Verehumanitas

Bureaucrats fear personal responsibility and seek refuge behind their rules; their security and pride lie in their loyalty to rules, not in their loyalty to the laws of the human heart.

관료들은 개인의 책임을 회피하며 규칙의 이면으로 숨어 버린다. 그들의 안전과 자부심은 규칙에 대한 그들의 충성심에 있는 것이지 인간의 양심이라는 법률에 대한 충성심에 있는 것이 아니다.

—Erich Fromm 에리히 프롬, 『To Have or to BE? 소유냐 존재냐?』

Churchgoers fear personal responsibility and seek refuge behind their rules; their security and pride lie in their loyalty to rules, not in their loyalty to the laws of the human heart.

교인들은 개인의 책임을 회피하며 교리의 이면으로 숨어 버린다. 그들의 안전과 자부심은 교리에 대한 그들의 충성심에 있는 것이지 인간의 양심이라는 법률에 대한 충성심에 있는 것이 아니다.

In despair not want to be oneself, or in despair to want to be oneself is to sin.

When one desires to be other than oneself, he or she should not be content with the way he or she truly is, which –the discontentment –basically is generated out of greed and lust, consequently puts oneself into despair. Subsequently, adopting greed and lust–a source of despair–into one’s nature, if one, out of deceit and conceit–another source of despair–declares that way to be oneself, that one is perpetually trapped in despair.

Therefore, being in despair–lust and hypocrisy–one is to deteriorate inwardly, of mind and soul, until it is outwardly revealed ruining one’s entire life.

This state of being in despair, according to Kierkegaard, is sin, for what deteriorates human mind and soul eventually destroys body as well. Hence this source of despair–christianly, sinful nature: greed, lust, conceit, deceit, etc.–which was never true human nature but adopted–gives us “the sickness unto death”.

This sickness, Kierkegaard asserts, overspread not only general world but also christendom either consciously or unconsciously and it’s pointless to determine which way is worse, for either way will end up with desolation–yes, death indeed.

“爲君之道(위군지도) 必須先存百姓(필수선존백성)

지도자의 도리는 백성들을 먼저 살피는 것에 있다.

The way of a ruler is first to look after the people.

若損百姓以奉其身(약손백성이봉기신)

백성들에게 손해가 되는데도 자기의 욕심만을 채운다면

If a ruler only goes after self-interest even to the extent of harming the people

猶割股以啖腹(유할고이담복)

이는 자신의 넓적다리를 베어 배를 채우는 것과 마찬가지니

It is as good as eating on one’s own flesh.

腹飽而身斃(복포이신훙)

배는 불릴지라도 몸은 죽게 된다.

It may instantly fill one’s stomach, but the body will surely perish.

若安天下(약안천하)

천하를 바로 잡기를 바란다면

If a ruler wants to set the whole world upright,

必須先正其身(필수선정기신)

지도자 된 자로 누구보다 앞서 그 몸을 바르게 해야 한다.

one must be the first to stand upright.

未有身正而影曲(미유신정이영곡)

바로 서 있는데 그 그림자가 굽을 리 없고

As long as one stands upright, the shadow will never be crooked,

上治而下亂者(상치이하란자)

위에서 잘 다스리는데 아래서 어지러울 일은 없다.

nor will there be anything wrong with the lower while the upper governs upright.

朕每思(짐매사)

내가 늘 믿기로

Thus, I ever believe

傷其身者不在外物(상기신자부재외물)

몸을 상하게 하는 것이 밖에 있지 않으니,

What harms the body is not from the outside,

皆由嗜欲以成其禍(개유기욕이성기화)

오직 스스로의 욕망 때문에 화를 부르는 것 뿐이다.

but one's own lust only asks for it.

若躭嗜滋味(약탐기자미) 玩悅聲色(완열성색)

맛있는 음식을 탐하고 유흥과 성적만족만을 즐기기에 빠져들면,

Once indulged in debauchery of dainty food, entertainment, and sex,

所欲既多(소욕기다) 所損亦大(소손역대)

즐기면 즐길수록  집착만 더 커져서 그 손상이 막대할 것이다.

the more indulged the more obsessed; the greater harm it does,

既妨政事(기방정사)

그로 인해 다스리는 일을 그르치고

which will definitely corrupt one’s governing

又擾生民(우요생민)

백성들의 삶 또한 힘들게 된다.

as well as make the people’s life very miserable.

