"In the State of Nature we are free animals but enslaved human beings; in the State of Society we are enslaved animals but free human beings. Christianity has conquered freedom for Mankind; and now Mankind uses that freedom to destroy Christianity." (Winter-Spring 2008).
I wrote this phrases some years ago, and in retrospective I find them very interesting. I was reading Hegel at that moment, who I think inspired me to reach this conclusion. But now I discover that the first part of the statement is absolutely modern in principle. The idea that nature is previous and contrary to human enterprise and that our reason is our spiritual endowment to conquer beastly nature is so a modern idea that we can find it widespread from Descartes to Marx and beyond. There is implicitly a progressive approach of human nature. On the contrary, for ancient thinkers, and especially for Aristotle, nature is not contrary to human industry, but is the foundation of it. We use our rational endowments like language and labor by nature and not contrary to it, as if to conquer it.
But then, to understand the first part of the statement; that humanity and its reason is somehow superior to the State of Nature; we must pay heed to the second part. That the conquest of nature by our human endowments was facilitated by Christianity in particular, and by our Jude moral backgrounds in general, is an idea that I drew from Hegel's historical philosophy, and that is determinant to understand Modern political and ethical thinking. Nietzsche might be the genius in discovering the injustice underlying the Christian struggle against our bodily nature, and the motive why he rises against all Modern thinking. But I think that he might have committed and injustice against Ancient philosophy, and especially against Aristotle if he includes, as I think he actually does, Ancient thought with Christian and Modern thought. His statement in the The Will to Power that Plato is the first Christian might sound plausible, but I think he is wrong. In order to prove this, I would need more than a blog article, but an academic thesis, which is not proper here.
The interesting thing to point out is that it was historically impossible, if not absolutely absurd, for Ancient thought to reach the conclusion that human reason and its endowments were contrary to nature and bound to conquer it, as Modern thinking does. Christianity was missing. Hence, we find no progressive thinking in the Ancients, but cyclical accounts of history. Isn't it the Eternal Return of Nietzsche a very Ancient idea contrary to Modern thought? I think it is. Nietzsche gives us the clue to understand the departure of Modern and Ancient thought that we can trace back to Christianity. Now my question goes: Can we, contemporary minds find a synthesis between Ancient cyclical thought and Christian morality? That, I think, is the challenge posted by today's Postmodernism.
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Being this true, it is of essence to consider the real `fact developments` that has brought us to this era. Era that brings this realities forth, this trains of thought.
Defining the human state of being, specially when analized in terms of enviromental, political and material (economical) context (evolution-development-industrialization-Capitalization and finally MEDIATIZATION)is very delicate. You cannot have the one without regarding the other.
Allow me to explain. The different changes, expansions and mutations of human thought throughout history, both in philosophy and in socio-psychological terms have led us to a crossroad.
Our lifestyles or the ones of the mass gross populations in the developed world (specially Europe)
has striven so afar from both social structures and natural Habitat-Ecosystem that a comparison to Classical values might prove pointless-
The crisis, or the question inside post modernity is that citizens, if you dare call them that, are neither a self acknowledged piece of society nor has any contextual reference to the long suppressed ties that bind us to our natural human NATURE.
In the Aftermath of overloaded progress and population explosion the postmodern world has made, out of millions of souls, the residue of a mathematical division. An equation of little rules where many ignorant carelessly exploit and abuse of both their planet, their environment, their fellow neighbor and many a principle of morals and ethics elemental for the functioning of a healthy society, let alone Nation.
So much milk, blood and treasure spilt for no real morals, no fundamental values of transcendence; all reference that might have made an argument in ancient Greece.
Those arguments which nowadays; in our metrical calculative, cost and profit, winners or looser century; lack absolute essence.
It is interesting for the comparison, where in the developing world, specially the Americas and other more savage places, Nature and the ecosystem experience of the individual form a particular social and ethical character in the subjects of life, nature, humanism, contact and society.
I would recommend some of the essays of Octavio Paz (Nobel prize, Mexico) where he even dares to expose that in the Americas and most the indigenous heritage regions, their peoples nowadays see Justice very related with the almost animalistic, naturalistic way of life they perused. That Divine Justice of none. The eternal timeless chaos that rules(ed) over all before the braking of Gaia´s womb, to never come back again.
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