In
the contemporary world, human beings are among the most powerful beings, having
achieved dominion over all other creatures. This is considering that humans can
be found all over the world, not only ruling over it, but also making use of
the available resources. The exploitation of natural resources at an
unprecedented level would logically mean that the diverse problems that plague
humanity such as poverty, oppression, and illness would be a thing of the past.
However, this is not the case, and it seems that despite the rapid progress
that has been made by human societies, the problems plaguing a majority of
humans have only become worse. The greed of the few individuals who possess the
wealth to exploit resources has led to a situation where they make use of the
majority to maintain and increase their wealth, both through manipulation and
coercion. There are a number of steps that need to be undertaken in order to
ensure that there is the advancement of the quality of life for all humans. Among
these is the promotion of freedom from oppression, the right to life, community
support, just laws, social cohesion, and the right to happiness.
One
of the most important means of making sure that there is the promotion of
humanity is through ensuring that there is freedom from oppression. In the
contemporary world, there are a considerable number of countries that often
oppress their own people. Oppression is an institution of the state, and it is
one that goes against the natural order. This is especially considering that in
the natural state, all individuals tend to fend for themselves and live their
lives as they see fit. Furthermore, humans in the natural state do not often
have conflicts with one another, and instead work together to ensure that there
is the advancement of the interests of their own communities. Oppression,
therefore, goes against the natural order to such an extent that it leads to
the degradation of what is essentially being human. Human beings are
individuals that have been designed in such a way that freedom makes them
thrive while oppression not only degrades them, but also destroys their ability
to achieve their full potential. One of the most significant examples of how
oppression has a negative effect on individuals is seen in the story of
Gilgamesh. This is a ruler who oppresses his people to such an extent that they
cry out to the gods for help. The result is that they create a being like
Gilgamesh, named Enkidu, who ends up matching him in a fight and from then on
makes Gilgamesh a better ruler (Sanders 6). Therefore, freedom from oppression
essentially means having a ruler or leader that has the interests of all his
people at heart.
The
right to life is also an important factor when it comes to the advancement of
what is human. This right is fundamental because individuals do not have the
right to end the life of others without a just cause. In addition, the right to
life can be considered important because most individuals, no matter their
social class, tend to want to life for as long as possible. A result is that
from time immemorial, there has been a fear of death, which has often led to a
quest for immortality. The changes that take place in Gilgamesh following the
arrival of Enkidu and the latter’s eventual death bring about a situation where
he feels the need to achieve immortality (Sanders 16). His quest to achieve
this objective and his eventual failure lead Gilgamesh to a situation where he
accepts the dictates of nature. Therefore, even though death is inevitable,
individuals should not be allowed to die before the end of their natural
lifespan. Instead, they should be able to take pleasure in the life that they
have because despite the trials and tribulations that individuals have to
endure in the course of their lives, life is still often sweet. The right to
life requires that individuals live in harmony with one another, because it is
within such an environment that they can be able to secure one another against
the violation of this fundamental right.
Being
human should include the ability to take pleasure in life because it is the
only way through which life would be worth living and enduring. Human societies
need to come to terms with the need to end the belief that life is all about
work and making ends meet, and should instead seek to promote the idea that
life is first and foremost about pleasure. Deriving pleasure from the simple
factors of life, such as seeing the sunrise and establishing initiatives aimed
at leading to the advancement of an environment where everyone is able to
achieve their personal fulfillment should be an essential aspect of being
human. Such activities as a family spending time together can go a long way
towards helping individuals to get to know one another. The Kama Sutra, for
example, is an ancient text that on the surface deals with sex. However, it is
so much more than that because it creates a perspective concerning how humans
can be able to derive pleasure from their lives by removing some of the
negative restrictions that society places on them (Kama Sutra 7). It is human
nature to achieve the desires of one’s heart because it is a means through
which to ensure that there is the derivation of pleasure from life, which makes
it worth living. Thus, taking pleasure in life is fundamental in the achievement
of the goal of improving oneself, which is an essential aspect of being human.
Human
communities were originally formed as a means of ensuring that they provided
one another with support against a world that was essentially hostile to lone
individuals. However, the changes that have taken place in society have led to
a situation where some individuals have gained or amassed more wealth and power
than their fellows. Thus, while some individuals have all that they need in
their lives, others are essentially deprived, despite the fact that they live
in the same communities. The establishment of leadership and the exploitation
of natural resources is the reason behind the social inequalities that have
become prevalent in human societies. It is essential for human societies to
ensure that there is the creation of means though which to support the less
privileged in society achieve a quality of life that allows them to derive
pleasure from it. When individuals provide support for one another, it becomes
possible to have a society that is not only strengthened by its members, but it
also allows them to establish a situation where they are able to live in
harmony with one another. The attainment of human satisfaction should be the
goal of societies (Ryff and Singer 13), because it will ensure that the
exploitation of natural resources is conducted in a responsible way while at
the same time allowing those who have excess resources to support those with
less. In this way, there will be the achievement of an objective that is in
line with what it means to be human.
