Manusia dan Tanggung Jawab Dalam konteks sosial manusia merupakan makhluk sosial. Ia tidak dapat hidup sendirian dengan perangkat nilai-nilai selera sendiri. Nilai-nilai yang diperankan seseorang dalam jalinan sosial harus dipertanggungjawabkan sehingga tidak mengganggu konsensus nilai yang telah disetujui bersama. Tanggung jawab erat kaitannya dengan kewajiban. Kewajiban adalah sesuatu yang dibebankan terhadap seseorang, kewajiban merupakan tandingan terhadap hak, dan dapat juga tidak mengacu kepada hak, maka tanggung jawab dalam hal ini adalah tanggung jawab terhadap kewajibannya. Kewajiban dibagi menjadi dua, yaitu: a) Kewajiban terbatas b) Kewajiban tidak terbatas Tanggung jawab Pengertian Tangung Jawab Tanggung jawab adalah keadaan wajib menanggung segala sesuatunya. Sehingga bertanggungjawab adalah kewajiban menanggung, memikul jawab, menanggung segala sesuatunya, atau memberikan jawaban dan menanggung akibatnya. Tanggungjawab adalah kesadaran manusia akan tingkah laku atau perbuatannya yang disengaja maupun yang tidak disengaja. Tanggungjawab juga juga berarti berbuat sebagai perwujudan kesadaran akan kewajibannya. Seseorang mau bertanggungjawab karena ada kesadaran atau keinsafan atau pengertian atas segala perbuatan dan akibatnya dan atas kepentingan pihak lain. Timbulnya tanggungjawab itu karena manusia itu hidup bermasyarakat dan hidup dalam lingkungan alam. Tanggungjawab itu bersifat kodrati, artinya sudah menjadi bagian kehidupan manusia, bahwa setiap manusia pasti dibebani dengan tanggungjawab. Apabila ia tidak mau bertanggungjawab, maka akan ada pihal lain yang memaksa tanggungjawab itu. Dengan demikian tanggungjawab itu dapat dilihat dari dua sisi, yaitu dari sisi pihak yang berbuat dan dari sisi kepentingan pihak lain. Dari sisi pembuat ia harus menyadari akibat perbuatannya itu, dengan demikian ia sendiri pula yang harus memulihkan ke dalam keadaan baik. Daari sisi pihak lain, apabila si pembuat tidak mau bertanggungjawab, pihak lain yang akan memulihkan baik dengan cara individual maupun dengan cara masyarakat. Apabila dikaji, tanggungjawab itu adalah kewajiban atau beban yang harus dipikul atau dipenuhi sebagai akibat dari pebuatan pihak yang berbuat, atau sebagai akibat dari perbuatan pihak lain, atau sebagai pengabdian pada pihak lain. Kewajiban atau beban itu ditujukan untuk kebaikan pihak yang berbuat sendiri atau pihak lain dengan keseimbangan, keserasian keselarasan antara sesama manusia, antara manusia dan lingkungan, antara manusia dan Tuhan selalu dipelihara dengan baik. Tanggungjawab Buku Ajar Ilmu Budaya Dasar
