Are all cultures equal? Is there no cultural superiority?
There was a time when I thought that all cultures were like artworks — equally beautiful. It was when I really enjoyed the melting pot that is the U.S. However, I have now come to believe that while human beings are equal, it is cultures that are not, after I learned many things about multiculturalism, which is more likely seen in Canada and Europe.
Is a culture, which discriminates against its disadvantaged people — such as women, disabled people and poor people — and only their family has to bear all the burdens to take care such family members equal to a culture, which has developed a welfare system to support disadvantaged people and its society treats them with respect?
If you are from the U.S. or Canada, you may think that all cultures are equal because you see that people can be sophisticated and intelligent no matter where they are from. But I do not think that ethnic minorities in North America represent the reality of the country or the region which they are originally from.
Many people in ethnic minorities I have met were either from a good or wealthy family or smart enough to go to a university or to get a job in North America. If you were to ask them what they think of their culture, they would say that they are proud of own culture and they are happy with it. However, you should remember that in general, privileged class people are conservative because they take advantage of their society, and those very people are not interested in what is happening to disadvantaged people in their culture or society.
In Japan, every day I listen to news about the West, the East and the rest of the world, which makes me think sometimes of how different the laws and social customs in each country are. At times, they seem barbaric. However, in the U.S. I have seen many intelligent and sincere people from various racial and cultural backgrounds. That said, I believe that all human beings have the same quality.
However, it is regrettable that many ethnic minorities have an anti-western view. Historically, Japan has never been colonized and Japan has learned a lot from the west in terms of becoming a modern country. Therefore, many Japanese people respect western culture more than the rest. Further, Japanese people do not encounter any racism in Japan because Japanese people are the extreme majority in Japan. Thus, I do not have an anti-western view and I can see cultures without thinking of racism. But, then I think that cultures are not equal.
Are cultures equal? The very question itself is problematic because it already implies there is a hierarchy of sorts t among cultures.
In history, we were thought to make a distinction between civilization and culture. Civilization naturally would be distinguished by certain degrees or level of advancement and naturally some civilizations are far more superior than others. I do not think the same is true for cultures. I think cultures should be recognized simply as different or varied, period. There is no need to imply grade or superiority.
I mean, do you honestly think that Japanese culture is superior from others? If you go back to your history, yours is also an amalgamation of borrowed tradition. Kanji has Chinese roots. Most of Japan’s military technology were taught by Western engineers and artisans enticed to serve the Meiji during Japan’s industrial revolution.
Even so, it does not mean that Western is superior. People in Europe were still dangling in trees when Greeks and Chinese were already perfecting philosophies.
Besides, what is the basis for calling a culture superior or advance? Who decides a criteria? Do you call a society high culture simply because people are wearing suits (and yet their children go on a shooting rampage)? Is a culture advanced simply because society has attained a certain level of opulence (yet salarymen throwing themselves against a speeding train is a normal occurence)?
denryuu
2009/04/27
Hi denryuu,
>> Kanji has Chinese roots.
*** Japan imported Chinese characters from China in ancient times while China imported made-in-Japan Chinese characters from Japan in modern times.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sino-Japanese_compound
“While much Sino-Japanese vocabulary was borrowed from Chinese, a considerable amount was created by the Japanese themselves as they coined new words using Sino-Japanese forms. These are known as wasei kango (和製漢語 ‘Japanese-created kango’).
The best-known example is the prolific numbers of kango coined during the Meiji era on the model of Classical Chinese to translate modern concepts imported from the West. These words include 科学 kagaku (’science’), 社会 shakai (’society’), 自動車 jidōsha (‘automobile’), 電話 denwa (‘telephone’) and a host of other basic words. The use of Chinese elements to form words in Japanese is akin to the way that English words are formed using Greek and Latin elements, such as the English word “telephone”, which was created from the Greek morphemes tele (‘far’) and phone (’sound’). The Japanese formation 電話 denwa means ‘electric’ + ‘talk’.
Much of this vocabulary was borrowed back into Chinese around the turn of the 20th century and is now used indistinguishably from native Chinese vocabulary.”
>> People in Europe were still dangling in trees when Greeks and Chinese were already perfecting philosophies.
*** Yes, Chinese philosophies developed well in ancient times but after that it seems that no great philosophy is found in China. In my eyes it is as if China stopped thinking after ancient times while France continued thinking and advanced the concept of human rights as well as greatly contributed to modern democracy. By the way, I believe that Greek philosophies are the basis of European culture and Greece belongs to Europe.
>> Do you call a society high culture simply because people are wearing suits (and yet their children go on a shooting rampage)? Is a culture advanced simply because society has attained a certain level of opulence (yet salarymen throwing themselves against a speeding train is a normal occurence)?
*** I have already written why I think that some cultures are superior. It has nothing to do with wearing suits.
“Is a culture, which discriminates against its disadvantaged people — such as women, disabled people and poor people — and only their family has to bear all the burdens to take care such family members equal to a culture, which has developed a welfare system to support disadvantaged people and its society treats them with respect?”
It is true that some people throw themselves in front of a speeding train in Japan, but they are not killed or injured against their will in the name of tradition, which is seen in the Middle East, India and Africa.
I think that some cultures are superior but it does not mean that those are perfect. Superior cultures also have a long way to go to make all members happy.
japaneseview
2009/05/01
Excuse me, but I just couldn’t help but do a rejoinder.
“In my eyes it is as if China stopped thinking after ancient times while France continued thinking and advanced the concept of human rights as well as greatly contributed to modern democracy.”
Do you always speak like this? Pardon me but if your mindset is like this then there is really no point discussing at all. If your concept of China is simply a geographic construction then yours is myopic at the very least. No offense.
denryuu
2009/05/12
Hi denryuu
>People in Europe were still dangling in trees when Greeks and Chinese were already perfecting philosophies.
I have seen many women who had suffered by what Confucianism says. Is this major Chinese philosophy perfect?
japaneseview
2009/09/27