ESSAYS

1. On Libraries-Oliver Sacks 

Summary

In "On Libraries," the author extols the virtues of intellectual liberty, volunteerism, and the joy of an unexpected outcome. The great neurologist, novelist, and avid reader was one of the legends of the mind and heart-shaped and nurtured by libraries.

In the autobiographical essay, he recalls the time he spent in his home library, which originally belonged to his parents. The library was his favourite place, where he spent hours reading books. He further emphasizes that reading in the library gave him true education. The library, where he used to feel free to quench his thirst for knowledge, had a quiet atmosphere. However, he disliked school because he had to be quite passive in following instructions from the teacher and passively taking in information.

Similarly, his interest in science, particularly astronomy and chemistry, grew when he started school at St. Paul’s School. He was able to quench his thirst for reading science books when one of his teachers at St. Paul’s school gave him a ticket to the library of the Science Museum, where he devoured the books on chemistry.

He further broadened his knowledge when he went to university and had access to the two big libraries of Oxford University: the Radcliffe Science Library and the Bodleian, a wonderful general library that could trace itself back to 1602. In the Bodleian library, he found the books of Theodore Hook, who was admired in the nineteenth century for his witty and genius creativity in theatre and music, and that inspired him to start writing.

He moved to New York in 1965 and lived in a small apartment with inadequate space for either reading or writing. Fortunately, he was able to find space in the library at the Albert Einstein College of Medicine, where he worked. He would spend some time reading or writing at a huge table before exploring the shelves and piles. He had no idea what would catch his attention, but occasionally he would find lucky finds or unanticipated gems and bring them back to his seat. He argued that though the library was quiet, the readers were reading their books, absorbed in their worlds, yet there was a sense of intimacy and friendship.

However, after the 1990s, when books were digitalized and students had access to e-books on their computers, the number of readers in libraries fell, and students neglected the books on the shelves. The college eventually made the decision to remove them as a consequence. Previously overflowing, bookshelves in public and college libraries were now thinly filled. The absence of reaction to throwing or setting actual books on fire shocked him. All this happening and the book by Edward Liveing’s Megrim inspired him to write his own first book because he had understood the significance of books and libraries even if most others did not.

 Understanding the text.                                                                                              

Answer the following questions.

a. Where could the author be found when he was late for lunch or dinner?

• The author could be found in the library reading books when he was late for lunch or dinner.

b. What are his first memories?

• His first memories include reading books when he was three or four years, library, and books in the library.

c. Why did he dislike school?

• He disliked school because he had to remain passive as he sat in class and listened to the teacher's instructions, which appeared to go in one ear and out the other.

d. What did he feel about at the library?

• He was free and able to explore the tens of thousands of books. He was free to move around and enjoy the special atmosphere and the peaceful company of other readers who were all, like himself, on their own quests.

e. Why was he so biased about sciences especially astronomy and chemistry?

• He was so biased about science, especially astronomy and chemistry, because of his interest in science.

f. Why did he become so fascinated by Hook?

• He was fascinated by Hook because, in the early nineteenth century, he was admired for his wit and his creativity in theatre and music. He was therefore inspired to begin writing.

g. Describe the library at Queen’s College.

• The library at Queen’s College was designed by Christopher Wren. It was famous for its majestic structure. The library is an immense underground library. It contains a huge number of books in diverse fields.

h. Why did the students ignore the bookshelves in the 1990s?

• The students ignored the bookshelves in the 1990s because they could access digitalized books on computers.

i. Why was he horrified when he visited the library a couple of months ago?

• He was horrified when he visited the library a couple of months ago because he found the shelves, once overflowing, thinly occupied.

Reference to the Context

a. The author says, “I was not a good pupil, but I was a good learner.” Justify it with textual evidence.

• The textual evidence suggests that the author, who disliked going to school because he had to listen passively to his teachers in class, was not a good pupil but a good learner. The teachers did not agree with his preference for active learning, which he wanted to do. Instead, he preferred to actively learn, which the teachers did not think was a good idea. He, therefore, believed that his teachers did not view him as a good student. He claimed, however, that reading a variety of books from diverse libraries gave him a genuine education rather than attending school.

b. A proverb says, "Nothing is pleasanter than exploring a library." Does this proverb apply to the essay? Explain.