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itu cirri manusia beradab (berbudaya). Manusia merasa bertanggungjawab karena ia menyadari akibat baik atau buruk perbuatannya itu, dan menyadari pula bahwa pihak lain memerlukan pengabdian atau pengorbanannya. Untuk memperoleh atau meningkatkan kesadaan bertanggungjawab perlu ditempuh usaha melalui pendidikan, penyuluhan, keteladanan, dan takwa terhadap Tuhan. Berdasarkan penjalasan di atas, maka dapat kita jelaskan macam-macam dari bentuk tanggungjawab sebagai berikut : Macam-macam Tanggungjawab : Tanggungjawab terhadap diri sendiri “If it is to be, it is up to me” maksud dari pepatah lama tersebut adalah hanya diri kita yang sepenuhnya bertanggungjawab terhadap kehidupan atau nasib diri kita sendiri. Ada beberapa ketentuan untuk dapat melaksanakan tanggungjwab kehidupan ini dengan baik. Ketentuan pertama adalah mengenali dan mengembangkan potensi yang ada dalam diri sendiri. Selain itu, memahami tujuan hidup supaya langkah untuk dikerjakan lebih terfokus. Yang terpenting dari semua itu adalah berpikir dan bersikap positif walau apapun yang terjadi. Kesuksesan dimasa depan tidak terkait erat dengan latar belakang maupun latar depan. Keadaan dalam merespon keadaan menentukan tingkat keberhasilan. Suatu keadaan yang sama, tetapi bila direspon secara berbeda maka akan memberikan hasil yang berbeda pula. Sebagai contoh adalah kehidupan mengenai sepasang saudara kembar di Amerika Serikat. Kejadian ini berlangsung sekitar tahun 1950-an. Keluarga pasangan saudara kembar ini berantakan. Sang kakak merespon keadaan itu secara positif, dan bertekad untuk sukses dalam kehidupan. Berkat usaha keras dalam belajar dan tekadnya yang besar, maka ia berhasil menjadi senator ternama di Amerika Serikat. Sedangkan saudara kembarnya sendiri melihat kekacauan dalam keluarganya itu secara negatif. Sehingga ia kehilangan kendali dan selalu berusaha menghancurkan dirinya sendiri. Akibatnya, ia harus mendekam di penjara seumur hidup karena melakukan tindakan kejahatan yang sangat fatal. Tidak ada orang lain yang harus dipersalahkan. Kesalahannya sendiri merupkan penyebab dari nasib buruknya itu. Dalam kisah tersebut terdapat perbedaan rasa tanggungjawab hidup yang besar. Faktor pembeda yang pertama adalah kepahaman terhadap potensi dalam diri masing-masing individu. Sang kakak merasa memiliki potensi yang cukup untuk ia kembangkan lebih lanjut. Oleh sebab itu, ia merasa bertanggung jawab untuk dapat meraih kehidupannya yang lebih baik. Sedangkan sang adik sama sekali tidak melihat potensi yang ada di dalam dirinya. Sehingga sang adik tidak merasa mampu mengemban tanggungjawab kehidupam ini dengan baik. Selain itu, sang kakak sudah menetapkan tujuan yang pasti, sehingga setiap langkahnya terarah. Sedangkan sang adik tidak memiliki tujuan hidup yang pasti. Sehingga, ia merasa tidak perlu bertanggungjawab terhadap kehidupan ini. Sementara sang kakak selalu menyikapi keadaan secara positif. Dilain pihak, sang adik tidak melihat sisi positif dari bencana yang menimpa keluarga mereka. Perbedaan tingkat rasa tanggungjawab hidup diantara mereka berdua telah menyebabkan perbedaan nasib yang sangat besar pula.
