When asked what he thought of western civilisation Gandhi famously responded, “I think it would be an excellent idea”.
As his quip wonderfully illustrates, perception is all, as it was in Nazi Germany when, in the name of prevailing values, they set up about a project named “Action T4” that euthanized any under threes that displayed signs of retardation or physical disability.
Anthropologists do not encourage the deployment of the word “civilisation”. They perceive it to be a judgmental concept, steeped in the cultural relativism of the west, that helps divide people into Savages, Barbarians and Civilised. It can also provide justification for colonialism and genocide as the 'civilised' act on their prevailing perceptions.
Civilisations almost always have a complex form of social organisation that has a ruling elite which the state systems maintain. As Brunson Alcott, a US educator put it: “Civilisation degrades the many to exalt the few”.
The elite needs the compliance of the ruled majority. It does not particularly matter on which style of ideology these guidelines are based. If the majority perceives the ideological principles to be sound then the society exists in harmony.
Certain Hebrew civilisations for example, are underpinned by moral and ethical principles lived in accordance with the scripture of Moses. Clearly, euthanasia is not fundamental to those societies.
Problems arise when the view of a society’s citizens clash with the stance of the ruling elite. In his book “Collapse: How Societies Choose to Fail or Succeed”, Jared Diamond suggests one of the reasons cultures have collapsed is societal responses to internal and environmental problems.
The ruling elite issues laws that clash with the stance of its citizens. There has been a shift in fundamental principles, the harmony between the elite and the majority destroyed and the conflict causes a lack of moral unity.
The society surrenders in part due to moral disintegration.
Until there is a prevailing perception that to keep people alive who are “unfit to live” is ideologically unacceptable, the issue will not cause moral collapse.
Given there will always be questions of competence, adherence to the Hippocratic Oath and differing theological stances, this change in perception is not likely to happen.
As western nations continue to face the problems of falling fertility rates, aging populations (with rising cases of dementia), so the burden on healthcare and pension systems will probably force more societies to examine their legalisation on euthanasia; but as it is such an emotive, multi faced issue it will never be fundamental to civilised societies.
Communication and debate will.
“Disinterested intellectual curiosity is the life blood of real civilisation”
G.M. Trevelyan, English historian.
As his quip wonderfully illustrates, perception is all, as it was in Nazi Germany when, in the name of prevailing values, they set up about a project named “Action T4” that euthanized any under threes that displayed signs of retardation or physical disability.
Anthropologists do not encourage the deployment of the word “civilisation”. They perceive it to be a judgmental concept, steeped in the cultural relativism of the west, that helps divide people into Savages, Barbarians and Civilised. It can also provide justification for colonialism and genocide as the 'civilised' act on their prevailing perceptions.
Civilisations almost always have a complex form of social organisation that has a ruling elite which the state systems maintain. As Brunson Alcott, a US educator put it: “Civilisation degrades the many to exalt the few”.
The elite needs the compliance of the ruled majority. It does not particularly matter on which style of ideology these guidelines are based. If the majority perceives the ideological principles to be sound then the society exists in harmony.
Certain Hebrew civilisations for example, are underpinned by moral and ethical principles lived in accordance with the scripture of Moses. Clearly, euthanasia is not fundamental to those societies.
Problems arise when the view of a society’s citizens clash with the stance of the ruling elite. In his book “Collapse: How Societies Choose to Fail or Succeed”, Jared Diamond suggests one of the reasons cultures have collapsed is societal responses to internal and environmental problems.
The ruling elite issues laws that clash with the stance of its citizens. There has been a shift in fundamental principles, the harmony between the elite and the majority destroyed and the conflict causes a lack of moral unity.
The society surrenders in part due to moral disintegration.
Until there is a prevailing perception that to keep people alive who are “unfit to live” is ideologically unacceptable, the issue will not cause moral collapse.
Given there will always be questions of competence, adherence to the Hippocratic Oath and differing theological stances, this change in perception is not likely to happen.
As western nations continue to face the problems of falling fertility rates, aging populations (with rising cases of dementia), so the burden on healthcare and pension systems will probably force more societies to examine their legalisation on euthanasia; but as it is such an emotive, multi faced issue it will never be fundamental to civilised societies.
Communication and debate will.
“Disinterested intellectual curiosity is the life blood of real civilisation”
G.M. Trevelyan, English historian.
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