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02/28/2008: "2:50"

music: waiting for itunes to update >_<
mood: blah

should be sleeping but whatever

Today in class (Power, Transnationalism and Interndependence - long title to be explained at another date) we had this rather intense discussion about universal norms and universal morality. The book we had to read this week was about Transnational Advocacy Groups - these organization work across state boundaries and borders usually in dealing with cultural issues, moral issues, issues of right and wrong. So my teacher posed this question. Is what we consider morality evolving? The book looked at issues of slavery, female circumcision etc and he pointed out how over time these moral issues are evolving to be universally relevant. One of the girls in my class was an anthropology major as an undergrad and she made a good point, something that I agree mostly with. She said that cultural morality is relevant to that specific culture. Which in a way is very true. What the West (the U.S. etc) considers as it moral compass may not be what other cultures use as their moral compass. Together we brought forth an interesting point. How did centuries of cultural practice suddenly become morally wrong? One of the examples discussed in class was female circumcision. Now don't get me wrong, personally I find the practice morally wrong, but for hundreds of years it was practiced in those communities and was never frowned upon until SOMEONE else went in and said "Hey! what you are doing is wrong!" Is the world a better place for ending this practice? Maybe - but why does it have to be someone else's call to say so. From what I understand (and I don't pretend to know a lot) it is the woman of these cultures that continue this practice - so clearly it has some cultural value to them. So it is there a responsibility for a universal morality? I don't know.

MOST of the students in my class would say yes. And I partly understand why. They are all poli-sci/international studies students and as such are taught to think about globalization and utilitarian efforts - the greater good, the exportation of our ideals. We (PS/IS) are taught to think about the structure of systems rather than the individuals.

While I am very much a student of these political philosophies I have a very hard time in dealing with extremes. In this respect I mean don't go so extreme into your own belief system that you feel you must push your doctrines onto others. This isnt just for politics, or culture but covers the whole gamut - religion, sexual preference, abortion, any kind of ideology. Why should what I believe in be what you believe in?

The conversation was interesting, however some people took it personally. And they took it personally because of something that had happened to them which I can understand but at the same time you can not be so subjective that you lose sight of a valid argument.

Okay enough class talk - although I did see bumper sticker on my way back from class and it made me laugh:



It kinda ties in but that is also a whole other looong post in which I could go on and on about - probably will in a paper one day