• Yes, the proverb, "Nothing is pleasanter than exploring a library," applies in the essay. We can acquire knowledge by reading books at home or in the library. However, we go to the library to read books since it has a wide selection of books that interest us and a calm environment. As in your home study room, we are not disturbed in the library. However, we can feel the company of several individuals in the library. The author of this essay also prefers the library because it offers a quiet atmosphere where he can spend hours reading books on a variety of subjects.

c. Are there any other services that you would like to see added to the library?

• Yes, I would like to see the library offer more services. These consist of a café and ICT resources like DVDs, etc.

Reference beyond the text

a. Write an essay on Libraries and their uses for students.
b. Do you have any public library in your locality? If so, do the people in your community use it? Give a couple of examples.

2. Marriage as a Social Institution-Steven L. Nock

Summary

The essay "Marriage as a Social Institution" by Steven L. Nock presents how social and demographic trends have changed the role of marriage and family with the example of American marriage and family.

The essayist begins by describing marriage as more than merely the union of two individuals. It is, moreover, a social institution since it is culturally and socially organized and interwoven, much like education, economy, etc. It sets limits around the relationship that have an impact on the partners in many ways. The limits that marriage imposes on behaviour distinguish it from all other types of relationships. The social norms that define the institution of marriage make married couples distinctive in ways that separate them from other people. Unlike other couples, married couples have access to a wide range of well-understood principles that support and organize their lives. He cites Emile Durkheim's notion that marriage is important to men because it organizes their goals and regulates their lives. Emile asserts that the three fundamental essentials of life—food, shelter, and clothing—are more or less universally accessible in sophisticated civilizations. Modern people place a strong emphasis on their health, comfort, luxury, and status, yet their desire for these things eventually gets satiated sooner or later. Regulating and putting legal limits on such desires, though, is challenging, Durkheim believed that social institutions like marriage can achieve this.

Despite the advantages of marriage, the author claims that many Americans choose cohabitation over marriage because it gives them more freedom than getting married. As a result, marriage rates are rapidly declining in America. Many societal regulations and conventions about marriage do not apply to unmarried couples. For instance, the unmarried couple might enjoy their trip in their own way. The married couple, on the other hand, is obligated to their spouses, kids, society, cultural norms, etc.

The essayist views marriage as a type of capital similar to other resources. According to him, marriage is an intangible form of social capital since it connects people. He provides an example of how social capital like physical capital and human capital can facilitate productive activity since it widens the networks of people connected by relationships of reliability and trust. Relationships built on the belief (i.e., trust) that obligations will be acquired and returned provide this sort of capital. Husbands and wives are linked to new families through their marriages (and friends of new kin). Kinship bonds formed via marriage are distinct from those formed through casual connections. Such connections are extensively intertwined with responsibilities. One can contact family members in times of need and anticipate support. Such obligations continue to exist and keep relatives tied together in an ongoing relationship because of the constant nature of kinship responsibilities. Additionally, social capital binds people to networks that provide valuable knowledge and skills among their members. The expansion of social capital is beneficial to people in the same way that other forms of capital are. Marriage as an institution is essentially a personal possession. As important as tangible assets are, maintaining and accumulating intangible assets is more difficult because they only exist as interactions with other people.

The author concludes the essay with the emphasis that one can understand how marriage affects spouses when he/she knows the rules that define it. He puts forward six dimensions of marriage in a standard or normative marriage in an American context, including voluntary, mature, heterosexual adults, husbands as the principal earners, and both sexually faithful, and that married partners will become parents.

 Understanding the text.                                                                                              

Answer the following questions.

a. According to the author, what is marriage?

• According to the author, marriage is more than the union of two spouses defined by legal, moral and conventional assumptions.

b. How is marriage an institution?

• Marriage is a social institution because it controls sexual conduct as well as other aspects of social life It operates like other institutions like school, family, and so on since it is culturally organized, and incorporated into society.

c. What are the rules that marriage has?

