliefs – Confucianism, Taoism and Buddhism - is to preserve peace and harmony, first between human being and Society, second between human being and Nature, and third between human being and the Absolute. It believes that the individual is obliged to consider the welfare of his family before his own and to give up his rights, if warranted, in order to benefit the community. He lives for his family and for the society and so keeping himself true to this duty means sustaining both balance and harmony in the social sphere. At any moment he must never do anything to disrupt the flow of such harmony. In other words, he is not seen as an individual with distinct needs but only as a part of an integral whole functioning for the benefit of that ‘whole.’ Essentially, the ultimate concern of this tenet is the ‘bow in silence’ behavior even on the question and problem of suffering. Overt manifestation of this teaching is evident in the way Orientals conduct themselves socially – courteous, respectful, polite, and mindful of everyone’s needs. All point to the goal of keeping unity and harmony undisturbed, deemed to be their ideal state of environment.

One must consider though that not everything which appears on the surface is true. The concept of balance must be viewed not on the external plane alone but on the internal plane as well. Given above condition, it is sound to believe that suppression of desires, anger and contempt is no far from manifestation. The fear of rejection can be a strong motivation to behave in a socially acceptable manner that only tries to hide the internal conflict taking place within the individual. Lest mistaken, such conflict can prove to be a high-stake condition and can ultimately breed all kinds of negative and destructive emotions completely contrary to what is being socially demonstrated.

The Cult of the Person

The three pillars of this ‘cult’ revolve around the person himself as the sum expression and the crowning glory of all creation. Human Dignity. Freedom. Technology. Man is exalted in highest honor and stature, magnified as unique and irreplaceable, deserving respect and worthy of devoted service. This is the cause the West has fought for, won over and which was considered the ultimate prize. Following are the contributing factors to this thought.

First the Greeks, who emancipated man from the false belief that human beings are helpless ‘victims of the invisible gods, of the capricious moods of the spirits and of the natural forces of the universe.’ This contribution was a huge leap towards rational thinking and scientific analysis. Next is the Judeo-Christian thought which put a premium to man as ‘one created in the image of God - high above all creation - with purpose and eternal destiny.’. This blossoming was further enriched by the Romans who instituted the concept of law to be the benchmark of all human rights. It further attests that man is regarded as a citizen who must conform to the human rules and natural law set in place. Humanism further elevates the good, the just and the beautiful in the human gifts. The power of the human mind, being the reference of all truth and knowledge, is the legacy inspired by Descartes in his line of thought, ‘Cogito, ergo sum.’ Man, endowed with reason, is the measure of all things.

The absolute worth of human being is further echoed by the movements that followed and who stressed that ‘an individual is anyone’s equal, with higher and independent power, equal to the Church and equal to the State.’ Further, the government exists to serve the purposes of its people and the bedrock of democracy is acknowledging the supreme worth of an individual, regardless of race, color, ethnicity or belief. Life, liberty, equality, security and the pursuit of happiness, in essence, are the inalienable rights safeguarded under the American Declaration of Independence and the United Nations Universal Declaration of Human Rights. For their Constitution, other Western countries followed suit.

Next to democracy, another value derived from the respect of human dignity is the promotion of economic and social well-being of every individual. The Western world adheres to its advocacy for security, protection, education, recreation and other factors contributive to the holistic development of a person. Emphasis on promoting physical well-being is an attempt to combat misery, hunger and sickness which lock a person away from his intellectual and spiritual freedom.

The author ends his piece on a personal note. He says that America has realized its hopes and visions so far. He adds that it is a country richly loved by its own people but richly criticized by them, too. Undoubtedly, Americans are proud of their own country but are intolerant enough to point at the defects inherent in their system and structure. “America…an irony of ironies,” is the phrase he seems to close with.