Humanitarianism and Beyond

When "humanitarianism" is mentioned, people often first think of saving lives and helping the poor. However, let's consider what is deemed inhumane: bullying and oppression are inhumane, waging war is inhumane, racism is inhumane, caste systems are inhumane; slavery and exploitation are equally inhumane. In fact, as a concept of modern civilization, "humanitarianism" (or humanism, anthropocentrism), in contrast to the "faith culture" of medieval Europe and the Confucian ritual teaching of China, is modern in that it represents a culture centered on human nature. The “human nature” advocated by humanitarianism refers to the right and ability of each individual to maintain their dignity and realize their value. The ultimate goal of humanitarianism is the awakening of human nature and the liberation of individuality. Its foundation is the right to be born equal, and its core is rationality. Therefore, philanthropy, as part of humanitarianism, extends beyond just saving lives and aiding the distressed. Organizations like Da Ai Qing Chen always consider "protecting the dignity of life" as one of their fundamental principles. In today's era, where the market economy thrives and young people value individuality, a common viewpoint is to focus on self-improvement, self-awakening, and self-liberation. While self-awareness is important, in the face of the severe lag of pre-modern forces and the challenges of postmodernism, not to mention the alienation of individuals brought about by capitalism, leading to depression, indifference, anxiety, and other social ills. The advanced development of technological means has allowed the authoritative machinery to irresponsibly expand its influence on individuals, as seen in pandemic control measures reaching even the most remote areas. Looking back at Chinese history, a highly authoritarian government and an extremely selfish society are causally linked, creating a cycle that leads to stagnation in societal development and suppresses individual human nature. To break this historical cycle and overcome the shackles on human nature, it is necessary to ensure that every individual possesses complete human rights (dignity) and is guided by rational norms (rationality). Only in such a social environment can we cultivate a universal, mature, free, and independent human nature.