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Dari contoh di atas, dapat kita ambil kesimpulan bahwa hanya diri kita sendirilah yang bertanggungjawab menentukan kehidupan seperti apa yang kita harapkan. Sedangkan orang lain tidak bertanggungjawab terhadap nasib ataupun esuksesan kita. Peran dari orang lain hanya bersifat sebagai instrumen yang melengkapai usaha diri kita sendiri. Tanggungjawab terhadap Keluarga Secara tradisional keluarga adalah tempat dimana manusia saling memberikan tanggungjawabnya. Si orang tua bertanggungjawab kepada anaknya, anggota keluarga saling tanggungjawab. Anggota keluarga saling membantu dalam keadaan susah, saling mengurus di usia tua dan dalam keadaan sakit. Ini terlepas dari apakah kehidupan itu berbentuk perkawinan atau tidak. Di lihat dari segi tanggungjawab, orang tua adalah orang yang paling bertanggungjawab terhadap pendidikan anak. Anak dilahirkan dan dibesarkan oleh orang tua, orang yang pertama kali dijumpai anak adalah orang tuanya, jadi secara tidak langsung ayah dan ibu adalah guru pertama bagi anak, disadari atau tidak oleh orang tua itu sendiri. Tanggungjawab terhadap masyarakat Manusia bertanggungjawab terhadap tindakan mereka. Manusia menanggung akibat dari perbuatannya dan mengukurnya pada berbagai norma. Ini merupakan bentuk dari tanggungjawab terhadap masayarakat, dimana di dalam masyarakat telah ada aturanaturan. Kehidupan bersama antar manusia membentuk norma yang kemudian berkembang menjadi aturan-aturan, hukum-hukum yang dibutuhkan suatu masyarakat tertentu. Dalam negara-negara modern aturan-aturan atau hukum-hukum tersebut termaktub dalam sebuah sistem hukum dan sama bagi semua warga. Apabila aturanaturan ini dilanggar yang bersangkutan harus memperoleh hukuman atau sanksi. Jika ia misalnya merugikan hak milik orang lain maka Pengadilan dapat menghukum sikap yang bersalah (pelanggaran) berdasarkan KUHP. Tanggungjawab terhadap bangsa / negara Pendidikan merupakan salah satu dari contoh bentuk tanggungjawab masyarakat atau lebih khususnya pelajar terhadap bangsa dan negara. Karena pendidikan merupakan investasi jangka panjang yang terbaik bagi bangsa dan negara. Sumber Daya Manusia Indonesia masih sangat lemah untuk mendukung perkembangan industri dan ekonomi. Penyebabnya karena pemerintah selama ini tidak pernah menempatkan pendidikan sebagai prioritas terpenting. Sedikitnya terdapat tiga alasan untuk memprioritaskan pendidikan sebagai investasi jangka panjang. - Pertama, pendidikan adalah alat untuk perkembangan ekonomi dan bukan sekedar pertumbuhan ekonomi. Pada praksis manajemen pendidikan modern, salah satu dari lima fungsi pendidikan adalah fungsi teknis-ekonomis baik pada tataran individual hingga tataran global. Fungsi teknis-ekonomis merujuk pada kontribusi pendidikan untuk perkembangan ekonomi. Misalnya pendidikan dapat membantu siswa untuk Buku Ajar Ilmu Budaya Dasar
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mendapatkan pengetahuan dan keterampilan yang diperlukan untuk hidup dan berkompetisi dalam ekonomi yang kompetitif. Para penganut teori human capital berpendapat bahwa pendidikan adalah sebagai investasi sumber daya manusia yang memberi manfaat moneter ataupun non-moneter. Manfaat non-meneter dari pendidikan adalah diperolehnya kondisi kerja yang lebih baik, kepuasan kerja, efisiensi konsumsi, kepuasan menikmati masa pensiun dan manfaat hidup yang lebih lama karena peningkatan gizi dan kesehatan. Manfaat moneter adalah manfaat ekonomis yaitu berupa tambahan pendapatan seseorang yang telah menyelesaikan tingkat pendidikan tertentu dibandingkan dengan pendapatan lulusan pendidikan dibawahnya. Sumber daya manusia yang berpendidikan akan menjadi modal utama pembangunan nasional, terutama untuk perkembangan ekonomi. Semakin banyak orang yang berpendidikan maka semakin mudah bagi suatu negara untuk membangun bangsanya. Hal ini dikarenakan telah dikuasainya keterampilan, ilmu pengetahuan dan teknologi oleh sumber daya manusianya sehingga pemerintah lebih mudah dalam