Living
in a just society is another important aspect of being human because it leads
individuals to have a sense of security and allows them to achieve their
potential. This means that there is need to ensure that the society works
towards the development of just laws for all. Just laws ensure that there is
the establishment of stability in such a way that allows for the creation of
strong initiatives aimed at developing confidence in the legal system. An
example of such an initiative can be found in the ancient world in the Code of
Hammurabi, which promoted the establishment of a stable state. The Code of
Hammurabi, which advanced the development of laws and punishments that befitted
the crime, essentially “an eye for an eye, a tooth for a tooth” made it
possible for members of his society to receive justice at an unprecedented
level (King). Under such a code, which does not complicate matters in the same
way as the contemporary legal system does, has the potential of leading to a
situation where human beings are discouraged from committing crimes. In
addition, it makes justice an essential part of the social fabric to such an
extent that individuals feel confident enough to live in society without the fear
that their rights will be violated. Therefore, rather than making the legal
system more complex, it is important that it is simplified so that if there is
irrefutable evidence that an individual committed a crime against another,
justice is served immediately. The complexity of a legal system makes it
difficult for individuals who have committed serious crimes to be brought to
justice.
Social
cohesion is an essential aspect of being human and it has been taking place for
thousands of years. However, there are individuals and political interests in
the contemporary society who are actively seeking to ensure that there is an
emphasis of the differences between members of the same society in order to
gain political and economic ascendancy (Andreotti). A result of such a
situation is that it makes it difficult for individuals of different social and
religious backgrounds to live together in harmony and it instead leads them into
conflict with one another. In order to remedy such a situation, it is important
for individuals to begin appreciating their differences, because the
appreciation of diversity is an essential part of being human. Even though many
would not admit it, there has been considerable social exchange over thousands
of years, and it is because of this exchange that contemporary societies have
been formed. The creation of a strong support system that protects the rights
of minorities in society while allowing both the majority and minority to
interact and get to know each other, is an objective which, if fulfilled, will
greatly enhance the experience of being human.
Being
human means that individuals have the ability to create an environment where
they are all able to attain happiness irrespective of their backgrounds. All
humans have essentially the same needs that have to be satisfied in order to
bring about harmony as well as justice in their lives. In order to achieve
these goals, all societies have to ensure that they work towards fixing social
problems that are prevalent in the contemporary world. Through such an
initiative, it will be possible for individuals to stop focusing on simply
making ends meet and other worries, and instead seek to derive pleasure from
their lives, which should be the ultimate goal of being human. There is need to
ensure that a society that cares for all of its constituents, and caters for
all their interests at all times, is created. This is because it will help in
the provision of the necessary support that individuals need to have fulfilling
lives. Human beings, unlike other animals, are creatures that have the ability
to think rationally, and the exercise of this ability in constructive ways can
help in the advancement of the interests of the entire race. One of the biggest
challenges that faces humanity, which has been the case for a long time, has
been the greed and ambitions of individuals to ensure that they acquire as much
wealth and power as possible. This situation is always at the expense of a
majority of the population, which often has to work for long hours and attain
little benefits for their efforts. Under such circumstances, it is essential to
make sure that there is the creation a just and equitable society that requires
that those individuals who have the means support initiatives aimed at raising
the living standards of all the members of their societies. Increasing wages
and reducing living costs can also enable the underprivileged members of
society to attain a higher quality of life than is currently the case. The
available resources across the world are enough to support all human beings and
it is essential that they are utilized appropriately to benefit all people
rather than only a few individuals that form the global elite.
Works
Cited
de
Andreotti, Vanessa Oliveira. "Soft versus critical global citizenship
education." Development education in policy and practice. Palgrave
Macmillan UK, 2014.
King,
Leonard William. The code of Hammurabi. Netlancers Inc, 2014.
Ryff,
Carol D., and Burton H. Singer. "Know thyself and become what you are: A
eudaimonic approach to psychological well-being." The exploration
of happiness. Springer Netherlands, 2013. 97-116.
Sanders,
Nancy, ed. The epic of Gilgamesh. Penguin, 1972.
The
Kama Sutra of Vatsayayana. Kessinger Publishing, 2004.
