WHO ARE YOU?

Last week I mentioned that I was reading a book, but could not remember the name or the author. I promise I did not make up a ghost of an author or reading material. Here is the information, and thus far, highly recommended. However, I must admit, it is only the introduction time has allowed me to wade through. I would like to continue this week with another segment from the book's introduction. Perhaps it will stir some thought provoking ideas about our views on society. From "Landscapes of the Soul, The Loss of Moral Meaning in American Life" by Douglas V. Porpora we are posed with the question, "Who are we"?

Not a person to support the postmodernist views, the author suggests that who we are as individuals within society has been lost in the overwhelming portrayal of media representations and group affiliations. "Sociologists typically see our identities as entirely constructed in what they call social space, the space in which our personal relations and group affiliations are laid out...These are all relational identifiers in social space. Who we are in social space is the intersection of all these overlapping roles." These roles he explains include categories of ethnic affiliation, family affiliation, Rotary or Communist Youth League. He goes on to state, "In fact, we will see that as long as we remain rooted in social space, we will never be able to give a complete answer to the Caterpillar's question posed to Alice (in Alice and Wonderland): 'Who are you?' Most people also think of their personal identities solely within the realm of social space - solely, that is, in terms of their social relationships and group memberships. As a result, when asked who they are, most people are as startled as Alice was to find they have no adequate answer."

Mr. Porpora poses the idea that as individuals we not only identify with groups, but also with values; a moral space. "We are what we stand for. We are the quests we are embarked on, the callings that move us. In moral space, our souls are like arrows that point to visions of the good. To know more deeply who we are, we need to know the moral directions in which our souls are pointing." If we are to speak of the moral space, we speak of moral purpose. "In the end, the moral worth of our lives must be judged not only by the values we have chosen, but also by the values we have declined."

What do you think? Do you spend much time contemplating who you are and all that defines you as an individual? Do you consider individuality important, or is your life defined by your involvements, organizations, church affiliations, doctrines, family roles, and so forth? Do you think individuality has a place in our lives? Does individuality have a place within the Christian church, or are we so united and bonded together that there is no room for exercising individuality? Would you say that society today as a whole has bought into a sense of who they are through media and this social space the author mentions? What moral values do you embrace? Which ones do you decline?

Again, I would love to hear some of your thoughts on such issues.

Until next time, my contemplations will be amongst colored leaves, brisk fall air, blue skies, full moons that light up the clouds, and the anticipations of coming holidays.

Have a wonderful week.
Brenda