Walter Isaacson's most recent book "The Greatest Sentence Ever Written" refers to "We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are life ,Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness" written by Thomas Jefferson and assisted by Franklin and Adams. This essay pertains to the pursuit of Happiness, which means man's ability to fully develop morally, intellectually and emotionally.
Thomas Jefferson was born in 1743 and died in 1826. Intellectually, he was influenced by others . Notably,some of the writings before and after Jefferson - Karl Marx, Shaftesbury, Jean- Jacques Rousseau,Karl Jaspers , Albert Maslow and others also characterize man's quest within his society.
Marx's protest was against man's alienation; the loss of himself and his transformation into a thing . Man’s problem was related to dehumanization and the automatization that’s related to Western Capitalism and industrialization. How can man realize his potential with Capitalism?
More specifically, Marx was not concerned with the equalization of income, but with the liberation of man trying to work that destroys his individuality by changing him into a thing which makes him a slave of things. And ,when the worker had no part in the direction of the work being employed he becomes part of the “machines,’" He serves and becomes transformed into a thing and becomes dependent on capital .”
For Marx ,alienation was about the change of being alienated with meaningless labor, into productive free labor. Better payment of alienated labor, private or by the state was irrelevant. In other words, his concept of socialism was emancipation from,alienation and the return of man to himself.
A few quotes from Max’s youngest daughter, Eleanor. She described the relationship between her parents. In a letter shortly before her mother's death.( Moor) Marx's nickname got the better of his illness again. Never shall I forget the morning he felt himself strong enough to go into mother's room. When they were together., they were young again-she a young girl and he a loving youth both on life’s threshold, not an old disease ridden man and an old dying woman parting from each other for life.
This quote pertains to walks with his children when he told them tales, tales not measured by miles ,not chapters. He read the whole of Homer, the whole of Nibelungenlied,Gudrun, Don Quixote, Arabian nights, etc. As to Shakespeare, he was the Bible of our house and seldom out of our hands or mouths. By the time I was six,I knew scene upon scene of Shakespeare by heart.
Recently, I had a conversation with Deb, a realtor that I've known for the past 25 years. She retired approximately a year ago and is having difficulty adjusting. I asked her if she wanted to return to selling real estate and she emphatically replied no. I asked her if she wanted to return to work in another area and she replied she didn't know. She added that she liked her career in real estate. If Deb actually liked her career in real estate and is unhappy with her retirement, why not consider returning?
Shaftesbury, grandson of John Locke ,wrote that it's natural for man to exist in society and declared that his moral sense is inborn .This moral sense consists of a sense of order and harmony and can be reached through thought and introspection.
Rousseau stressed that experience had great value and he condemned society and its influence on man.. He believed that society generated egoism . And, that this interferes with man’s needs and capacities. This conflict results in frustration, doubt,and suicide, Rousseau advocated new system of education, a new attitude toward religion in full recognition of the rights of man by the state.
Karl Jaspers wrote that our highly technological mass production society, with its emphasis on mass communication, propaganda and conformity results in the individual being lost . Man’s task or struggle is to awaken the possibilities of his for an authentic and meaningful life within the standardization of this type of society.
Albert Maslow wrote about man developing his fullest by becoming self-actualized.In Maslow's study of self-actualizing people ,he identified 15 characteristics of a self-actualized person. He wrote that these people were not perfect , had ordinary human feelings and occasionally were ruthless and alienated others. Briefly, a few of these characteristics follow: They had a more efficient perception of reality and that these self-actualized people readily detect falseness in another and judged people accurately . They were able to tolerate uncertainty and ambiguity more than others. These people also had less guilt, shame and anxiety, accepted themselves and were less defensive. They were not ego centered, but rather oriented to problems outside of themselves. These external problems in which they became devoted became their mission .They were independent within their environment. They experienced ecstasy, inspiration and strength from basic experiences in life. They had a dedication, sympathy and affection for mankind even though they were troubled by the many shortcomings of the species.They respected people and related to them irrespective of birth,blood, family and nation . They tended to be philosophical and non-hostile in their humor These are a few of the characteristics that describe a self-actualized person according to Maslow.
It's difficult for individuals , in our republic, to become self-actualized because of a number of reasons affecting health . In our environment, we have the occurrence of global warming and its effects on health. For example, residing in California, my residence is just under 12 acres and adjacent to BLM land. In other words, the prospect of fire is a concern for me as well as the surrounding area in the foothills. As a result, there is anxiety about fire and air quality . Also, our streams, water,rivers and oceans have become polluted as a result of the consequences of industrialization. Add the toxins, fertilizers and pesticides associated with growing food . Supposedly organic food is grown without synthetic pesticides or herbicides; free from genetically modified organisms; produced without artificial fertilizers; processed without artificial preservatives, colors or flavors, and certified by a recognized organic certification body.
Next, we have all the processed foods found in our supermarkets. In fact, most of the food on the shelves is not healthy. We have too much sugar, salt ,fat and ingredients that are difficult to understand and pronounce. It's no wonder that life expectancy is 79 1/2 years and does not measure up to other industrialized countries. We are living in an unhealthy and sick country.
Our present government's policies are stressful and are also contributing to ill health. There has been elimination of government jobs; pertinent health research; toxic round up of individuals; threats and attacks on universities,law firms, comedians, "enemies” of Donald; cuts to foreign and domestic aid; attacks on a number of Democrats; and murdering individuals in small boats many miles from our country. And, health care and vaccinations are also under attack.
The idea that healthcare as a human "right" in a capitalistic system is conflictual to say the least. Healthcare is part of a capitalistic system and is about profits. A short story from years ago. I joined a provider group to deliver psychological services. Each patient was to receive up to five visits irrespective of diagnosis or condition. For some, I requested additional visits. Shortly after, I wasn't receiving any referrals. With a phone call I was told that they found another provider with less educational qualifications and less expensive .
The following is based on "The Whistleblower: Confessions of the Healthcare Hitman" by Dr. Robert F. Rost. 1. The healthcare system is financially designed in a way where your illness generates profit. Your wellness does not. And the system is not broken. It works exactly as intended. 2. The healthcare system is controlled by four power centers-what test you get, which medications you are allowed, whether imaging referrals or surgeries are approved and the timeline of your care. 3 Doctors get 6 to 12 minutes per patient in most systems; medication is the fastest way to treat; insurance algorithms deny tests until disease proves itself; keeping you managed is more profitable than curing you. 4. Doctors use approved medications, follow insurance scripts, stick to corporate mandated pathways, maximize billable activities and limit unnecessary testing. Dr. Mark Hyman "We don't have healthcare in America. We have disease care."
In summation, becoming self-actualized for most of the individuals in this country is unrealistic. As an adolescent, I had the opportunity to attend the University as an undergraduate . Graduate school was relatively inexpensive and I had the drive and desire to enter the assisting profession first as a teacher and then as a psychologist . I had the intelligence ,drive and good fortune to maximize socio-economic's Further, my psychological history ,additional research, continuing education , and a behavior orientation toward health furthered my options and choices in pursuit of health and well-being Today, the political, social ,educational and economic realities are not designed for opportunities for the pursuit of Happiness. The capitalistic system is supreme and the God to worship for the rich. The powers in this Republic favor the rich and despise the rest.
Reference
Barrett W. Irrational Man; a study in existential psychology..
Bottomore,T.B.Translation from Marx’s Economic And Philosophical Manuscripts..
Fromm,Erich. Marx’s Concept of Man
Maslow ,Abraham H. Motivation And Personality
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