little one that taylor and his roommate found and I am caring for :)
Tuesday, April 27, 2010
Friday, April 9, 2010
Wild Reeds
A beautiful day with my dear friends Sharon, Kinsey, and Natalie who formed an outstanding band with beautiful music called the Wild Reeds. We did a promo shoot at the huntington gardens and had so much fun doing it. I love these friends, they have so much laughter and take so much joy in finding the simple beauties throughout their lives.
Thursday, April 1, 2010
J.S. Mill- On Diversity
Written for my 19th and 20th Century Philosophy Critical Analysis Paper:
The Quest For Individuality, according to Mill
J. S. Mill’s arguments in On Liberty are extremely important for the promotion of diversity. In this writing he argues for rights to individuality and advocated for these rights to be protected by the government. Throughout the book, Mill outlines his ideas of the importance of individuality. He gives us some basis for how the government should work to protect its citizens’ quest for that individuality by encouraging diversity.
Here at APU we are surrounded by the word ‘diversity’. It is one of our favorite topics. We write about it in each of our applications, and there are weeks devoted to exploring what it means as a campus community; it seems that we hear it constantly in chapel, the classrooms, and offices. It can at times seem overstated and it is easy for us to tune out when it is, yet again, the subject of another sermon. Because so many of us have become numb to this challenge of ‘diversity’ and we, as students, live in such a conformed demographic of people, I think Mill (in his time) might have sent a word of caution our way.
He explains simply that society has stifled individuality, far more so than the government. In this world and the world he lived in, the conformity of people to the majority is encouraged by what he calls the collective mediocrity. It is stifling the development of the ultimate goal of the good human life. He claims, “Society can and does execute its own mandates… penetrating much more deeply into the details of life, and enslaving the soul itself.” (p.4) He argues that the only way people can develop and achieve a better life is by being exposed to different ways of living. This is where his argument for diversity is boldest.
Mill’s main point, when it comes to diversity in lifestyles, is that they are instrumental goods (p. 49); they help us attain something good even if they are not good in themselves. We attain the intrinsic good of eccentric and diverse individuals that promote development of a better life. What diversity does for society is that it provides opportunities for people to compare their lives with others lives, this provides each person with differing lifestyles to bump up against and try out if they so choose.
In psychology, it is an accepted fact that a crucial part of development of the cognitive being is the allowance of the person to identify with and compare themselves to those around them. This is crucial to forming one’s own identity and growing into a fully functioning and adjusted human being. According to Mill, this is all for the purpose of achieving the best life possible and more fully developed human beings. These individuals are better for the health and service of the society as a whole, promoting the development of that very society. He states, “In proportion to the development of [one’s] individuality, each person becomes more valuable to himself, and is therefore capable of being more valuable to others.” (p. 52-53).
He also includes that people living in a society that would promote such individuality and diversity would have certain obligations. Each person should be responsible to tell the other what each has found out works and what does not in trying to attain the best life. This is helpful to distinguish the better from the worse without wasting time trying everything out for ourselves (p. 64-65). Most of this should be taught and learned in the formative years and the education system provides opportunities to teach children what adults with more experience have already found to be useful or not in attaining the better life.
Once an individual is out of school and becomes an adult it is up to them to try out different lifestyles and to discover, for themselves, what is the best life. This is an intrinsic good, and is true freedom that the government should protect. Mill believes that the government cannot infringe limitations upon people except to protect this freedom, sustaining diversity and the development of humanity.
One of the main critiques of this argument, as he himself points out, is the idea that no man is an island. There is nothing that people can do as free individuals that will only affect the individual, that no one is alone in the consequences of their actions (p. 67-68). He argues this objection by saying that although many times individuals, in their efforts to achieve the best life possible, make bad decisions that cause harm. To let them choose to live this way is a necessary sacrifice that society must make in order to allow true human freedom. People need to make mistakes, and try out different ways of living for themselves. Like previously stated, society is given ample time in the raising of children to teach what is a free and individually satisfying life versus what is a harmful life. What a society must punish is not the personal error, for that in itself becomes it’s own consequence, but the definite damage or definite risk of damage to another individual or to the public caused by that personal error. (p. 69)
What has become a large problem for the development of individuality and diversity is the allowance of customs and traditions, such as religion, to become the tyrannical majority. Most of religion’s primary objective is to conform people to one way of thinking, thus stifling individuality and diversity, and ultimately stifling the development of humanity. Western Christianity is especially known for its use of guilt and shame in the efforts of conformity. (34-35, 42, 51)
In thinking about Christianity in this way, I wonder if what the religion is really trying to do is not eliminate individuality, but to help show people what the ideal perfection of human nature is. I think that genuine Christians believe that Jesus was the example of the best human life and by evangelizing and converting others they are showing people how develop more fully into better human beings. Though this often times falls short of its goal. Mill makes a valid point in highlighting the disconnect between the commands and doctrines of the religion and the actual practices of those who claim to follow it. He points-out that, “[Christians] are not insincere when they say they believe these things. They do believe them… But in the sense of that living belief which regulates conduct, they believe these doctrines just up to the point to which it is usual to act upon them.”
When it comes to any religion, people cannot be forced to believe anything. Coinciding with Mill’s argument, we see that we must allow for people to experience life for themselves and to experiment for themselves. This is why diversity is so extremely important.