• Marriage has some rules that create soft boundaries around the marriage and have a wide range of effects on the spouses. For example, marriage limits behaviours and distinguishes spouses from other people.

d. Why does marriage matter to men?

• Marriage matters to men because it provides structure to their lives and organizes their ambitions.

e. What is one of the central problems in modern society?

• Establishing legal and moral boundaries around various desires, such as status, well-being, luxury, and comfort, is one of the main problems in modern society.

f. What does social capital consist of?

• The extensive networks of people that make up social capital are connected together by relationships of reliability and trust and are advantageous because they can be called upon for support when needed.

g. What is normative marriage? Explain.

• A normative marriage is a sort of standard marriage based on norms and values. It controls and regulates appropriate behaviours and ambitions.

Reference to the context

a. Discuss six dimensions that define normative marriage in America.

• The following are the six dimensions that define normative marriage in America.

        1) Voluntary: Marriage should be voluntary not a force.

        2) Maturity: Maturity is required for marriage.

        3) Heterosexuality: Matured adults with heterosexuality can get married.

        4) Principal earners: The husbands are mainly earners.

        5) Sexually faithful: Both partners will be sexually faithful.

        6) Parenthood: Married partners will become parents.

b. Do marriages differ according to culture? How is your marriage practice different from marriage in America?

• Yes, weddings vary depending on the culture. Within a nation, it differs from region to region. My culture's practice of marriage differs significantly from American culture in several ways. For instance, parents typically arrange marriages in Nepali society. In other words, despite certain changes, boys and girls still rarely have the opportunity to pick their life partners in Nepal, but in America, parents have no role in choosing partners for their sons or daughters. The sons or daughters in America decide themselves about their mates. More significantly, Nepali society follows marriage practices guided by the Hindu religion as most people are Hindus. However, it is not prevalent in all nooks and corners. On the other hand, marriage in American societies is guided by Christian or Muslim cultures.

Reference beyond the text

a. Write an essay on the marriage practice in your own culture.

Marriage varies from one place to another and from one culture to another. However, marriage in my culture is similar to a typical Nepali wedding.

In most cases, the parents of adults who are mature enough to get married choose their partners. However, this trend has changed so that boys or girls can pick their life mates themselves. In other words, they can choose their partners themselves. They ask their parents for suggestions on how and when they can get married. In some cases, marriages are opposed by the parents and relatives for various reasons, like outmatching marriages in terms of religion, society, ethnic group, etc.

When the parents of both the boy and girl come to an agreement for the marriage, they decide the time, date, and other rituals for it. Then both sides start with preparations, like inviting relatives, friends, neighbours, shopping, and so on.

On the very day of marriage, the bridegroom, along with family and other invitees, proceeds to the house of the bride, dancing with a music band. In the bridegroom’s house, entertaining activities are done by a group of females, singing and dancing. This is known as the "Rateuli". In the bride’s house, her family, relatives, and other guests welcome them with a feast of various foods. According to the culture, various rituals are performed, and the most important part is the moment that the bridegroom smears vermilion on the forehead of the bride and puts a sacred garland as the symbol of a gift for her. This also signifies she is married and belongs to someone. During this process, a religious priest chants mantras and commands them to perform rituals. Moreover, both sides give and receive some gifts. After all, this is done, the members of the wedding party accompanying the bride and groom return to the bridegroom’s house.

In the house of the bridegroom’s family, the newly married couple are welcomed. The mother-in-law leads the bride as the daughter-in-law to the house after performing some ritual activities. The guests and other people enjoy dancing and singing. The marriage ceremony ends with a party.

b. Is marriage a social institution? Discuss.

Marriage is, indeed, a social institution. The following paragraphs explain why marriage is a social institution.

Marriage put simply, is more than just the union of two people. Legal, ethical, and traditional assumptions also define it. Since the time of our forefathers, marriage has been practised as an institution and is ingrained in our society. It establishes some rules for married couples' behaviour. It abides by established legal principles as well as socially significant practices, values, and morals. These allow people to satiate their needs legally. In addition, once one marries, they have obligations and duties to their spouses, kids, relatives, etc.

