Don’t pretend we’ve ever been better than that as a species. The exact form it takes changes (who does ermine fur anymore?) but the idea stays the same.
What’s the culture where people don’t covet meaningless status symbols? Even hunter gatherer cultures have generated examples, and they can’t own much more than they can carry.
What’s the culture where people don’t covet meaningless status symbols?
While there are numerous examples of such philosophies and cultures around the globe, I don’t actually need to identify such a culture to demonstrate my point.
If one can remain human without engaging in this behavior, this behavior is not a characteristic of the human condition.
The question before you is whether the members of such a hypothetical culture are inhuman specifically because they do not engage in that covetous behavior.
The abhorrent behaviors being described are conditions of ideas held by certain members of the species. The species is not lessened by the rejection of such ideas. The “certain members” are lessened by their adherence to those ideas.
That’s an interesting way of looking at it. Don’t you think there’s a human nature that’s not strictly learned? It seems to me that history repeats way more than it should if we were that good at changing.
Like, obviously, there’s variance at the individual level, but it seems like the population as a whole has striking similarities, regardless of where you travel or what era in history you’re reading about.
While there are numerous examples of such philosophies and cultures around the globe
Dovetailing into that, a philosophy is not a culture. Philosophies at best sightly influence cultures, as actually practiced, and even that is overblown. Since this is Lemmy, I’ll use the example of how well Western Christians follow teachings about not being greedy or whatever. Other cultures have similar facets.
I use “philosophy” to mean one’s individual, personal relationship with reality: how they choose to interact with the world around them. I understand this is a somewhat atypical use. There is probably a better word for that concept. It eludes me at this time.
As I used the term, “Christian teachings” (etc.) would only qualify as a philosophy if the individual actually adheres to those tenets. If not, those teachings are just a work of fiction.
There certainly are “striking similarities” throughout the the populace and time. My point is that we don’t need to accept, excuse, explain, or tolerate those widespread behaviors simply because they are widespread. As I see it, “Human nature” is a slightly more egalitarian synonym for “boys will be boys”.
I’m not saying this is okay either, but it’s the way the world is, isn’t it? Humanity isn’t doing a great job overall, at least in an absolute sense, and part of that is that adults absolutely do buy stupid status symbols to flex on each other.
I think explaining is a very worthy pursuit. As for tolerating, I’m not actually in charge, so I don’t have a choice!
Soooo, adults?
Don’t pretend we’ve ever been better than that as a species. The exact form it takes changes (who does ermine fur anymore?) but the idea stays the same.
Will you make the argument that people who refuse to follow such fashion trends are somehow inhuman?
If you are unwilling to make such an argument, I will not accept your premise that this is a trait of the “species”.
What you (and the parent comment) are describing is a characteristic of certain childish behaviors, philosophies and cultures.
The sophomoric behavior of these geriatric children is not an indictment of humanity in general.
More like, most common allele within the species.
What’s the culture where people don’t covet meaningless status symbols? Even hunter gatherer cultures have generated examples, and they can’t own much more than they can carry.
While there are numerous examples of such philosophies and cultures around the globe, I don’t actually need to identify such a culture to demonstrate my point.
If one can remain human without engaging in this behavior, this behavior is not a characteristic of the human condition.
The question before you is whether the members of such a hypothetical culture are inhuman specifically because they do not engage in that covetous behavior.
The abhorrent behaviors being described are conditions of ideas held by certain members of the species. The species is not lessened by the rejection of such ideas. The “certain members” are lessened by their adherence to those ideas.
That’s an interesting way of looking at it. Don’t you think there’s a human nature that’s not strictly learned? It seems to me that history repeats way more than it should if we were that good at changing.
Like, obviously, there’s variance at the individual level, but it seems like the population as a whole has striking similarities, regardless of where you travel or what era in history you’re reading about.
Dovetailing into that, a philosophy is not a culture. Philosophies at best sightly influence cultures, as actually practiced, and even that is overblown. Since this is Lemmy, I’ll use the example of how well Western Christians follow teachings about not being greedy or whatever. Other cultures have similar facets.
I use “philosophy” to mean one’s individual, personal relationship with reality: how they choose to interact with the world around them. I understand this is a somewhat atypical use. There is probably a better word for that concept. It eludes me at this time.
As I used the term, “Christian teachings” (etc.) would only qualify as a philosophy if the individual actually adheres to those tenets. If not, those teachings are just a work of fiction.
There certainly are “striking similarities” throughout the the populace and time. My point is that we don’t need to accept, excuse, explain, or tolerate those widespread behaviors simply because they are widespread. As I see it, “Human nature” is a slightly more egalitarian synonym for “boys will be boys”.
I’m not saying this is okay either, but it’s the way the world is, isn’t it? Humanity isn’t doing a great job overall, at least in an absolute sense, and part of that is that adults absolutely do buy stupid status symbols to flex on each other.
I think explaining is a very worthy pursuit. As for tolerating, I’m not actually in charge, so I don’t have a choice!
Exactly. And when they do, we don’t say “Well, that’s just what humanity does”.
We say “Despise these covetous pricks”.