There is a universal consensus among scientists, that human beings are – first and last – social animals. IT would stand to reason then that relationships – and social consciousness – would be pivotal in human consciousness – not to mention society. In today’s complex and sophisticated society human beings simply would not be able to function if human beings did not have some form of a minimally functional social consciousness.
Hinduism, Confucianism and Filipino Kapwa-loob: Hinduism has had the pivotal concept of Dharma – that encapsulates both social order and roles – as well as cosmic order – for almost two thousand years. Confucianism had the central concept of self as others.
The Filipino culture has the “Kapwa norm and value [shared identity – which has no equivalent in the English language]. Furthermore, there is the loob value-norm which both Reynaldo Ileto and Jeremiah Reyes describe as a norm conveying “relational will” and an innate equality of people. embedded in Filipino culture. Karina Lagdameo-Santillan did an excellent job explaining the reality of “social consciousness in terms of Sikolohiyang Pilipino (Filipino branch of psychology), “Kapwa is a recognition of a shared identity, an inner self, shared with others. This Filipino linguistic unity of the self and the other is unique and unlike in most modern languages. Why? Because implied in such inclusiveness is the moral obligation to treat one another as equal fellow human beings. If we can do this – even starting in our own family or our circle of friends – we are on the way to practice peace. We are Kapwa People.” — Professor Virgilio Enriquez, founder of Sikolohiyang Pilipino.”
Ubuntu: In ancient African culture there is the widespread concept of Ubuntu. There is a Zulu proverb called Ubuntu that says: “I am a person through other people. Archbishop Desmond Tutu explained it this way: “One of the sayings in our country is Ubuntu — the essence of being human. Ubuntu speaks particularly about the fact that you can’t exist as a human being in isolation.
Interbeing: Thich Nhat Hanh “all phenomena are interdependent…endlessly interwoven.” This is the foundation of Nhat Hanh’s approach. He calls it the principle of “interbeing.” “In Buddhism there is no such thing as an individual.” There is no such thing as a separate object, event, or experience, because no any part of the world can exist apart from all others
Christian Community “The ideal of the prophets is not a church or congregation of worshiping believers, but a community, society, or state of god like men and women living in love and truth together under the Messiah as king, who is filled with the spirit of God, exercising justice and judgment toward the poor and helpless (Isa. 9: I-7; I1: 1-5)…. Godliness is character, and character is not in things, but is the product of personal endeavor, however favorable the surroundings may be. Therefore, the prophets demanded of everybody an honest, energetic endeavor to realize the divine, ideal kingdom in this world……, They spurn a worship that shows no fruits in the social sphere…” THE OLD TESTAMENT PROPHETS AS SOCIAL REFORMERS. By REV. GEO. STIBITZ, Philadelphia, Pa.
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Is art ideology? Prehistoric art, K Armstrong, shamanism, cave paintings & music from 30 to 40,000 years ago, “Spirituality is a natural human predisposition. It is more primal than institutional religion..." - K Adams, B Hyde = TRUE - flutes from 35,000
Karen Armstrong, In her book, The Case For God, opens with the discussion of the 300 plus caves in Southern France and Northern Spain which have amazingly artistic ‘prehistoric’ cave paintings of prehistoric animals many of whom are now extinct, some dating to 30,000 years ago. “In all there are about six hundred frescoes and fifteen hundred engravings in the Lascaux labyrinth. There is a powerful bellowing black stag, a leaping cow, and a procession of horses moving in the opposite direction. At the entrance to another long passage known as the Nave, a frieze of elegant deer has been painted above a rocky ledge so they appear to be swimming.” (p3-4) She emphasizes that back then, the “Paleolithic artists” worked by the “light of small flickering lamps, perched precariously on scaffolding that has left holes in the surface of the wall.” (p.4)
Armstrong highlights a painting that appears to be a painting of a shaman which is very deep in a cave at Lascaux called the Crypt, and which “depicts a large bison that has been eviscerated by a spear thrust through its hindquarters. Lying in front of the wounded beast is a man, drawn with arms outstretched, phallus erect, and wearing what seems to be a bird mask; his staff, which lies on the ground nearby, is also topped by a bird’s head.” (p. 5)