Individuality creates diversity. When there are healthy disparities, disagreements, and just people who are different, that is where diversity is found. It is important and it is something that every society (be it workplace, school, or what have you) should be afraid of losing. (p. 56) Without differing opinions and lifestyles to compare to one’s own, a society runs the risk of becoming stagnant. I am terrified of the complacency that I often feel, and often see in others. We need to be challenging each other to be better and to question all types of lifestyles, including our own. I hope that we feel refreshed by this idea, not numb to it. We, as humanity, and as a part of this small community at APU, need to challenge one another.
The Quest For Individuality, according to Mill
J. S. Mill’s arguments in On Liberty are extremely important for the promotion of diversity. In this writing he argues for rights to individuality and advocated for these rights to be protected by the government. Throughout the book, Mill outlines his ideas of the importance of individuality. He gives us some basis for how the government should work to protect its citizens’ quest for that individuality by encouraging diversity.
Here at APU we are surrounded by the word ‘diversity’. It is one of our favorite topics. We write about it in each of our applications, and there are weeks devoted to exploring what it means as a campus community; it seems that we hear it constantly in chapel, the classrooms, and offices. It can at times seem overstated and it is easy for us to tune out when it is, yet again, the subject of another sermon. Because so many of us have become numb to this challenge of ‘diversity’ and we, as students, live in such a conformed demographic of people, I think Mill (in his time) might have sent a word of caution our way.
He explains simply that society has stifled individuality, far more so than the government. In this world and the world he lived in, the conformity of people to the majority is encouraged by what he calls the collective mediocrity. It is stifling the development of the ultimate goal of the good human life. He claims, “Society can and does execute its own mandates… penetrating much more deeply into the details of life, and enslaving the soul itself.” (p.4) He argues that the only way people can develop and achieve a better life is by being exposed to different ways of living. This is where his argument for diversity is boldest.
Mill’s main point, when it comes to diversity in lifestyles, is that they are instrumental goods (p. 49); they help us attain something good even if they are not good in themselves. We attain the intrinsic good of eccentric and diverse individuals that promote development of a better life. What diversity does for society is that it provides opportunities for people to compare their lives with others lives, this provides each person with differing lifestyles to bump up against and try out if they so choose.
In psychology, it is an accepted fact that a crucial part of development of the cognitive being is the allowance of the person to identify with and compare themselves to those around them. This is crucial to forming one’s own identity and growing into a fully functioning and adjusted human being. According to Mill, this is all for the purpose of achieving the best life possible and more fully developed human beings. These individuals are better for the health and service of the society as a whole, promoting the development of that very society. He states, “In proportion to the development of [one’s] individuality, each person becomes more valuable to himself, and is therefore capable of being more valuable to others.” (p. 52-53).
He also includes that people living in a society that would promote such individuality and diversity would have certain obligations. Each person should be responsible to tell the other what each has found out works and what does not in trying to attain the best life. This is helpful to distinguish the better from the worse without wasting time trying everything out for ourselves (p. 64-65). Most of this should be taught and learned in the formative years and the education system provides opportunities to teach children what adults with more experience have already found to be useful or not in attaining the better life.
Once an individual is out of school and becomes an adult it is up to them to try out different lifestyles and to discover, for themselves, what is the best life. This is an intrinsic good, and is true freedom that the government should protect. Mill believes that the government cannot infringe limitations upon people except to protect this freedom, sustaining diversity and the development of humanity.
One of the main critiques of this argument, as he himself points out, is the idea that no man is an island. There is nothing that people can do as free individuals that will only affect the individual, that no one is alone in the consequences of their actions (p. 67-68). He argues this objection by saying that although many times individuals, in their efforts to achieve the best life possible, make bad decisions that cause harm. To let them choose to live this way is a necessary sacrifice that society must make in order to allow true human freedom. People need to make mistakes, and try out different ways of living for themselves. Like previously stated, society is given ample time in the raising of children to teach what is a free and individually satisfying life versus what is a harmful life. What a society must punish is not the personal error, for that in itself becomes it’s own consequence, but the definite damage or definite risk of damage to another individual or to the public caused by that personal error. (p. 69)
What has become a large problem for the development of individuality and diversity is the allowance of customs and traditions, such as religion, to become the tyrannical majority. Most of religion’s primary objective is to conform people to one way of thinking, thus stifling individuality and diversity, and ultimately stifling the development of humanity. Western Christianity is especially known for its use of guilt and shame in the efforts of conformity. (34-35, 42, 51)
In thinking about Christianity in this way, I wonder if what the religion is really trying to do is not eliminate individuality, but to help show people what the ideal perfection of human nature is. I think that genuine Christians believe that Jesus was the example of the best human life and by evangelizing and converting others they are showing people how develop more fully into better human beings. Though this often times falls short of its goal. Mill makes a valid point in highlighting the disconnect between the commands and doctrines of the religion and the actual practices of those who claim to follow it. He points-out that, “[Christians] are not insincere when they say they believe these things. They do believe them… But in the sense of that living belief which regulates conduct, they believe these doctrines just up to the point to which it is usual to act upon them.”
When it comes to any religion, people cannot be forced to believe anything. Coinciding with Mill’s argument, we see that we must allow for people to experience life for themselves and to experiment for themselves. This is why diversity is so extremely important.
Individuality creates diversity. When there are healthy disparities, disagreements, and just people who are different, that is where diversity is found. It is important and it is something that every society (be it workplace, school, or what have you) should be afraid of losing. (p. 56) Without differing opinions and lifestyles to compare to one’s own, a society runs the risk of becoming stagnant. I am terrified of the complacency that I often feel, and often see in others. We need to be challenging each other to be better and to question all types of lifestyles, including our own. I hope that we feel refreshed by this idea, not numb to it. We, as humanity, and as a part of this small community at APU, need to challenge one another.
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