Contradiction in my Soul

What is this contradiction that I feel in my soul from time to time? Is it that life is replete with contradictions? Absolutely yes and they are felt by each rational soul. They are necessary because they help us to evaluate both sides of dualism, independently and co-dependently. The wise soul is able to discern and understand the contradictions spiritually (philosophically or transcendentally for those who are agnostics, atheists or nonbelievers). The truth is and always will be ever so poignant.

It is not necessary that one experiences all of the contradictions in life; if one did, he would be perfect, eternal and not human. But just to experience one contradiction in life is enough to say that sometimes we must struggle to find the truth and accept.

Cultural relativism (diversity) states that what might be acceptable morally in one cultural group does not have to be accepted in another. Anthropologists have noted that in some primitive cultures, e.g., indigenous people in the Amazon rainforest, kill their old.

In Japan the elderly are generally treated with the utmost respect. Many Japanese families have several generations living under one roof. This factor is believed to be one of the many reasons that the elderly in Japan live longer than any other population. In fact, there are more elderly citizens than young people in Japan. The population is comprised of more people over the age of 65 than any other age group.

But what are we doing in America for the elderly. I remember a time, when I was growing up, that a young person (black or white) would never use profanity to, or in the presence of an elderly person. As far as that goes, only a small percentage of the American population used profanity. Then, we called them the bad people! So in fact, if the religious right sees a loss in morality because of these types of social behaviors, they make a good point.

As a matter of fact, Kantian ethics express this truth in his categorical imperatives

Constrained only by the principle of universalizability, the practical reason of any rational being understands the categorical imperative to be: "Act only according to that maxim whereby you can at the same time will that it should become a universal law." That is, each individual agent regards itself as determining, by its decision to act in a certain way, that everyone (including itself) will always act according to the same general rule in the future. This expression of the moral law, Kant maintained, provides a concrete, practical method for evaluating particular human actions of several distinct varieties.

Kant offered the "formula of the end in itself" as: "Act in such a way that you treat humanity, whether in your own person or in the person of another, always at the same time as an end and never simply as a means." This places more emphasis on the unique value of human life as deserving of our ultimate moral respect and thus proposes a more personal view of morality. In application to particular cases, of course, it yields the same results: violating a perfect duty by making a false promise (or killing myself) would be to treat another person (or myself) merely as a means for getting money (or avoiding pain), and violating an imperfect duty by refusing to offer benevolence (or neglecting my talents) would be a failure to treat another person (or myself) as an end in itself. Thus, the Kantian imperative agrees with the Christian expression of "The Golden Rule" by demanding that we derive from our own self-interest a generalized concern for all human beings.

The contradiction in many souls is that Kant is preferred over Scriptures, not realizing that he acknowledges the Golden Rule”. He is a philosopher and not a theologian, they say. Can our souls be that conflicted? I think not! It is a matter of freewill of the rational soul. And what about the conflict in the American soul? Shall we continue in these things that division yet occurs among its citizenry and especially the disadvantaged souls; as we concede to the social constructions and the many “isms” that divide us?

And what about the conflict that arises in my soul much much too often? I remember Joshua, the successor of Moses who delivered the House of Israel from the mighty hands of the Pharaoh.

Joshua 24; 14-15

14 Now therefore fear the Lord, and serve him in sincerity and in truth: and put away the gods which your fathers served on the other side of the flood, and in Egypt; and serve ye the Lord.

15 And if it seem evil unto you to serve the Lord, choose you this day whom ye will serve; whether the gods which your fathers served that were on the other side of the flood, or the gods of the Amorites, in whose land ye dwell: but as for me and my house, we will serve the Lord.