且復出一非理之言(차복출일비리지언)

도리에 어긋나는 지도자의 말 한마디는

A ruler’s remark that is unjustifiable

萬姓爲之解體(만성위지해체)

백성들을 어수선하고 소란하게 하여

will lead to civil unrest and turmoil

怨讟既作(원독기작) 離叛亦興(이반역흥)

결국 마음에 억울함을 품고 모반하는 이가 생길 것이니

and surely nurse grudge and rebellion against the ruler.

朕每思此(짐매사차) 不敢縱逸(불감종일)

나는 항상 이런 이치를 의식하여, 감히 함부로 나의 욕심대로 말하거나 행동하지 않는다.

Ever clear-minded with this principle, I dare not to remark or act out of my self-interest. “

—『貞觀政要(정관정요)』 ‘君道(군도)’편

‘The Way of the ruler’ from 『Zhenguan zhengyao 

[Essentials about politics from the Zhenguan reign (627-649)]』

『Man became a cog in the vast economic machine—an important one if he had much capital, an insignificant one if he has none—but always a cog to serve a purpose outside himself. This readiness for submission of one’s self to extrahuman ends was actually prepared by Protestantism,… one main point in Luther’s teaching was his emphasis on the evilness of human nature, the uselessness of his will and of his efforts. Calvin placed the same emphasis on the wickedness of man and put in the centre of his whole system the idea that man must humiliate his self-pride to the utmost; and furthermore that the purpose of man’s life is exclusively God’s glory and nothing of his own. Thus Luther and Calvin psychologically prepared man for the role which he had to assume in modern society:…Once man was ready to become nothing but the means for the glory of a God who represented neither justice nor love, he was sufficiently prepared to accept the role of a servant to the economic machine—and eventually a “Führer”.』

Erich Fromm in his book, Escape from Freedom distinguishes two aspects of freedom, ”freedom from” and “freedom to”. He explains human race has achieved “freedom from” external domination outside oneself, still needs to realize “freedom to” being a spontaneous-self who doesn’t sacrifice one’s own integrity for the sake of superimposed security from the outside. Without the realization of spontaneity in “freedom to” the self, one is bound to be insecure and incompetent with “freedom from” one external domineering power and eventually will submit his or her freedom to another convincing external power in exchange for pseudo-security. Absent of “the spontaneous realization of the self", the freedom one exercises can be simply illusory and destructive with which one can even enslave oneself to the most deteriorating nature such as fear, lust, deceit, etc.

However, once realized within, the spontaneous freedom will renew one’s world both inwardly and outwardly---with others and Nature respectively. Thus, one will be fully capable of exercising it with spontaneity especially in loving as well as in working without trying to domineer or exploit one another.

Above all, by living sponte, of one’s free will, not to exploit but to realize our real interests as human beings, we become capable of overcoming any gruesome threats or crises besetting our lives.

"In the long and virtually continuous battle for freedom, however, classes that were fighting against oppression at one stage sided with the enemies of freedom when victory was won and new privileges were to be defended."

"truth is one of the strongest weapons of those who have no power"

"P42: Blessedness is not the reward of virtue, but virtue itself; nor do we enjoy it because we restrain our lusts; on the contrary, because we enjoy it, we are able to restrain them."

Spinoza's the Ethics demonstrated in geometric order, however cumbersome it appears, goes straight toward a crystal-clear and distinct conclusion on the ultimate question of human life, ‘the method of living rightly’.

His tirelessly meticulous displays of comparisons between two contrary modes of existence plainly ushers us into a simple choice between ‘a life driven by lust and a life driven by divine law’.

Lust, the extrinsic affect contrary to human nature only leads human body to its bondage and destruction, but our true nature seeking our own advantage does willingly abide by the rules of the divine law which is also the very love of God and blessedness, by which human minds are constituted only to be fulfilled to the perfection of human body.

Thus, freed of human bondage of all the evil affects, our mind and body will always own true peace and satisfaction overcoming fear of death to live on eternity.