Paths for Humanism

I started reading this book The Sociologically Examined Life. Pieces of the Conversation by Michael Schwalbe. I find it interesting and intellectually challenging. I even think of writing something on it as my reading goes on, and post it on this blog. I expect to learn a lot on making sense of life and the social world, and interpreting contingencies as determining elements of fates.

For now, there is this paragraph I want to publish because it refers to how I concluded one previous message (unfortunately, the languages are different between the two texts but I believe this one can be understood by all):

‘(…) [T]o acquire as much wealth and fame as possible (…) seems to be the main ambition for many people in our culture [I noted that Western culture does not seem limited to only Europe and America]; there are, however, other goals for a human life. You could try to enrich the lives of others by teaching, creating art, restoring a piece of the earth, promoting health, resisting violence, or organizing for change.

THE QUESTION IS WHAT KIND OF MARK DO YOU WANT TO LEAVE ON EARTH FOR HAVING LIVED?’

Don't answer 'I want to be remembered as someone who cared about and helped others'. As the author emphasises '(...) being concerned with how others think of us is different from being concerned with how we might affect the world through our actions'.

This task seems even more complex in a globalised world, yet which helps realise - by litterature, medias - that you are not alone. There are people out there sharing the same vision of idealism and desire of action. Have I already cited this book ‘Le Tour du Monde en 80 Hommes’? I should…