The Final Journey: The Realm of Humanities

Across the realm of humanities and exploring what it means to be human and to function within this world, multiple perspectives have been examined and inquired. To be human and experience the world we live in is seen through the mathematics, sciences, have a cognition of other possible worlds around us; of the divine, or know what it means to have justice and ethics (morals). But what exactly do such ideas — ideas concerning laws, morals, nature, and so forth — have in the human experience? Each individual on this earth plays a role in our experiences as humans. Within this place we call earth, with the very aspects of nature and spaces of sacredness, prospects of love, concepts of beauty and art, knowing law and ethical decisions, and the inner journey each person takes in live to hopefully understand the meaning of human reality plays an important role, forming us as humans into the beings we are.

In the Introductory Unit, the focus was primarily on the concept of the left and right brain, the cognitive-affective ways of knowing, metaphor, writing and oral language, the various forms of storytelling, and the human experience of time.  In arguing the concepts for the concept of a left and right brain, Leonard Shlain talks about in his book, The Alphabet versus the Goddess: The Conflict Between Word and Image, how it’s through the corpus callosum that allows these two hemispheres to communicate and integrate the information being processed or send out. The brain is what brings the experiences we have into a perspective we can handle, even if it is outside of our initial cognition. Through the right hemisphere, humans integrate feelings, acknowledge images, and can decide whether or not the music that’s being played is pleasing — it’s also the main side which allows human to understand and process the senses’ input in one fluid motion. The right side is more intuitive when it comes to primal instincts and more nonverbal cues (such as gestures or facial expressions), and it’s often the side that cues emotional responses, such as blushing or smirking; all giving an impression of being (according to Shlain). Where our left hemisphere is concentrated with doing and is more in-depth with fine motor skills, the component of speech, numbers, and more so, logic, along with balance and motor movement, which is subsequently rather important when it comes to survival. In the cognitive-affective ways of knowing, there’s the idea, again, of the cognitive being more associated with the left side — the ways of gathering information by, for example, the senses or thought process, where the affective is more centered in the right brain, as it is more affiliated with moods, feelings, and attitudes. As a response to this, in Karen Armstrong’s A Short History of Myth, she notes that some of the characteristics of the human mind include its ability to have ideas and experiences that we as humans cannot explain in rational ways — or not without metaphors. The human imagination is a powerful force human beings have, and it plays a significant role in our daily lives. Metaphors help us to essentially explain the unexplainable, using imagery, gestures, and/or diction, so that others can understand the experiences we’ve individually experienced. As to writing and the oral language, David Abram addresses this topic in his work, The Spell of the Sensuous, which he writes about how humanity used to use symbols or gestures — which gave way to speech, giving tribes and various indigenous cultures oral tradition, which gives the listeners to the history, myths, and stories being told, a sensual stimulation, as the tone and setting in which the storyteller would tell the story would either be similar, or the exact place the story may have taken place. Abrams also tells about how those symbols would develop into text, which would be another form of communication and storytelling, one that is less stimulating, but allows for information to be taken down, and can be later on confirmed as truth or a lie. Written text often withstands the test of time, where oral traditions fade out due to the continual discontinuation of the practice. The human experience of time is mostly centered around the creation of the world and of humanity, as well as the practices of prophets and other religious figures claiming to foresee the future. The experience of time is one that is vast, as humans continue to expand in its concepts — whether it is viewed as linear or cyclical.

