By Clara H - We come into the world naked, and the culture that welcomes us dresses us in a certain way. We put on, we impregnate certain habits of life, which have been transmitted from the depths of time, to become cultural beings. The natural condition of man is akin to a state of prematurity. It’s in culture that Man becomes human. We’re beings of culture.
Man, according to Cassirer, is only his works. That’s to say, Man cannot be defined by any inherent principle which would constitute his metaphysical essence. It’s his work that characterises him. That is to say the system of its activities : language, religion, science, art, … What is valid for a man is valid for the rest of humanity. It is difficult to give a substantial definition for the human being. But let's just say it's better that way. We are men and women because we live the world by creating it at every moment. We are artists. And we are what we create.
Thus, each society, each people has been able to develop its own culture. However, it’s easily observable that peoples throughout the world have never ceased to meet, to exchange, to enrich each other. But also to hate each other, to make war on each other. Why does the other, the difference, frighten some people? It’s possible that it is the fact of being stripped of one's own culture, of one's own works, so what can make me feel like a man, precisely, which can be scary. We can observe, throughout history, many tragic events that were aimed precisely at one culture taking over another (colonisation, genocide, etc.). We can also see many examples where cultural exchanges have enriched certain societies in a very beautiful way.
But this is a delicate subject. Multi-culturalism can be seen in a very beautiful way, but for some peoples for whom this notion has been imposed, or who have had to fight for hundreds of years not to see their culture reduced to nothing, it would seem let it be seen in another way. The culture of a people has been built over a very long time. It is also an identity.
Multiculturalism shouldn’t be forced, imposed. It must come from curiosity, benevolence, the desire for encounters and exchanges.
Temple of Garni - Armenia - February 2022 - Faced with this monument dating back almost 2000 years, bringing together influences from different cultures in terms of its architecture and history, we can ask ourselves several questions: how are different cultures influenced? What are they willing to keep from each other? Why such aspects are kept and others rejected?
Clara, your reflections beautifully encapsulate the intricate dance between culture and identity. Indeed, we are shaped and defined by the cultural tapestry we weave through our collective creations and interactions. The idea that we are artists of our existence resonates deeply; it's through our works—our language, art, and traditions—that we carve out our humanity. Your thoughts on multiculturalism emphasize the importance of voluntary exchange and mutual respect, a reminder that the richness of human experience thrives on genuine curiosity and kindness. Thank you for this thought-provoking piece.
Hello Clara,
Very inspiring points about the importance of the culture for human being, thanks a lot for this post.
Hello girls,
Reading this text by Clara, I could really make a trip inside all my thoughts regarding history, society, time, biology, evolution of the human being, religion, and a series of other factors. However, the one opinion that I have consolidated, and that will never change, is that respect is the basis of everything. Therefore, I fully agree with you that multiculturalism cannot be imposed or forced to be accepted. This process needs to be light and natural.
Hello Clara, Thanks for the article ! This was to be a totally fake post, for university purposes, just to be done. But it's actually not what it is. I enjoyed reading your post, while being in the train from Avignon to Annecy. Am heading to Annecy just to see a contemporary dance show, by Pietragalla, perhaps one of her last shows. And I feel dance is totally connected to some of what you're saying. Dance as a link between cultures and people. The subject is huge. To put it in a nutshell, I'd just say that to me, travelling, meeting different people and doing various activities is the key to mutual understanding. Laws will never replace education. Cheers !…