menggerakkan pembangunan nasional. - Kedua, investasi pendidikan memberikan nilai balik (rate of return) yang lebih tinggi dari pada investasi fisik di bidang lain. Nilai balik pendidikan adalah perbandingan antara total biaya yang dikeluarkan untuk membiayai pendidikan dengan total pendapatan yang akan diperoleh setelah seseorang lulus dan memasuki dunia kerja. - Ketiga, investasi dalam bidang pendidikan memiliki banyak fungsi selain fungsi teknis-ekonomis yaitu fungsi sosial-kemanusiaan, fungsi politis, fungsi budaya, dan fungsi kependidikan. Fungsi sosial-kemanusiaan merujuk pada kontribusi pendidikan terhadap perkembangan manusia dan hubungan sosial pada berbagai tingkat sosial yang berbeda. Jelaslah bahwa investasi dalam bidang pendidikan tidak semata-mata untuk mendongkrak pertumbuhan ekonomi tetapi lebih luas lagi yaitu perkembangan ekonomi. Perkembangan ekonomi akan tercapai apabila sumber daya manusianya memiliki etika, moral, rasa tanggung jawab, rasa keadilan, jujur, serta menyadari hak dan kewajiban yang kesemuanya itu merupakan indikator hasil pendidikan yang baik. Dari paparan di atas tampak bahwa pendidikan adalah wahana yang amat penting dan strategis untuk perkembangan ekonomi dan integrasi bangsa. Tanggungjawab terhadap Tuhan Penciptaan manusia dilandasi oleh sebuah tujuan luhur. Maka, tentu saja keberadaannya disertai dengan berbagai tanggungjawab. Konsekuensi kepasrahan manusia kepada Allah Swt, dibuktikan dengan menerima seluruh tanggungjawab (akuntabilitas) yang datang dari-Nya serta melangkah sesuai dengan aturan-Nya. Berbagai tanggungjawab ini, membentuk suatu relasi tanggungjawab yang terjadi antara Tuhan, manusia dan alam. Hal tersebut meliputi antara lain: tanggungjawab manusia terhadap Tuhan, tanggungjawab manusia terhadap sesama, tanggungjawab manusia terhadap alam semesta serta tanggungjawab manusia tehadap dirinya sendiri. Buku Ajar Ilmu Budaya Dasar
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Tanggungjawab manusia terhadap Tuhan meliputi dua aspek pokok. Pertama, mengenal Tuhan. Kedua, menyembah dan beribadah kepada-Nya. Pengabdian dan Pengorbanan Wujud tanggungjawab juga berupa pengabdian dan pengorbanan. Pengabdian dan pegorbanan adalah perbuatan baik untuk kepentingan manusia itu sendiri. Pengabdian adalah perbuatan baik yang berupa pikiran, pendapat ataupun tenaga sebagai perwujudan kesetiaan, cinta kasih sayang, norma, atau satu ikatan dari semua itu dilakukan dengan ikhlas. Pengabdian itu pada hakekatnya adalah rasa tanggungjaab. Apabila orang bekerja keras sehari penuh untuk mencapai kebutuhan, hal itu berarti mengabdi keapada keluarga. Manusia tidak ada dengan sendirinya, tetapi merupakan mahluk ciptaan Tuhan. Sebagai ciptaan Tuhan manusia wajib mengabdi kepada Tuhan. Pengabdian berarti penyerahan diri sepenuhnya kepada uhan, dan merupakan perwujudan tanggungjawab kepad Tuhan. Pengorbanan berasal dari kata korban atau kurban yang berarti persembahan, sehingga pengorbanan berarati pemberian untuk menyatakan kebaktian. Dengan demikian pengorbanan yang bersifat kebaktian itu mengandung keikhalasan yangtidak menganadung pamrih. Suatu pemberian yang didasarkan atas kesadaran moral yang tulus ikhlas semata-mata. Perbedaan antara pengabdian dan pengorbanan tidak begitu jelas. Karena adanya pengabdian tentu ada pengorbanan. Antara sesame kawan sulit dikatakan pengabdian karena kata pengabdian mengandung arti lebih rendah tingkatannya, tetapi untuk kata pengorbanan dapat juga diterapkan kepaa sesame teman.. Pengorbanan merupakan akibat dari pengabdian. Pengorbanan dapat berupa harta benda, pikiran dan perasaan, bahkan dapat juga berupa jiwanya. Pengorbanan diserahkan secara ikhlas tanpa pamrih, tanpa ada perjanjian, tanpa ada transaksi, kapan sja diperlukan. Pengabdian lebih banyak menunjuk pada perbuatan sedangkan pengorbanan lebih banyak menunjuk pada pemberian sesuatu misalnya berupa pikiran, perasaan, tenaga, biaya. Dalam pengabdian selalu dituntut pengorbanan, tetapi pengorbanan belum tentu menuntut pengabdian.
