We are in an era where the everyday
problems of food, shelter, clothing, pollution, water and discrimination are
becoming global. This shows that today we need an integral dialectic between
the communities to respond to these problems. This is possible only in the
cosmopolis world. I divide this paper into two parts. In the first part I begin
by explaining the terms of my topic and in the second part I highlight the
insights from Bernard Lonergan and Robert Doran on the my topic.
PART I
Cosmopolis
The word ‘cosmopolis’ is a combination of two
Greek words and they are cosmos which means universe or world
and polis which means small city-state. The two words have
several meanings depending on its usages and the context where it is
used. According to Kelly the meaning of Cosmos is
coherent order and Polis meaning city-state of Greece’s Golden
age, which symbolizes reasonableness. Therefore cosmpolis can be referred to as
World Cultural Community and World Cultural Country.
Dialectic
The ancient Greeks used the term dialectic to
refer to various methods of reasoning and discussion in order to discover the
truth. More recently, Kant applied the term to the criticism of the
contradictions which arise from supposing knowledge of objects beyond the
limits of experience, e.g. the soul. Hegel applied the term to the process of
thought by which apparent contradictions (which he termed thesis and
antithesis) are seen to be part of a higher truth (synthesis). Therefore, the
word ‘Dialectic’ means: the art of investigating or discussing the truth of
opinions.
Community
Community means people with a common field of
experience, with a common or at least complementary way of understanding people
and things with common judgments and aims. It is a social group of any size
whose members reside in a specific locality, share government, and often have a
common cultural and historical heritage.
PART II
Having briefed about my topic in general now,
I move on to the philosophical reflection on the topic according to Bernard
Lonergan, the great theologian and philosopher of 20th century as
interpreted by Robert Doran in his book Theology and the dialectics of History.
Dramatic Artist
and the Search for Direction
For lonergan, world is a drama and each human
being is an artist. The greatest or the deepest desire of the human person is
to succeed in the drama of existence by finding and holding to the direction
that can be discovered in the movement of life. We as human beings are always
in search of meaning in our lives and perhaps that leads us to search for
direction. In order to explain this he uses the concept of dramatic artist and
search for meaning.
The dramatic
artist (the individual subject) is conscious of self-presence and his
interaction with others. S/he is in constant dialogue with his/her biological,
aesthetic, psychological and moral self. The notion of dramatic artistry (an
integral dialectic living) and search for direction is central to understanding
of Robert Doran of Humanum. This desire of humanum search for direction (actualizing a meaningful
self-existence, a search for cognitive and existential direction, inquiring
intentionality,) can be fulfilled by discovering of insights in the movements
of life.
Dramatic
Artistry and the Structure of the Society
Dramatic artist
(subject) is not alone in this world of drama. He is in relation with other
beings and systems which is called dramatic artistry. Dramatic artistry is the
constitution of human world, human relations in the structural context of the
society. It is a dramatic function of the self in the world. To aid dramatic
artist (the subject) the society constitutes context for the project of
dramatic artistry.
The society is
composed of five distinct but interrelated elements; inter-subjective
spontaneity, technological institutions, the economic system, the political
order and culture. These social conditions constitute the context of that
project (project of dramatic artistry) and stimulate personal change encourage
the development and exercise of person’s powers of understanding, reason, and
responsible choice. This project of dramatist artistry is impeded when the
probabilities of insight, reasonable judgment, and responsible decision are
diminished.
Cosmopolis and
the Dialectic of Community
1.
Cosmopolis
For Bernard Lonergan Cosmopolis is neither a
super-state nor an organization. The genuine Cosmopolis is a world cultural community
or that is above all politics. Cosmopolis is therefore not a material thing. It
is a long standing, non-political cultural fact that transcends the frontiers
of states and the epoch of history. For him the World Community comes to its
existence through “an achievement of common meaning.”
Cosmopolis is a transformation of
intelligence that enables a collaborative intellectual enterprise committed to
understanding and implementing the integral dialectic of community. The
integral dialectic of the community is the condition of the possibility of a
society maximally conducive to the intelligent and free participation of
dramatic subjects in the forging of world and self as works of art. Cosmopolis,
then, is the innermost constitutive set of intellectual habits informing the
praxis of the creative minority, without whose labors the distortions of the
dialectic of community are reversed.
This involves experience, understanding,
judging, and deciding, it is not just experiencing of common data, but the
common understanding of such data; which further leads us to common judgment
about the truth and reality of what is understood, and especially common
commitment to worthwhile action arising from common judgment values.
2.
Dialectic of
Community
3. Culture
For Doran, Culture serves as the base for the
integrity of the dialectic between spontaneous inter-subjectivity and the
technological, economic, and political structures created by practical
intelligence. The function of culture is to promote an integral dialectic of
inter-subjectivity and practicality. Culture has two dimensions;
·
The everyday level of
meanings and values informing a given way of life (Common sense).
·
The reflexive or super
structural level arising from scientific, philosophic, and scholarly
objectification (theoretical Knowledge).
Conclusion
Economic system and political order constitute
the elements of a society, which implies the universal human family. The
dialectic of community, the dialectical relation of intersubjectivity and
practicality, is becoming irreversibly a global reality. There is a need for
cosmopolitan intellectual collaboration to generate the cultural values capable
of promoting and integral dialectic of community on a global scale. The
responsibility of cosmopolitan intellectual involves the transformation or
reorientation and integration of the human sciences by derailing the general
biases of each community. Cosmopolitan intelligence must also envision a
transformation and integration at the everyday level of culture, the level of
the numerous instances of common sense.
Finally when we strive towards
Cosmopolis, or World Cultural Country we need undergo following three
conversions:
1. Intellectual Conversion
2. Moral Conversion and
3. Religious Conversion
Here I conclude that revolution on
different problems in the world may offer immediate solutions but not perfect
solution which prevents from further problems. Rather, integral dialectic of
community enhances the development and takes the world to new level where there
is peace and communion between subject and the other. It will be possible by
authentic communication.
BIBLIOGRAPHY
Doran
M. Robert, Theology and the Dialectics of History, Toronto:
University of Toronto Press, 1990.
--------------------. Method
in Theology, Great Britain: Darton Longman, 1972.
Pen
Robert, Communication for Communion: Communication as Mutual Self
Mediation in Context, New Delhi: Intercultural Publication, 2011.
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