Ethics of Altruism, Care, and Wounds: Philosophy for Reliving the "Self"

2024/06/07

Why do people pass each other by? Why do feelings of consideration for others end up being counterproductive and sometimes hurt them? It is because we misread the hearts of others.

This book defines care as "valuing together what the other person values." It approaches the concept of care by shifting the concept of the "other" to "a subject whose values differ from my own."

The other—that is, "the person who is not me"—is not like me. They do not feel as I feel, and they do not perceive the world in the same way I do. They grasp the same event as a completely different occurrence. Our hearts are different. That is why we misunderstand the hearts of others.

Why does this happen? It is because the modern era is an age of diversity. In an age of diversity, what each subject values is out of alignment. And when those precious things are lost or damaged, we are hurt. The memory of such wounds diversifies a person's patterns of behavior and perception. The environments in which we were raised are different, and our values are different. This means that what each person "values" and their "wounds" are unique to them.

In contrast, imagine the environment in which Homo sapiens lived tens of thousands of years ago. There, drinking water, food, play, the land, the region's unique views on life and death, spiritual beliefs, and various other "valued things" must have been shared within the community. In other words, unlike modern urban dwellers, what was valued and what caused wounds would not have differed from person to person. Based on the arguments of evolutionary biologist Robin Dunbar and research into the lifestyles of modern hunter-gatherers, the prevailing theory is that Homo sapiens once lived in communities of several dozen people (at most around 150). Our bodies and minds evolved to adapt to such an environment.

Civilization arose, urban life began, and the "other" was born. Then, we became unable to provide care effectively. This theory of care was written from such a perspective. To reclaim care once again. To still provide care, even in an age of diversity.

Ethics of Altruism, Care, and Wounds: Philosophy for Reliving the "Self"

Yuta Chikauchi

Shobunsha

304 pages, 1,980 yen (tax included)

*Affiliations and titles are as of the time of publication.