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Lampiran
Human Rights and Universal Responsibility
Dalai Lama Our world is becoming smaller and ever more interdependent with the rapid growth in population and increasing contact between people and governments. In this light, it is important to reassess the rights and responsibilities of individuals, peoples and nations in relation to each other and to the planet as a whole. This World Conference of organizations and governments concerned about the rights and freedoms of people throughout the world reflects the appreciation of our interdependence. No matter what country or continent we come from we are all basically the same human beings. We have the common human needs and concerns. We all seek happiness and try to avoid suffering regardless of our race, religion, sex or political status. Human beings, indeed all sentient beings, have the right to pursue happiness and live in peace and in freedom. As free human beings we can use our unique intelligence to try to understand ourselves and our world. But if we are prevented from using our creative potential, we are deprived of one of the basic characteristics of a human being. It is very often the most gifted, dedicated and creative members of our society who become victims of human rights abuses. Thus the political, social, cultural and economic developments of a society are obstructed by the violations of human rights. Therefore, the protection of these rights and freedoms are of immense importance both for the individuals affected and for the development of the society as a whole. It is my belief that the lack of understanding of the true cause of happiness is the principal reason why people inflict suffering on others. Some people think that causing pain to others may lead to their own happiness or that their
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own happiness is of such importance that the pain of others is of no significance. But this is clearly shortsighted. No one truly benefits from causing harm to another being. Whatever immediate advantage is gained at the expense of someone else is short-lived. In the long run causing others misery and infringing upon their peace and happiness creates anxiety, fear and suspicion for oneself. The key to creating a better and more peaceful world is the development of love and compassion for others. This naturally means we must develop concern for our brothers and sisters who are less fortunate than we are. In this respect, the non-governmental organizations have a key role to play. You not only create awareness for the need to respect the rights of all human beings, but also give the victims of human rights violations hope for a better future. When I travelled to Europe for the first time in 1973, I talked about the increasing interdependence of the world and the need to develop a sense of universal responsibility. We need to think in global terms because the effects of one nation's actions are felt far beyond its borders. The acceptance of universally binding standards of Human Rights as laid down in the Universal Declaration of Human Rights and in the International Covenants of Human Rights is essential in today's shrinking world. Respect for fundamental human rights should not remain an ideal to be achieved but a requisite foundation for every human society. When we demand the rights and freedoms we so cherish we should also be aware of our responsibilities. If we accept that others have an equal right to peace and happiness as ourselves do we not have a responsibility to help those in need? Respect for fundamental human rights is as important to the people of Africa and Asia as it is to those in Europe or the Americas. All human beings, whatever their cultural or historical background, suffer when they are intimidated, imprisoned or tortured. The question of human rights is so fundamentally important that there should be no difference of views on this. We must
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therefore insist on a global consensus not only on the need to respect human rights world wide but more importantly on the definition of these rights.
for the downtrodden, and people everywhere are displaying a willingness to champion and defend the rights and freedoms of their fellow human beings.
Recently some Asian governments have contended that the standards of human rights laid down in the Universal Declaration of Human Rights are those advocated by the West and cannot be applied to Asia and others parts of the Third World because of differences in culture and differences in social and economic development. I do not share this view and I am convinced that the majority of Asian people do not support this view either, for it is the inherent nature of all human beings to yearn for freedom, equality and dignity, and they have an equal to achieve that. I do not see any contradiction between the need for economic development and the need for respect of human rights. The rich diversity of cultures and religions should help to strengthen the fundamental human rights in all communities. Because underlying this diversity are fundamental principles that bind us all as members of the same human family. Diversity and traditions can never justify the violations of human rights. Thus discrimination of persons from a different race, of women, and of weaker sections of society may be traditional in some regions, but if they are inconsistent with universally recognized human rights, these forms of behavior must change. The universal principles of equality of all human beings must take precedence.