Marriage is a socially sanctioned relationship between two people in which there are financial and sexual advantages, which is expected to be a permanent partnership with rights and duties for both partners. It is a steady relationship in which a man and a woman can coexist in society without suffering any consequences. Marriage has an impact on the entire society as well as future generations, not just the married couple. 

3. Knowledge and Wisdom- Bertrand Russell 

Summary

Russell’s essay, "Knowledge and Wisdom," is about the difference between knowledge and wisdom. He puts forward several factors contributing to wisdom. He further claims that wisdom should be included in education. According to him, wisdom can be gained through learning and practical experience, not just memorization.

The essayist begins the essay by defining knowledge as the acquisition of data and information, while wisdom is the practical application and use of knowledge to create value. Wisdom is influenced by several factors. The sense of balance between knowledge and wisdom gives better results. Otherwise, the pursuit of knowledge becomes harmful unless it is combined with wisdom. The author argues that men with broad knowledge, but limited emotions are not wise. Therefore, he believes that comprehensiveness is concerned with wisdom that includes both knowledge and feeling.

In both public and private life, wisdom is essential. We need the wisdom to decide the goals of life and to free ourselves from our biases. If a goal is too big for us to accomplish, we could pursue it foolishly. For instance, in the quest for the elixir of life, many have spent their lives. This suggests that they were seeking straightforward answers to mankind's complex problems.

In a similar vein, wisdom is required to prevent hostility among people. In other words, wisdom is concerned with emancipation that frees one from personal bias. For instance, prejudice may compel two people to continue being enemies. One could not dislike the other for baseless faults. They could become friends if it could be made clear to them that they all have shortcomings. In addition, the essayist expresses his opinion that it is possible to have a continual approach towards impartiality even though no one can view it with complete impartiality. However, the approach of viewing the world with impartiality grows wisdom.

Russell thinks that the aim of education should be to impart wisdom. The Good Samaritan tale teaches us to love everyone, whether they are our friends or our enemies. We frequently misunderstand the point of this tale because we stop loving individuals who harm society. Understanding, rather than hatred, is the only path to freedom. Russell basically tells us not to hate anyone. He uses Abraham Lincoln, Henry IV, and Queen Elizabeth I as historical examples of notable figures who avoided making the mistakes made by other historical figures.

While imparting knowledge, it is possible to point out the dangers of hatred and narrow-mindedness. According to Russell, education may include both values and knowledge. It is important to educate people to view things in light of other things in the world. They should be inspired to consider themselves global citizens.

In conclusion, the author lists five factors that contribute to wisdom, including 1) a sense of balance; 2) comprehensiveness; 3) emancipation; 4) impartiality, and 5) understanding.

 Understanding the text.                                                                                              

Answer the following questions.

a. What are the factors that contribute to wisdom?

• The following factors contribute to wisdom.

1. a sense of balance/proportion
2. comprehensiveness and feeling
3. emancipation from personal prejudice
4. impartiality
5. understanding

b. What message does the writer try to convey with the example of technicians?

• The author attempts to make a point about destruction by using the example of technicians. He thinks that using technical knowledge without caution might be harmful to mankind. For instance, while technologists may be excited that infant death rates have decreased globally, this results in a shortage of food and a poorer standard of living. Similar to how nuclear theory may be utilized to build atomic weapons that will wipe out the human race.

c. Which leaders does Russell say were able to mix knowledge and wisdom soundly?

• According to Russell, leaders like Queen Elizabeth I, King Henry IV, and President Abraham Lincoln were able to successfully combine knowledge and wisdom. Both Queen Elizabeth I and King Henry IV avoided the bad deeds of their time, and by doing so, they were both kind and undoubtedly successful. Similarly, Abraham Lincoln fought a heroic war while never deviating from the right path.

d. Why is wisdom needed not only in public ways but in private life equally?

• Wisdom is important in both public and private life since it helps in determining one's life goals. Without well-chosen objectives, one cannot succeed.

e. What, according to Russell, is the true aim of education?

