Week Three

I have learned three important aspects of the Islam culture to widen my worldview of the Human Dignity. 

Islamic freedom: no other religion but Islam is acceptable. Critics of Islam are persecuted and killed. Additionally, the Prophet Mohammed had his critics assassinated routinely.

Islamic equality: A Muslim male has the highest worth. He can have four wives, can beat them, and change them as he pleases. His blood money is much higher than woman or a non-Muslim. A non-Muslim can never marry a Muslim woman. Moreover, women and non-Muslims cannot hold high positions in society

Islamic justice: Killing a pagan if he refuses to convert to Islam, looting his property, and raping his wife and daughters are pious acts worthy of honor and paradise.  However, stealing bread from a Muslim is a heinous crime deserving of punishment, thus, getting the hands cut off. A Woman must also produce four male witnesses if she reports a rape otherwise she herself gets stoned for adultery.

Overall, Islamic human dignity promotes slavery (a slave running away from a Muslim is supposed to go to hell). Additionally, Muslims can have sex with captured women and slaves. In Islam, the notion of human dignity is an essential character of the religion and culture.  It says that human beings are the vicegerent of God.  He bestowed them the superior potentiality and honor than the other creatures of Him, for instance, Khalaqnal insana  fi ahsane taqbeem and The Quran.  In Islam, the sense of dignity differs between human beings and beasts or animals. 

Human Dignity is a universal concept, but it differs greatly from each culture and society.  I disagree with the definition of human dignity in Islam, but it is not my duty to tell them that their religion is wrong.  I cannot do that because I was taught to respect other religions and cultures.  I cannot tell someone to stop being who he or she is in life.  How would I feel if someone told me that my definition of human dignity is wrong or that what I believe is immoral?  There is no right answer.  People need to choose their own path, and their own definition of human dignity. I cannot nor anyone else tell another human being what to believe in.

Week Two

“All individuals are equal; no other species is equal to humanity,” this quote reached me to higher level of thought because of the power and beliefs it provoked for human beings.  I believe it provoked these emotions because that is how the author made me feel.  Therefore, I feel that this statement by George Kateb from his novel “Human Dignity” is very compelling because it was stimulating and perplexing at the same time.'
 

Furthermore, for others to understand this statement as I did, I broke it down into two proclamations.  The first is that “All individuals are equal” many people can question this thought and have their own opinions, but for me I believe that everyone is equal on this planet.   Therefore, my full belief is that all individuals are equal as human beings and by virtue of the inherent dignity of each human person. No one should then suffer discrimination based on race, color, ethnicity, gender, age, language, sexual orientation, religion, political or other opinion, national, social or geographical origin, disability, property, birth or other status as established by human rights standards. 

All individuals are equal, Can't you tell?

Additionally, the second proclamation is, “No other species is equal to humanity.”  I found this statement confounding and conflicting internally.  It made me feel as a human that I was very high on the hierarchy of planet Earth, but made me feel bad about myself.  I had pride, but no dignity with this second statement.  My belief is that humans are not inferior nor animals are inferior to humans. Animals do not always follow instinct, for example, some dogs have been tamed. As humans, we have been tamed by our society.  If a human was placed on, a desert island with no knowledge of their society could not that person act wild and uncivilized.  For other species that means their instinct was extracted from them as well as many animals we take in our society. In addition, animals can feel pain, despair, and happiness.  Animals can sense when we are good and when we are bad.  They can have judgments and opinions about us. I do believe there are animals that are smarter than some humans are, but most of time we do not see it or acknowledge it.  Because we are human, we see only ourselves, and our dignity in the world that matters. This needs to change.

human = animal or does it?

Week One

There is no formal definition for the term human dignity.  However, every culture, people, and religions have their own definitions of this term.  Human dignity to me means the earning or the expectation of personal respect and esteem.  I feel that everyone is entitled to respect when he or she is born, and if it is taken for granted or used poorly than it can be procured away.  For me, respect is the central idea of human dignity.  Furthermore, the impression of human dignity supports the understanding of recognition, and the principle of human dignity confirms that the knowledge is possible in relation to all human beings.  In essence, human dignity is the foundation of the human being; it makes us who we are.  We must be able to respect each person, as we should value ourselves.  Finally, every person has human dignity, every person experiences it, and every person feels it. 

This video comes from YouTube:

I decided to add to my first blog because the first time I heard the topic be mentioned in class I thought of this extact clip of the musical Rent

A class that I am in right now, we are discussing the mass topic of Human Dignity.  Moreover, there are a few things that I would like to explore and learn about in this class.  Firstly, I want to learn about human dignity in other cultures.  I want to learn about respect in other cultures.  I only know my own, and that does not serve me well, if I am too truly discuss human dignity.  Additionally, I would want to know more about the words “human” and “dignity” and really break them down to the fundamentals.  I do not know why, but I feel like that could open doors for us to see new perspectives.  Finally, the history of human dignity, how has it changed over the thousands of years?  Do we have the same or similar beliefs that people did before us?  How has different religions affected human dignity?  Positive and Negative views of Human dignity?  Are we born with human dignity, is it earned?  Can it be destroyed or taken away.  Have so many questions that I want to answer and explore.