The original meaning of 'Slave' refers to a person who is legally owned by another person. As we all know, humanity has fought against this inhuman practice and in modern times Slavery is abolished with the help of the'Law'. And that is the end of the story. Is it? Can we now assume that Slavery as a concept is null and void? Can we safely believe that it has become inoperative? lets see ...
We still do use the word 'slave'. It still holds some meaning and connotes to some disagreeable dependency. A slave, by definition is someone who is strongly influenced and controlled by something or someone.
A man's life can be summed up as the integration of all of his choices. A human being is endowed with the ability to choose. One's identity is defined by ones choices without any exception. Thus, he chooses his actions and lives by them.
It can't be denied that there are external factors that influence the choice of man. But even to study, understand and analyze that influence, we need to have a premise, at least a belief that he has a right to choose and has an ability to choose.
We still do use the word 'slave'. It still holds some meaning and connotes to some disagreeable dependency. A slave, by definition is someone who is strongly influenced and controlled by something or someone.
A man's life can be summed up as the integration of all of his choices. A human being is endowed with the ability to choose. One's identity is defined by ones choices without any exception. Thus, he chooses his actions and lives by them.
It can't be denied that there are external factors that influence the choice of man. But even to study, understand and analyze that influence, we need to have a premise, at least a belief that he has a right to choose and has an ability to choose.
QUESTION (Is It Right):
Before making a choice to act on something, or in a certain way, it is assumed that one knows the consequence of that choice. Equipped with this information prior to the choice, one asks himself, one simple question, is it right? That fundamental question is the basic pillar for all the Civilization. A lot can be purported from the word ‘civilization, but essentially, in my opinion, it is nothing but a refinement of thought, manners or taste. And it is accumulated over centuries by constantly checking what is right.
He might make wrong choices occasionally and bear the consequences. But such an experience is stored in the databank of right and wrong choices that one makes in one's lifetime and that collection of choices is what evolves into one's Wisdom.
This Collective Wisdom of mankind further helps an individual being in answering that fundamental question, always asked before making any choice- "is it right?" I would like to add that the factors that influence the choice of man, that were mentioned earlier, are an integral part of this collective wisdom. Being aware of the influences on oneself can definitely improve our ability to choose. All in all, we may conclude that, man can make better choices, if he makes an informed choice. And he is supposed to choose after asking himself, whether the choice is right?
This question in my opinion propels the human race in to evolving into a self sustaining System.
The 'modern' man by definition possesses fundamental rights and the right to choose his action is an integral part of the deal. He can act upon it in any manner as long as his actions are legal. It amounts to the action that is allowed by Law or the rule of the land. Which seems fair enough because as a citizen of a state, he is expected to follow its laws and live in accordance with them.
QUESTION 2 (Is It Legal):
Now let us ask ourselves a small question. When does someone need to consider the legality of an action? When will he ask this ominous question? We can run wild with our imagination depending on our exposure to the real world and can come up with innumerable scenarios that will require this question at some point. Let us delve deeper into it and try to make a list in our minds. You may observe a common thread in all the cases whether it is interpersonal, or institutional or international. It is the question of possession, pertaining to the property either material or intellectual. The Question 2 invariably supersedes the Question 1 and there lies the root of all the Evil in the world.
Though it may look like the debate between the morality and the legality which is essentially ethical in nature, I urge you to look beyond that. It is not the question of right and wrong but the Choice. The availability of choice, to be precise. If one is only allowed to ask Q2 for a considerable duration, there is a danger that he might forget that he has a right to ask Q1.
The question 'Is It Right' is addressed to one's own mind. It presupposes that one would consider all the possibilities and pick the appropriate one.
But when one only checks the legality of the matter at hand, he is not guided by his mind and its directions but an outside agency. Now Law is not an absolute, eternal entity. Laws are made, interpreted, and executed for the smooth run of the government and are subjected to Change.
Someone more powerful and better placed than you might have wanted the world in a certain way and had a hand in manufacturing consensus for a particular law. It certainly need not be the criteria for you to choose your actions.
It is time to address the issue which is looming big in the vicinity since the time we have started this discourse. Is there an implicit conflict between the two questions. This is not a place to elaborate the answers but it is sufficient to say that the Q1 should be the checking mechanism for the Q2 and this checking should be done vigorously, consistently and eternally.
But who will do the checking? Who will be the watch dog of the society? Who would be safeguarding of the interests of the people? Who will check the 'Rightness' of the law if every other citizen is busy with checking whether it is legal?
There comes the definition of Slave again, as we remember, it involves being influenced or controlled. If one's actions are self checked and are passed through one's own filter of IS IT RIGHT instead of IS IT LEGAL … then that mind is the epitome of a working of a free mind.