• Russell believes that the actual goal of education is to instil wisdom in individuals. Being wise is what enables us to effectively use our knowledge in the actual world without harming other people. People need both knowledge and wisdom to be excellent citizens.

f. Can wisdom be taught? If so, how?

• Yes, wisdom can be taught to some extent. Russell suggests that the teaching of wisdom ought to be more intellectual than moral instruction. He thinks that when imparting knowledge, it is possible to emphasize incidentally the terrible effects that hatred and narrow-mindedness have on those who experience them.  For instance, the terrible effects of an atom's abuse, such as the development of atomic bombs, must be taught along with its composition.

g. Why does the world need more wisdom in the future?

• Wisdom is becoming more and more important as knowledge and skill levels rise since they enhance our ability to accomplish our goals and, if those goals are wicked, also increase our ability to do evil. Therefore, the world needs wisdom more than ever, and if knowledge keeps expanding, it will require wisdom even more in the future than it does today.

Reference to the context

a. According to Russel, “The pursuit of knowledge may become harmful unless it is combined with wisdom.” Justify this statement.

People spend abundant time in the pursuit of knowledge and learning. However, it becomes harmful and useless when not combined with wisdom.

We can consider an example where scientists spent considerable energy and time inventing an atom bomb and placing it incidentally in the hands of powerful lunatics to destroy the human race. Another instance that justifies the statement is, for example, that we know smoking is injurious to health and, despite this knowledge, if we start smoking it harms us. Therefore, it is wise not to smoke, knowing it is harmful.

b. What, according to Russell, is the essence of wisdom? And how can one acquire the very essence?

According to Russell, the essence of wisdom is the practical application of new information. Wisdom also frees us from our own preconceptions and aids in understanding others. As a result, everyone gets along with one another and lives in peace. He additionally emphasizes that learning and experience, not just memorization, are the ways in which we might come to understand the true principles and meaning of wisdom.

Reference beyond the text

a. Why is wisdom necessary in education? Discuss.

Wisdom is the practical application and use of knowledge to create value. People nowadays are getting more educated but less wise. People argue that knowledge without wisdom is useless and even harmful sometimes. Therefore, it should be included in education.

These days, children are taught how to be knowledgeable. Reading materials like textbooks and other references serve as the source of knowledge. On the other hand, teachers and parents also impart knowledge to them, but they are rarely told to apply the knowledge in their practical life, resulting in the failure to calculate the interest on a certain amount even though they learn it in their lesson. In addition, we give information to our children that it is harmful to smoke, and as a result, they understand that smoking is injurious. However, some start smoking because we are just transferring knowledge to our children, not wisdom. Therefore, it is a must that wisdom should be combined with knowledge together and included in education.

b. How can you become wise? Do you think what you are doing in college contributes to wisdom?

Getting certificates of degrees and being educated does not necessarily signify that one is wise. We may have a question in our mind about what makes him wise then. The answer is simple: one can be wise by gaining knowledge through various books, newspapers, training, etc. and applying it in practical life.

It is argued whether what students do in college contributes to wisdom. In my opinion, the knowledge we gain at college is useful and helps us be wise to some extent because we with this, can differentiate between right and wrong. However, it differs from person to person and how they apply the knowledge gained in college to their hands-on lives.

4. Humility - Yuval Noah Harari 

Summary

The essay "Humility" by Prof Harari explores humanity's misconceptions of superiority and mastery. He describes different groups of people from diverse religious groups and tribes that claim that humanity's history began with them and that their achievements are fundamental to the world's current existence.

Many Greeks believe that history began with Homer, Sophocles, and Plato and that all key ideas and inventions were born in Athens, Sparta, Alexandria, and Constantinople. However, the Chinese people argue that history began with the Yellow Emperor and the Xia and Shang dynasties and that everything Westerners, Muslims, and Indians have done is but a pale imitation of original Chinese achievements. Hindu nativists, on the other side, argue that ancient Indian sages invented aircraft and nuclear weapons long before Confucius or Plato. They also believe that Maharishi Bhardwaj developed and utilized rockets and aircraft, that Vishwamitra invented and used missiles, that Acharya Kanad devised atomic theory, and that the Mahabharata accurately depicts nuclear weapons. Turkish, Iranian, and Egyptian nationalists argue that Muslims are the wellspring of everything that is good in humanity and that it was largely their people that safeguarded and spread Islam's purity.

