“And then the sun took a step back, the leaves lulled themselves to sleep, and autumn awakened.” — Raquel Franco
This month I’m working on chapter two of ‘Rotscapes’ and studying about rights and obligations through an eco-philosophical lens. It’s something we really need to think about, especially when it comes to the concept of functional adulthood. In my last chapter, I mentioned that there is a power structure at play between individuals and their governing body that prevents or stunts our development.
I read a few articles and one of things that really bothers me about the concept of rights and their being ‘inalienable’ is that they really aren’t. Rights by design can be taken away or even never given in the first place. And when you live under a governing body that focuses on rights, you have to constantly fight to maintain them. Why? Because rights are always in the interest of the one bestowing them. It’s a completely toxic relationship to have.
The main takeaways I’m hoping to find out this month are:
- Do we even needs rights at all?
- Have we placed too much focus on rights?
- What alternatives to rights are there?
- Can obligations replace everything?
- Is there a balance to be found between rights and obligations?
- In a society that emphasizes obligations over rights, how do we prevent the concentration of power?
- What part do collectives play?
With that in mind, I’m starting my deep dive with ‘The Need For Roots’ by Simone Weil in which she talks about rights and obligations, as well as, the concept of rootedness in society and how what causes us to be uprooted.
If you have any reading suggestions on this topic, as always, feel free to send me a message. This topic is pretty new to me and there doesn’t seem to be a lot of information of rights vs obligations that doesn’t emphasize rights as the only choice for democracy and freedom.
**Links:
- How to Become an Independent Researcher/Scholar
- Self Education: Your Best Defense Against Brain Rot
- The Macabre Birth of the Detective Story Genre
- Planning a personal curriculum for September
Reads:
- Animals taught us culture
- ‘Modes of Thought’ Alfred North Whitehead
- ‘The Need For Roots’ Simone Weil
- When Rights Go Wrong – Simone Weil on Uprootedness and the Way Forward – Nathan Johnson
- Difference Between Rights and Obligations – Admin