Brute force, no matter how strongly applied, can never subdue the basic human desire for freedom and dignity. It is not enough, as communist systems have assumed, merely to provide people with food, shelter and clothing. The deeper human nature needs to breathe the precious air of liberty. However, some governments still consider the fundamental human rights of its citizens an internal matter of the state. They do not accept that the fate of a people in any country is the legitimate concern of the entire human family and that claims to sovereignty are not a license to mistreat one's citizens. It is not only our right as members of the global human family to protest when our brothers and sisters are being treated brutally, but it is also our duty to do whatever we can to help them.
It is mainly the authoritarian and totalitarian regimes who are opposed to the universality of human rights. It would be absolutely wrong to concede to this view. On the contrary, such regimes must be made to respect and conform to the universally accepted principles in the larger and long term interests of their own peoples. The dramatic changes in the past few years clearly indicate that the triumph of human rights is inevitable. There is a growing awareness of peoples' responsibilities to each other and to the planet we share. This is encouraging even though so much suffering continues to be inflicted based on chauvinism, race, religion, ideology and history. A new hope is emerging
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Artificial barriers that have divided nations and peoples have fallen in recent times. With the dismantling of Berlin wall the East - West division which has polarized the whole world for decades has now come to an end. We are experiencing a time filled with hope and expectations. Yet there still remains a major gulf at the heart of the human family. By this I am referring to the North-South divide. If we are serious in our commitment to the fundamental principles of equality, principles which, I believe, lie at the heart of the concept of human rights, today's economic disparity can no longer be ignored. It is not enough to merely state that all human beings must enjoy equal dignity. This must be translated into action. We have a responsibility to find ways to achieve a more equitable distribution of world's resources. We are witnessing a tremendous popular movement for the advancement of human rights and democratic freedom in the world. This movement must become an even more powerful moral force, so that even the most obstructive governments and armies are incapable of suppressing it. This conference is an occasion for all of us to reaffirm our commitment to this goal. It is natural and just for nations, peoples and individuals to
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demand respect for their rights and freedoms and to struggle to end repression, racism, economic exploitation, military occupation, and various forms of colonialism and alien domination. Governments should actively support such demands instead of only paying lip service to them. As we approach the end of the Twentieth Century, we find that the world is becoming one community. We are being drawn together by the grave problems of over population, dwindling natural resources, and an environmental crisis that threaten the very foundation of our existence on this planet. Human rights, environmental protection and great social and economic equality, are all interrelated. I believe that to meet the challenges of our times, human beings will have to develop a greater sense of universal responsibility. Each of us must learn to work not just for one self, one's own family or one's nation, but for the benefit of all humankind. Universal responsibility is the is the best foundation for world peace.
I, for one, strongly believe that individuals can make a difference in society. Every individual has a responsibility to help more our global family in the right direction and we must each assume that responsibility. As a Buddhist monk, I try to develop compassion within myself, not simply as a religious practice, but on a human level as well. To encourage myself in this altruistic attitude, I sometimes find it helpful to imagine myself standing as a single individual on one side, facing a huge gathering of all other human beings on the other side. Then I ask myself, 'Whose interests are more important?' To me it is quite clear that however important I may feel I am, I am just one individual while others are infinite in number and importance. Thank you.
This need for co-operation can only strengthen humankind, because it helps us to recognize that the most secure foundation for a new world order is not simply broader political and economic alliances, but each individual's genuine practice of love and compassion. These qualities are the ultimate source of human happiness, and our need for them lies at the very core of our being. The practice of compassion is not idealistic, but the most effective way to pursue the best interests of others as well as our own. The more we become interdependent the more it is in our own interest to ensure the well-being of others. I believe that one of the principal factors that hinder us from fully appreciating our interdependence is our undue emphasis on material development. We have become so engrossed in its pursuit that, unknowingly, we have neglected the most basic qualities of compassion, caring and cooperation. When we do not know someone or do not feel connected to an individual or group, we tend to overlook their needs. Yet, the development of human society requires that people help each other.