Pious Muslims, on the other hand, argue that all history before the Prophet Muhammad is mainly irrelevant and that all history after the Quran's introduction revolves around the Muslim community.

Some individuals throughout history have believed that governmental institutions and religious rituals are required for the laws of physics to function. The Aztecs were concerned that if their annual sacrifices were not performed, the sun would not rise and the entire cosmos would collapse. Without their country's tremendous achievements, the British, French, Germans, Americans, Russians, Japanese, and a variety of other groups believe that humanity would have lived in primitive and immoral ignorance.

According to the author, all of these claims are false. He insists that their views are affected by a deliberate lack of historical knowledge, which leads to prejudice. None of the current faiths or nations existed when humans first occupied the world, farmed plants and animals, built the first cities, and invented writing and money. Morality, art, spirituality, and creativity are inherent human attributes that are encoded in our DNA. Their forefathers may be traced back to Stone Age Africa. Assigning them to a more recent location and time, whether in China during the Yellow Emperor's reign, Greece during Plato's reign, or Arabia during Muhammad's rule, is irrational selfishness.

The author shows how individuals attempt to claim credit for anything, revealing the egoism among his own people, the Jews, who feel they are the most important thing in the world and will gladly accept credit for any human achievement or innovation. He cites an example of Jewish egoism, which claims to be the origin of yoga. For example, he once went to a yoga instructor in Israel, who told him during an introduction session that yoga was developed by Abraham and that the primary yoga positions are derived from the letter forms of the Hebrew alphabet. Abraham taught yoga to the son of one of his concubines, who went on to teach yoga to the locals in India. Furthermore, he explains the ideas of orthodox Jews. Jews believe that the universe exists exclusively to allow Jewish rabbis to study their sacred writings and that if Jews stopped studying the Talmud, the universe would cease to exist. Secular Jews, on the other hand, believe that Jews are historical heroes and the foundation of human values, spirituality, ethics, and learning.

Finally, Prof. Harari uses Judaism as an example to demonstrate how ridiculous such self-important ideas are. He advises readers all across the world to deflate the hot-air balloons inflated by their own tribes.

 Understanding the text.                                                                                              

Answer the following questions.

a. Describe the claim of the Chinese nationalists about human history.

• The Chinese nationalists argue that history began with the Yellow Emperor and the Xia and Shang dynasties, and that anything Westerners, Muslims, and Indians have accomplished is really a pale imitation of original Chinese accomplishments.

b. What do pious Muslims believe about human history?

• Pious Muslims believe that all history before the Prophet Muhammad is mostly meaningless, and all history following the Quran's introduction revolves around the Muslim community.

c. What did the Aztecs firmly believe about the universe?

• The Aztecs believed that if they did not perform their annual sacrifices, the sun would not rise, and the entire cosmos would collapse.

d. What, according to the essay, are universal human abilities?

• According to the essay, morality, art, spirituality, and creativity are universal human abilities.

e. How are the basic yoga postures derived from the shapes of the letters of the Hebrew alphabet?

• According to a yoga teacher in Israel, all the basic yoga postures are derived from the shapes of the letters of the Hebrew alphabet. The trikonasana posture imitates the shape of the Hebrew letter aleph, tuladandasana imitates the letter daled, etc. According to him, Abraham taught these postures to the son of one of his concubines, who went to India and taught yoga to the Indians. This is how yoga postures get spread.

Reference to the context

a. How do Hindu nationalists refute the Chinese claim that human history really began with the Yellow Emperor and the Xia and Shang dynasties? Who do you agree with, and why?

The origin of human history and civilisation has long been a topic of discussion among people all over the world.

