Triangulation of cultures: civilizations, philosophies, personal identies


For some time I have thought that philosophy, the sort I am most interested in at least, manifests the conjunction of metaphysics (in the Aristotelian sense of first principles), political theory and religious phenomenology. A philosophy thus understood and well articulated is the most penetrating expression of culture. It is in this sense that we speak about Greek philosophy or Chinese philosophy. Of course on this reading philosophy in the west derives largely from Greek philosophy.

Culture and civilization are far from synonymous terms but they are sometimes used interchangeably in a manner that works serious confusion. If we allow as suggested above that philosophy is the expression par excellence of culture then we can use the term civilization to refer to the continuity of practices for a self-defined people. Civilizations unlike cultures are historically determined and tend to have geographic and economic elements. Civilizations are productive of variant norms of cultural ideals which explains nationalistic music and art, for example. In some cases a civilization and a culture are coextensive as may be said of China. But if western philosophy is derivative of Greek philosophy then whereas we can speak of Scandinavian civilization we should not strictly speaking call it culture. It is one of the European variants of Greek culture/philosophy.

Personal identity emerges from the influences of life experience, the normalizing effect of civilizational practices, and the assimilation of cultural values and beliefs. The processes by which each of these factors combines to produce an individual personal identity have many differences, including the degree of free will or choice involved. Some aspects are inherited as surely as genetic qualities are while others are chosen and may be revised or rejected outright. For this reason no individual is simply an exemplar of a culture or civilization.


At this time of year, in the United States, in my personal case all of these elements present themselves for reflection.

I was raised and mostly educated in the United States whose melting pot environment nonetheless extends the cultural values and beliefs of the West. I have also assimilated most of its civilizational norms which govern my behavior, dress, speech patterns and economic aspirations.

My family came from Norway and held to many of the traditions and customs of the "old country." Even as a child I became aware of so-called ethnic distinctions and understood that my way of expressing joy or sadness, for example, would be forever different from my Italian neighbors.

As an adult I converted to Judaism which on the one hand is a universal religion (and that primarily is what I converted to) but is also clearly a civilization and one that even in the most open and tolerant polity is not ever easily or fully assimilated into the host civilization (as determined by nation-state).

Finally, again as an adult, I became fascinated by profoundly appreciative of -- and smitten by I once said-- all things Chinese on both cultural and civilizational planes.

The existential meaning of post-modern has to do with the widespread possibility and relative ease for an individual to construct his own identity by inheriting and making choices such as those that characterize my circumstance.

Today is the second day of Chanukah, a historical/civilizational festival that remembers a conflict with Greek civilization. In my family we celebrate with the traditional latkes which are European, ableskiver, a Scandinavian delight that resembles another traditional and European Chanukah dish, jelly doughnuts, and of course we eat Chinese food. Since most of my family is not Jewish nor was my upbringing the blending is inevitable. In the United States it is overwhelmingly the Christmas season and the style of much of our festivity reflects that. That we are preparing to leave for China in less than two weeks focuses our attention in another direction.

Returning to our main theme of cultural exchange I wonder how I participate in this process. In some way internally I do with every breath I take. My personal identity is a dynamic equilibrium of cultural exchange. Like Jacob d'Ancona when I go to China I will not be a clear-cut example of my city or country of origin. My economic mission, to establish the basis for Chinese students to enroll in special programs of Polytechnic University in Brooklyn, means that I, like Jacob d'Ancona, am a trader. And the trade is ostensibly about culture. But the culture, i.e., the philosophy I embrace and continue to pursue, derives from multiple civilizational and cultural elements including the one that I officially prepare to exchange. My mediating of the trade is somehow a reflexive and self-mediating act.

If this then resembles the future do we look forward to peace and amity among nations, always recognizing ourselves in the other, or do we proclaim on the basis of self-serving economic interests (as George W. Bush and company seem to have done) exaggerated civilizational conflicts to justify power struggles? To be continued.

HOME

Posted: Sun - December 21, 2003 at 02:17 PM      

©