In the second unit studied, Human beings, Nature, and Sacred Space were the topics studied. Through the exploration of humans and humanity across various cultures cultures, there’s different viewpoints on human treatment and how to live as, well, human beings. Take for example the cultures explored by Michel de Montaigne in his works The Essays: “Of Cannibals,” and how the people he observed who came back from exploring the new worlds, listening to their stories, and analyzing each one’s response. In his work there’s the addressing of the nations deemed as unclean and barbarians, as they practiced the act of cannibalism towards those they captured as prisoners from wars — it’s important to note that these wars were not fought out of strife, blood, and mere murder, unlike those seen in Europe. It’s in this essay that the white Europeans who claim to be godlike and practice holy mannerism are if anything, at the same level of these acclaimed barbarians. There is no cannibalism practiced, but the ethics seen within each culture are similar in many aspects. In relation to the human experience, there are many relations between individuals across the world and with the encounters between different people groups. It’s important to note the significance of nature in the world of humanity, as nature is all around us, as humans beings — even in those dwelling in cities. Nature is something that should be respected, interacted with, at times, but through the idea of respect, left alone, as it possess a power so great that human intervention would be pointless. In the film, Grizzly Man, with Timothy Treadwell, Treadwell displays an obvious, yet dangerous passion for nature, specifically grizzly bears. Treadwell believed that humans must show nature who is dominant — that we as human beings must protect wildlife and die for it, but not by it. Treadwell is correct in the idea that humans are a part of nature, for we live in it, as said before, but interacting with specific aspects of it are not wise. Werner Herzog, the man who narrates Grizzly Man, as Timothy Treadwell and his then-girlfriend were mutilated and killed by a grizzly, comments that we are the dominant beings, but there is must be a mutual fear and respect between two species, otherwise the world of nature cannot go on as it is. As for sacred spaces, these spaces can be almost anywhere. They can be a room, a specific place, and so forth — any place that is believed to be a place of solace and/or spiritual significance. One film that was watched was National Geographic’s Australia’s Aborigines, which is goes through and interviews members of the Aborigines, asking them what each elder’s role is, how they came to be, and therefore, what is specifically sacred to them. In this, each elder has a role that ultimately is due to spiritual believes, which is that all nature is a sacred, and in which must be preserved. They believe that the places where in caves or rock faces. Many paintings mark these sacred places, as the Ancestors lived by them, some even put themselves in the rock, or land, to dwell. It’s these places that draw the Aborigines together and life to fulfill the destinies the spirits call them toward, as they want to keep the rituals alive, as well as the beliefs of a people so ancient.

Moving onto the third unit of study is the Love, Beauty and Art unit. It’s in this unit that the various definitions and views of love, beauty, and art where discussed and analyzed, as well as philosophically evaluated. The role love  plays is it being one of the most sought after feelings and emotions by humans. There’s an every present urge and want to be loved, feel love, and show love, whether it's friendly, familial, or romantic. The most common form of love sought for is a passionate, romantic love. This love, however can often be short-lived, as reality overcomes. In The Power of Myth on “Love and the Goddess”, through the different loves stories seen between Greek goddesses and mortals, the love is intense, but much less sincere and more selfishly motivated. The human experience of love is unique, however, as each individual experiences at least one or two aspects of love in a different way, it’s a part of our sense to feel. As for beauty — oh beauty, it is a concept that has been distorted since the beginning of time. Humans are always experimenting with ways to make themselves more aesthetically pleasing; always looking for a way to forever be young and full of life, like the youth. It takes things that were once innocent and turns them into conceited monsters, which this is seen in Oscar Wilde’s The Picture of Dorian Gray, where it takes Dorian, a young man who can't be more than twenty years old and with an innocent demeanor, turns him into a man who will do anything to retain youth, get his way, and receive immediate satisfaction, no matter that cost — all through a portrait of him by Basil that captures his youth in a perfect sense and mentor whose name is Lord Henry. Dorian’s experience with love and beauty shapes him into a man who cannot be loved, however radiant his beauty may seem. It’s by art that causes him to fall, and it’s by art that a human’s perspective on such a topic is conveyed in almost a perfect, or more picturesque sense. From the film, How Art Made the World: More Human Than Human, it shows this concept of how art shapes the world, from prehistoric times to the present. It is through art that interpretations of beauty can be seen, whether it be towards humanity, nature, or simple objects. Art is an expression of a culture, thoughts, and feelings, whether it is meant to conjure feelings in the observer or reflects the artist's feelings — be it in a particular place or time.

