Wednesday, November 11, 2009
Question B
A love based society would solve so many problems people face today. It really would be a wonderful thing. But as amazing as the idea of a society based all on love is, I think that it is extremely unlikely to happen or for it to even last long if it lasted at all in the beginning. The idea of everyone loving each other is great. I mean if it worked out world peace would finally occur and most people would be happier then they are today. Everyone would love their neighbor and get along extremely well. And I think that if a selected amount of specially chosen people were placed in a town with the concept of all you need is love, they could possibly live purely based on that, at least for a while. However the fact of the matter is no matter how many are raised on the concept that one only needs love, someone is bound to question it and disagree. For many people who did not agree with the concept, and there would be many, would take advantage of those who did and somehow turn that love and use it to benefit them in an unloving way. People in general don't get along with everyone and can not possibly love every single person they meet. It just isn't realistic to think that could happen. People retaliate and express how they feel on issues and arguments, disagreements, and hatred arises within people naturally. You can't simply ignore your thoughts and feelings if they might cause you to hate someone or thing. A society based solely on love would be amazing. The thing is, it could not happen in reality, people are too strong willed and opinionated for love to have that much power in a society.
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I agree that eventually someone would come around who would see the world filled with love and kindness and simply view an opportunity to take advantage and control of people. It's simply impossible to believe that there would never be someone who viewed the world differently. There have always been people who view the world differently and they have often changed the way most people view the world. As for your comment that eventually someone would not get along with someone else and retaliate over a disagreement, don't you think that if they have been raised to be loving and kind they would deal with their disagreement in a peaceful and kind manner and forgive each other?
ReplyDeleteI agree with you when you say that on a smaller scale, like a town or something, believing oly in love would work for a little while. The thing that is unique about us is that we are all different and have our own opinions. Although you may say that having different opinions doesn't mean there is no love, but if people believe so strongly in their opinions, there is no way they could love each other. I agree with you when you say a society as a whole cannot just live on the concept of love because there is no way that there would be stability and someone would definitely take advantage of this setting.
ReplyDeleteI agree with you in that sure, great, everyone is taught to love one another. That would be incredible! However, if someone is raised to believe that love is the correct path, why question it at all. Although this may not be a Daoist society, why is there a need to challenge a peaceful and effecient system?
ReplyDeleteYou have somewhat missed the point of the question. I didn't ask if you thought a society based on love was achievable. What I asked was even more fundamental and hypothetical in nature: would a harmonious society necessarily follow from everyone treating everyone else lovingly? Would the result be civil and social stability or not?
ReplyDeleteThe question of whether we can achieve it or not in our society is secondary to the question of whether or not it would produce the desired result. I want to know if a society governed solely by love and kindness is even worth trying to achieve. See where I'm coming from?
The answer isn’t as obvious as you seem to think. Visualize what a society would be like if everyone was taught from birth to be nice and to think about others before themselves. Would there be things like laws and schools (civil order)? Would it be “loving” to set a speed limit? Would there be things like families and dating (social order)? Remember, we’d need to love everybody equally—no favorites! Just because people are kind to you, would you necessarily have a happy life?
Also, don’t forget about the other part of my question: if love isn’t enough, then what else is needed? Was Confucius on to something when he spoke of li?