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It's Time to Talk about Responsibilities
between Jewish/Israeli nationalism, on the one side, and, on the other, the Moslem/Palestinian nationalism, with violent fundamentalists on both sides. Or a third example is the danger of a deep clash between Pakistani and Indian nationalisms, propelled by religious fundamentalists on either side, Moslems and Hindus.
Speech given at Hansung Unversity
In my personal view, the most dangerous possible civilisational clash is thinkable between American/Western Civil Rightsfundamentalism, and on the opposite side, Confucianist, or the so-called socialist Chinese approach to modernity. If such a clash were to happen, then the ideological struggle might just serve as an initial disguise for a cold war between the two world powers, America and China.
Seoul, Korea October 17, 1999 By Helmut Schmidt Let me start out with a few remarks about the dichotomy of the ongoing global development, about its implicated dangers and about the desirable efforts to establish world-wide a minimal body of ethical ground rules. Let me explain the dichotomy. On the one side, almost all of mankind is nowadays engaged in a globalisation of technology. Some countries started earlier, some later. Korea started its globalisation rather early in the 1960s already. Germany had been globalised already beforehand. But globalisation is not limited to technology, it is also globalisation of information, of economic markets, and also of economic behaviour. But on the other hand, we do at the same time maintain sharply conflicting ideologies and sharply conflicting religions and even more so conflicting fundamentalisms. This may create a dangerous situation in the 21st Century. Quite a few people tend to think that in the next century, clashes between civilisations might become unavoidable. There are several examples for this concern. Let me, for instance, point to the possible clash between the Islamic part of mankind and the Western civilisation. Or, secondly, let me point to a thinkable clash Buku Ajar Ilmu Budaya Dasar
Whether or not some such civilisational clashes will indeed happen, or whether or not we can avoid them from happening, will, of course, in the main depend on the political leaders - on their wisdom or on their limitations, maybe even on their fanaticism. But also will it depend on the insights and behaviour of religious and spiritual leaders. It will also depend on the behaviour of academics and teachers in our schools and universities. It will heavily depend on either the responsibility or the irresponsibility of the public mass media in all our countries. And in the final analysis, the world's peace will as well hinge on us citizens, on our individual behaviour and responsibility. If we look back, let us say, half a century or so, to the end of Hitlers and the Japanese dictatorship in Europe and Asia, it was most natural then that the liberated nations did give priority to guaranteeing the fundamental rights for the individual person, or, in the United Nations' jargon: "human rights" for any individual person. At the end of both Hitler's European dictatorship and Japan's military occupation and dictatorship
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in East and Southeast Asia, the United Nations' Universal Declaration of Human Rights 50 years ago was a natural and at the same time necessary and good decision. Looking back even deeper into the past, one will have to observe that the establishment of fundamental rights of the individual person in the West, two and a half-centuries ago, went hand in hand with the creation and organisation of democratic societies and democratic states. So, in England and in the United States of America, so in France and in some other European countries as well. It was such again in Europe after the collapse of Mussolini and Hitler's dictatorships in the late 1940s and again after the end of the Communist dictatorships in the 1990s. And it was similar in your own country after the end of the Korean War in the 1950s. Nowadays quite a few people in the Western countries tend to misunderstand or misinterpret their personal freedom and their fundamental rights in so far as they do not even consider their own personal responsibility. In my view, if individuals rightly claim their rights only, but do not accept any responsibility for their behaviour, then a whole society, a whole nation and its state may fall into animosity. Even mankind as such may fall into animosity, into conflict and finally into chaos. It is hard to learn, but it is an undeniable fact that peace does require a will for compromises. Who abhors compromise, will act irresponsibly. Without the sense of responsibility, the freedom of any individual can soon degenerate into a situation of hegemony by the strong and the mighty, as well as inside ones society but also between nations and states. Therefore, politicians as well as citizens should strive to keep rights and responsibilities in balance. Today, nearly half a century after the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, these rights, which are necessary ethical Buku Ajar Ilmu Budaya Dasar