The fourth unit of study in the realm of humanities is the Ethics, Law, and Human Frailty unit. In regards to ethics, each individual can have a personal preference, but there is almost a set of universal ethics, laws, and the concepts of human frailty. In the Hebrew Bible’s “The Ten Commandments” and “The Holiness Code,” it is the recording of the laws and ethics, believed to be given by God, so that humanity can have a form of social control, as well as universal truths, that contribute to living in peace and harmony. Ethics play the role of having a conscious sense of right and wrong, as well as good and evil, which is what “The Ten Commandments” and “The Holiness Code” revolve around. These ethics are supposed to give a way for a society to function well and how business, personal, or public conduct should be properly performed. As for the laws, laws are meant to definitely keep a social order and make sure people follow ethics put forward by social that if broken, are illegal and can result in county, state, or national punishment. These laws, however if broken, but not caught or reported may not open doors to a jail, but they can cause very personal problems, giving way to an even bigger scandal, which is seen in the film Crimes and Misdemeanors, a movie directed by Woody Allen. In the film, two stories are being told: one between an ophthalmologist, who is very much a man dedicated to his family, yet has an ongoing, or more seven year affair, with a woman named Dolores, who he later on kills due to her threatening to expose them to his wife. The other story being told is one of an unhappily married, unsuccessful documentary filmmaker named Cliff, who falls in love with Halley, a network producer working for a personality by the name of Lester. However, Halley won’t get involved with Cliff, due to the fact that he’s married, but when Cliff finally gets divorced, Halley comes forward with Lester and well, it becomes evident that she’s engaged to Lester. These two stories revolve around ethical and laws, adding in a religious perspective and debate of whether or not God is real and his possible establishment in laws and ethics. With the whole idea of human frailty in mind, humans have a mindset of toughness ingrained in their brains, most often or not. With this said, there are a few who recognize this human frailty, whether it be mentally, physically, or even spiritually. The human body, as amazing as it is, is frail. If one chemical becomes unbalanced or is absent, the body’s attempt at compensation comes with a price — think psychological disorders. There’s also physically, where our bones may be strong, but if caught at the wrong angle or with the right amount of force, can snap, which is often painful. The spiritual frailty (as well as mental, with the idea of it being frail in a will-based concept) is seen through the ethics of The Buddhist Precepts. Even those these precepts may be in relation to ethics and laws, these ethics and laws evolve around the ideas of greed, hunger, and selfish desires, and they believe that when violate, actions, mentalities, and an unstable spiritual connection with the universe can cause karmic consequences. Even is all strive to do good, not everything will end in a perfect, happy manner — life is no fairytale.

Ending one journey and starting another one, the last unit is based on the Inner Journey and the Meaning of Human Reality. An inner journey can be viewed in many different ways: in a hero-like journey, an exhibition taken within one’s own mind, a spiritual journey, and/or a physical one across a state, a country, or even the world — the possibilities are just about limitless, as well as varying in the length of time each journey is, as each is different in the varying aspects according to each individual. These journeys are filled with many emotions, some are very painful, and often the individual undergoes a transformation, again, either physically, mentally, or spiritually. In The Book of Job, a story in the Hebrew Bible, Job undergoes an inner journey that tests his faith and devotions to God, who allows for Satan to test Job by taking away his family and his wealth, leaving with just himself, and later on inflicts terrible, running sores that cause him severe pain and suffering. With this happening, Job never curses or raises a fist towards God, despite what his friends say, as they try to comfort him. It’s by this journey Job takes, in a reflection to drive his faith even deeper in God, that he ends up communing, as well as retaining a family and two fold the amount of wealth he had before, as God, through the trial Job undertook, blessed him even further. Another example of an inner journey is seen in The Epic of Gilgamesh, where Gilgamesh takes an inner journey to that of a hero’s, where he endures hardship, death, and adventure, and finds what he has been searching for what he most wants: immortality, as that is what he believes is the crowning essence to his pure existence, as well as making a name for himself, even though in the end, he never obtains immorality and instead, dies. In taking the meaning of human reality at hand, human reality is sharp, painful, harsh, and often resorts to consuming a lot of energy of the individual in a myriad of ways. An example of such a human reality can be seen in Plato’s “The Allegory of the Cave” and how often times we try to only see the shadows of objects, wanting for form ideas, living in a darkness where we feel safe; chained and not wandering, but the reality is this: that those shadows are outlines of something maybe far greater and awing, something that has a materialistic concept to it; something that doesn’t need to be imagined. Human reality involves turning from our imaginations and comfort zones and living out in the real world, as those who were released from the bondage in the cave where. At first, they were blinded and frightened, but when they realized what they were really seeing, it was a beautiful sight to behold, as all their senses were stimulated and alert, and they weren’t buried in a dark, musty place that dampens such a glorious reality, however harsh it maybe. Human reality is something to be explored and shared, for it’s no secret.

In the whole course of humanities, there are for sure more realms to be explored on various levels of study. The humanities are an essential part of everyday life, for without them, cultures would not form, societies wouldn’t evolve, and people wouldn’t be able to live in a relative harmony or peace with one another. In an over arching opinion, I believe some of the major aspects to the humanities are sacred spaces, love, beauty and art, ethics, and the discovering the meaning of human reality. These are concepts that are just about the backbone to human philosophy, as they are topics and even places that are debated or revered with passion and given such an honorary status, as each represents a feeling or sensation, a place, or the idea of good and evil. All these play a role in the human experience as they all intertwine with one another in the sense that love flows into sacred ideals and spaces, as well as seeing the idea of beauty, which influences art, and as love and beauty influence the philosophies of ethical beliefs, these beliefs flow into the conceptions of the meaning of human reality. Despite the downfalls of each topic, all are beautiful and positive in their own way, for there is always a silver lining to every situation, feeling, and mind set, no matter how the brain is functioning or the differences between realities of every individual.