There are several claims that one specific group of people are the world's centre of civilisation and that their culture is the core of human history. The Chinese claim opines that the Yellow Emperor and the Xia and Shang dynasties mark the beginning of human history, while Hindu nationalists dispute this and make the argument that even the invention of aeroplanes and nuclear bombs was made possible by ancient Indian sages long before Confucius or Plato, let alone Einstein and the Wright brothers. For instance, the Mahabharata mentions the creation of rockets and aeroplanes by Maharishi Bhardwaj, the use of missiles by Vishwamitra, and the development of atomic theory by Acharya Kanad.

In my opinion, I strongly agree with the Hindus that the origin of human civilization and history was on the Indian subcontinent, including Nepal, as the use of aeroplanes, missiles, and other technological advancements is explicitly mentioned in the book Mahabharata, one of the oldest books of the oldest religion, i.e., Hinduism.

b. The author has dealt with a controversial debate on human history. Why do you think history has been a major contested issue in the present world?

The author of the essay has dealt with an issue of human history that is currently the subject of intense controversy.

History, in my opinion, is a hotly debated topic in today's society since everyone wants to demonstrate that they are superior and dominant over others as they are reluctant to show their inferiority to others. Additionally, they desire to show how, without their country's amazing achievements, humanity would have lived in a barbaric and immoral state of ignorance. 

Reference beyond the text

a. Write a short essay on The Conflicting History of Human Civilization.

There are many different perspectives on how human civilization has evolved across the world. Various groups provide a variety of claims, including Chinese, Hindu, Muslim, etc. They claim that they have influenced human civilization and that their contributions are more important. They all disagree with one another. In other words, they try to show their superiority and dominance over others. This has resulted in a conflict about the beginning of human development.

The Greeks argue that…..

b. The author claims, “Since it is more polite to criticize one’s own people than to criticize foreigners.” Do you agree with his claim? Give your reasons.

Criticism of outsiders is easier than criticism of one's own people. In other words, while criticizing one's own people compared to outsiders, one should be more polite. I agree with this statement.

The fundamental reason is that, when one is impolite when criticizing his people, he is at risk of being abandoned by his group or his own people. For instance, if I, a Hindu, do not respectfully criticize certain aspects of Hinduism, the Hindu community may refuse to invite me to different social and religious functions.

5. Human Rights and the Age of Inequality - Samuel Moyn

Summary

In "Human Rights and the Age of Inequality," Samuel Moyn addresses the profound disparity between the equality crisis and the human rights solution, which requires a complement rather than a substitute. He claims that the human rights system and movement are simply unprepared to tackle global inequality.

The author opens his essay with a story about Croesus, Lydia's final king (reigned 560–546). According to the author, Croesus was a rich monarch who felt himself to be the happiest of humankind. He desired for his citizens to be happy and free of all forms of sorrow. However, he had a problem: he did not want to invest his money to alleviate his people's misery.

Later, the author compares the situation of Croesus to the present world, where inequality prevails, and available means and resources are divided unequally. According to the author, Human Rights Day is observed every year on December 10th, but no steps have been done to provide equitable access to rights and property for the world's affluent and poor. There is only one answer to all of these problems, and that is distributive equality, but he believes that this is very difficult to achieve in real life.

The author mentions writing the history of human rights with that of political economy. Two major steps are involved here. The first was the heroic age of national welfare governments following World War II. The second was the rise of the political economy beyond the country throughout the 1940s. In his State of the Union, Franklin D. Roosevelt issued his famous call for a "Second Bill of Rights" that included socioeconomic security, but he overlooked three crucial points: the entry of a provincial US into the North Atlantic consensus; the promise of freedom from desire; and imagining it everywhere in the world.

Human rights suffered tremendously after the 1940s when polarization divided the globe into two groups, referring to democratic nations headed by the United States and communist nations led by the Soviet Union, resulting in the Cold War. Similarly, the post-war fragmentation of the world did not bring about the expected development and human rights among nations since these governments preferred 'national wellbeing' above equal human rights.

Samuel Moyen considers if a new human rights revolution is required, and then demonstrates the truth and reality depicted in Herodotus' chronicles, which deal with the necessity for a transfer of global socioeconomic justice under pressure from the affluent to the poor.

