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Hiroshima and Nagasaki: The Two Mirrors of Our Civilization


Tribalism is one of the most quoted terms, especially those voices, who are defenders of open societies. Merriam Webster dictionary defines it as "exaltation of the tribe above other groups", or "strong in-group loyalty". The etymological root of the term "Tribe" is from French "Tribu" and Latin "Tribus". In Rome, there were three (tri) divisions of the people. Division has a natural root. Factionalism is prevalent in the animal world. In civilization, it was desirable to avoid it. Because, civilization has been considered as the "triumph of reason" over instinct and emotions. The classical political tradition of Europe visualized that the emergence of nation state is not simply a social contract, agreed by people to form a commonwealth, rather a feeling of commonness from the cultural perspective was cultivated to establish nation-states. The Treaty of the Peace of Westphalia does not simply signifies a triumph of reason, or the instrument of contract among the people. It was deeply based upon the psychology of us v. them. That was the reason why Europe experimented with the idea of secularism and secularization. While secularism was meant to establish a civil government on the basis of civil and political morality, and a separation thesis was accepted in toto. Secularization was altogether a radical idea to transform religions into "scientific morality", and to cultivate among the citizens a critical attitude towards given, so as to improve and progress. But the edifice of secularism couldn't erase from the public memory the very idea of identity and factionalism. Becoming critical to each-other is a very easy task. All you have to do is to suspect everything. One of the great philosophers of ancient time, Nagarjuna demonstrated the power of reason and argument by  "Prasanga" method, whereby reason annihilates itself. The problem with suspicion is that it doesn't start with self. One suspects outsiders as responsible for his miseries. One continuously blames others for all the catastrophic events occur in his life. 

The emergence of modernity a casual connection with extreme religious wars, dogmatism, superstitious beliefs, violence for parochial identity. But what did it produce? Colonialism, imperialism and extreme cruelty against nature and people. Whether factionalism has vanished from our life? The answer is "no".The "scientific rationality" produced some severe catastrophic events, such as Hiroshima and Nagasaki, genocide and the terror of Nazi regime in the name of scientific  experimentation and anti-Semitism, Bhopal Gas tragedy and the gross injustice for the survivors, and so on.

In the very genesis of polarity, violence is inevitable. Creation is one but created ones are fragmented by their parochial identities. Life is one but the political fragmentation has cut it into pieces. "Kingdom of reason" has equally failed us. 

In politics, the value of service is nowhere; in a nomenclature of Max Weber, we have "vocation of politics" rather than "vocation for politics". Politicians are mostly guided by their inherent interests rather than a larger goal of people's welfare. British parliamentary system evolved with a deep suspicion against "public reasoning". Because, it was presumed that people's representatives shall work in the larger goal than small interests. But in fact, the history of parliamentary system is not that glorious and exemplar in many ways. The question of tribalism still remains alive as ever before. It appears that tribal society is more innocent than one, in which, we live in. No civilization is able to eradicate the malaise of factionalism. Hiroshima and Nagasaki are the two mirrors of our fragmentary and parochial lives. And the future of human's society is bleak unless a course correction is not devised urgently. The fundamental basis of our existence is co-operation, love, sympathy, and kindness.

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