My experience tells me that Molly will have a different definition of horror also, which makes a discussion on the syntax of freedom obsolete.
On Fri, Feb 4, 2011 at 5:47 AM, Ash <[email protected]> wrote: > I congratulate your dedication Molly, after reading a few pages of the > Universal Declaration of Human Rights I got too caught up in pedantic > philosophical matters to finish some time ago! > > > "Everyone has the right freely to participate in the cultural life of the > community, to enjoy the arts and to share in scientific advancement and its > benefits." > > To me this indicates the thinking, or at least the thinking they want us > thinking of the thoughts of the governing boards at UN. ;-) What type of > people do we want society to produce? What type of society do we want people > composing? Obviously a more united population who can interact and cooperate > is more productive in terms of creative and intelligent output, building > things, or just doing work. The arts seem good but it is a hard one, mainly > that creative works shouldn't be stifled as parody, criticism, passion, mind > benders, comedy, drama etc exercise the mind and make it robust and diverse > in judging the social/political environments. It seems that to 'share in > scientific advancement' means the process of gaining and collaborating > scientific knowledge because 'benefits' would be the products- in that case > we want educated and intelligent populations in order to drive society > toward greater achievements. This makes sense to me and I agree with the > unstated ends it implies. I saved the 'freely' for last, at first it sounds > like 'free of coercion into or disenfranchisement' but it further implies > (to me) the responsibility of society to promote these capacities in their > constituents. > > On freedom, emancipation, liberation I think we should consider what things > promote or hinder the healthy mind+body+spirit. Ask many older people and > they will tell you if you have health you've got it all, so lets take a clue > that physical health frees the mind from physical torment that is a type of > freedom or greater mobility. If the mind isn't stuck or tormented but > creatively inspired and charged with knowledge that is a type of liberation. > If we have something to ignite our spirits, a primal impetus, great > hope/work or 'vision' the spirit can be emancipated. Okay, enough from me > I'll just say: A unifying vision for any human is seeing this paragraph in > action. Or one could argue we haven't had enough horrors to demand it of > ourselves (or have we?)... > > > On 2/2/2011 6:43 AM, Molly wrote: > >> The United Nations has a declaration of human rights that states in >> the preamble: "This Universal Declaration Of Human Rights as a common >> standard of achievement for all peoples and all nations, to the end >> that every individual and every organ of society, keeping this >> Declaration constantly in mind, shall strive by teaching and education >> to promote respect for these rights and freedoms and by progressive >> measures, national and international, to secure their universal and >> effective recognition and observance, both among the peoples of Member >> States themselves and among the peoples of territories under their >> jurisdiction." >> >> It has 30 sections, and the 27th states: "Everyone has the right >> freely to participate in the cultural life of the community, to enjoy >> the arts and to share in scientific advancement and its benefits." >> >> This got me thinking about what it means to participate in life. >> Certainly, it means different things in different spots around the >> globe. And, I can appreciate the United Nations boldly stating the >> ideal for humankind that includes freedom and choice. But I wonder >> what it really means to participate in life, especially since in my >> current life stages, I have given up the ideas of goals and long term >> plans and surrendered, for the most part, to the calling of the >> moment. >> >> I say this with the understanding that what calls me in the moment is >> a direct result of my life's work, my faith and my internal >> environment (thoughts, feelings, relationships, attitudes.) This is >> to say that we never come completely fresh to each moment, we come as >> we are. Yet, it seems to me, how we present ourselves to each moment >> allows possibility for change, growth, freedom, love... >> >> What do YOU think? >> > >