Although human rights advocates say that human rights documents promise and guarantee equal freedoms and rights for all people, this is not the case in reality today. Man will not have fundamental and meaningful freedoms and genuine rights unless this existing economic and socio-political framework survives. Thus, a fair share of wealth and property transfer from the affluent to the poor, redistribution of means and resources, law-making and enforcement of the fair distribution of wealth by the government, and equal society require large-scale and radical movements. However, all of these are unrealistic, improper, and extremely unlikely to occur in reality.

Above all, our shared destiny resembles Croesus' world, in which the affluent enjoy happiness, freedom, and everything to the fullest, much like the colonists in the British Raj, while the poor live in a world of illusion with their floating equality and independence.

 Understanding the text.                                                                                              

Answer the following questions.

a. What is the first human rights declaration adopted by the United Nations?

    

    The first human rights declaration adopted by the United Nations is mobilization for the economic and social rights. 

b. When is Human Rights Day observed?

    

    Human Rights Day is observed on 10 December every year. 

c. What is the goal of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights?

 

  The goal of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights is to provide the most basic entitlements that humans deserve. The basic rights include food, shelter, clothes, dignity, freedom, etc. 

d. What are two big stages that involve writing the history of human rights in relation to that of political economy?

    

   Two big stages that involve writing the history of human rights in relation to that of political    economy are the heroic age of the national welfare states after World War II and the political    economy ascended beyond the nation during the 1940s.

e. What are the facts that have been missed in Roosevelt’s call for a “second Bill of Rights”?

  

  The facts that have been missed in Roosevelt’s call for a “second Bill of Rights” include the entry of a provincial US into the North Atlantic consensus, the promise of freedom from desire; and imagining it everywhere in the world. 

f. Write the truth expressed in Herodotus’s Histories.

     

    The truth expressed in Herodotus's Histories is the redistribution under pressure from the affluent/rich to the poor would be necessary to achieve socio-economic justice as well as local socio-economic justice. 

g. Why is the Universal Declaration of Human Rights important to you?

  

    An important historical document, the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, set forth the freedoms and rights to which everyone is entitled. It is significant to us because it safeguards the rights of everyone, everywhere by serving as a worldwide road map for equality and freedom. In fact, it represents freedom, equality, and justice throughout the world.

Reference to the context

a. Does the essay give ways on how to stigmatize inequality? Explain.

    

    The essay, in my opinion, does not provide concrete suggestions for combating inequality. However, it raises questions and concerns about it with numerous examples of how individuals from all over the world have experienced injustice, deprivation, and prejudice. He further argues that existing human rights campaigners lack the capacity to criticize injustice, and that a new political economy must be established in its place in order to effectively regulate it. History suggests that since they lack the courage to compel redistribution, they are the incorrect kind of agency.

b. Is another human rights movement necessary? Why?

    

    There are rich people and poor people in the globe. This has greatly distanced them from one another. To put it another way, people who are wealthy and powerful enjoy their human rights while others lack necessities like food, justice, freedom, etc. The rights outlined in the Universal Declaration of Human Rights are limited to only paper. A new human rights movement is therefore necessary considering the current situation of human rights around the world.

Reference beyond the text

a. What are the challenges in maintaining human rights in Nepal?

Nepal is one of the least developed countries in the world. Although the government has promised to ensure human rights to its all citizens from each nook and corner and society, there has been a great deal of violation. It has faced several challenges to maintain human rights. These include:

• Poverty (particularly in rural areas)
• Education disparities
• Longstanding discrimination - on the basis of caste, ethnicity, gender, geographic and other considerations
• Enormous disparities in access to land, food, health, shelter, water and other basic needs
• Gender-based violence, including domestic and sexual violence, the risk of trafficking, discriminatory laws
• Health issues
• Child rights violations
• Misuse of power
• Nepotism, corruption, bribery, illiteracy and ignorance of people
• Priority for the personal benefits or favour
• Lack of proper mechanism to systematize policies
• Lack of proper strategies to implement the rules of laws etc.