Gaol of Conscience

What LOSS Modernity?

Guy Debord wrote: 'In societies where modern conditions of production prevail, all of life presents itself as an immense accumulation of spectacles. Everything that was directly lived has moved away into a representation.'

Jack asked with that preface : "Have we become alienated from ourselves?"

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One would naturally assume that with the division of labour caused by modernity (specialisation), that with the increased efficiencies and associated cost savings, that people would have more free time.

But in modern urban society even with increased leisure time, we still find that we live an essentially primitive hand to mouth existence.
And this I talk from first hand experience.

That we fill, to the overflowing brim, our leisure time with things to do, achievements to pursue.

But what pushes us to this grind stone if it is not food?

Is it expectation?
Is it the sense that under achievement is failure?

That we must be seen to be successful?
"The accumulation of spectacle."

But there is another cause of a loss of humanity, no less sinister.

For when we specialise, specialise and further specialise does the human touch lack?

Necessarily not.
For in the medical fields, as in any other I am sure, it is the human touch that can set one apart from another. That sets one Doctor to be better than another Doctor.
That sets one Pharmacist over another. :)

Or is it that we miss the margin for error?

Where before an error could result in localised incidents now an error can have wholesale implication.
So we push our children into further education and away from experience in the hope to insulate them from error.

How we both laugh and identify with the apprentices when they, in hindsight, err. More so because we have no margin to err.

Our humanity is not eroded by specialisation itself, but when we cannot forgive and cannot overlook an error when it occurs. When we are not allowed that margin to do so.

And most perniciously when the greatest power in the land holds us to account for our personal beliefs.

For when the LAW encroaches on our personal lives then that is when we must worry.

When we cannot plead conscience.
When we refuse to house a gay couple within our own home, that we have given over to public convenience, because we believe it to be wrong.

When the greatest law in the land dictates which translation of the Qur'an we must read.

When the government dictates to us for what to believe, and refuses for us to form our own opinion.

That is when, worry we must.

And it encroaches now.
In this age.
At this time.

Then fight we must, with brain and brawn, against the gaoler of conscience. Our law.

That must be unmade through peaceful dissidence. Rightful argument.




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Location:Parliament