We deny our own humanity | the economy letters
We must acknowledge the strong connection between the economy and human violence against humans. We rob ourselves of our full humanity. Recognizing this is the pathway to our complete empowerment.
One cannot deny the humanity of another without diminishing one's own: in the face of one's victim, one sees oneself.
James Baldwin 1
Our economy is built on the violence of humans against humans.
We all know how deeply ingrained it is. We all know the various faces and forms this violence can take: ongoing slavery, racism, caste societies, social injustice, and the denial of human rights for women, minorities, and marginalized people. The underlying idea is that not every human is seen as truly human. Some are deemed to have no humanity, by groups who see themselves as the 'true' humans. This idea has a long tradition that we can trace back to the Greeks and Romans, who perceived their slaves merely as property.
There's a lot written about human violence against humans and its close connection to the economy. I want to emphasize one important reason why we need to recognize this connection and not ignore it any longer: as long as not every human is fully human, we ourselves are not fully human. This is true whether we are directly involved in slavery or violence, or believe we are just mere spectators. As long as we are part of a system that favors violence, oppression, and exploitation of our fellow humans, we destroy our own humanity. And, as we know, we can't live outside this system.
The long-standing tradition of imperialism and racism, along with a history of violence in our economy, is reflected throughout all aspects of our society. We can find it in the way we structure our organizations and businesses, and in how we treat ourselves as customers, clients, and employees. We see it in our schools and governments, as well as in our families, manifested through endemic domestic violence or the unequal distribution of power and potential between men and women. It may be subtle, but we still carry this pattern forward.
To honor all this is not to blame ourselves or create guilt. It's the only way to empower ourselves: societal healing and true transformation are possible if we recognize our violent heritage, acknowledge our ongoing involvement in violence against ourselves, and embrace it as a gateway.
This post is part of the project’25: a year dedicated to profound societal transformation. Help building the movement for a humanity living in accordance with nature.
Baldwin, J. (1998) Collected Essays. New York.