imperative, are being endangered. They are being endangered, because some Western leaders, particularly some Americans, are misusing the concept and the term "human rights" as a kind of verbal weapon, as an aggressive instrument for pressure in the field of foreign affairs. And they do it in a rather selective way. They use it, for instance, against China or against Iran or Libya, but not for instance against Israel or against Saudi Arabia or others. The reasons for this selective use of that pressure instrument, of course, are to be found in geo-strategic or domestic political interests. Now, on the other side, for quite a few Moslems and Hindus and Confucianists, the ideal of human rights appears to be a typical Western concept. And some therefore denounce it as being just a propaganda instrument in order to prolongate Western predominance. Furthermore, one hears wellfounded accusations, voiced by some Christians and more generally by Asians, that the concept of fundamental rights of the individual does neglect or even ignore the importance of the personal virtue of obligation and responsibility. Obligation and responsibility vis-a-vis one's family and ones community, vis-a-vis the society as a whole and the obligation vis-a-vis the state. Some Asians do stress what they perceive as two opposing concepts of what makes human dignity: the Western concept and the Asian concept. Indubitably the concepts of the human being and of human dignity do in fact vary. They have varied in the course of history, in the course of cultural and civilisational evolution in different continents and in different countries as well. They differ in their religious, philosophical or ideological points of view. They differ also inside a given religion, a given society or a given culture or civilisation. In general, there are indeed real
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and great differences between Europe and North America as opposed to Asia's Islam, Hindu, Buddhist and Confucianist ideas and ideals, not to mention Communism and all its variations. One has therefore to fear future conflicts between civilisations. There will always be fundamentalists on all the sides and there will always be violence from various sides. Fundamentalism plus violence can trigger off terrible mass hysteria. We have seen mass hysteria happening in our lifetime in several places on the surface of this continent. Today's worldwide development of economic interaction, the so-called globalisation, will not necessarily stand in the way of fundamentalist mass hysteria, in as much as the globalisation will bring about new conflicts of economic interests. Since the end of the Soviet bloc, and particularly since the opening up of China due to Deng Xiaoping and the present leadership in China, the number of people competing with each other in the open world markets has nearly doubled. The participants in the world economy have doubled over the last 20 years. Not only 1.2 billion Chinese have joined but also have 300 million people who live on the soil of the former Soviet Union plus the Vietnamese etc. If you add to that the enormous technological steps that have been made especially in tele-communication, in air traffic and sea-container transportation as well as the high degree of liberalisation of trade and especially of the money markets and the long-term capital markets, higher than ever recorded in the past, it is clear that in the beginning of the 21st Century, the world's nations and their economies will depend much more on each other than ever in former generations and centuries. Buku Ajar Ilmu Budaya Dasar
Mankind as a whole will be much more intertwined than ever before in history. At the same time, globalisation will lead to new and unknown rivalries and the temptation to resort to egoistic power policies may very well increase. Therefore, peace could very well collapse, if nations and states, if politicians as well as religious leaders and institutions, if they do not learn to respect and to accept other people's religious and cultural and civilisational heritages. And if people do not learn to keep a balance between both the basic or categorical imperatives, namely freedom of the individual, on the one side, and responsibility or duty of that same individual, on the other side. This is why at the turn of our century, 50 years after the Universal Declaration of Human Rights by the United Nations, it is time to talk about human responsibilities. A minimum of world-wide-recognised ethical standards is an imperative necessity for inter-continental co-existence. Not only as far as individual behaviour is concerned but also for political authorities, for religious societies and churches, as well as for nations and states and their governments. It becomes a necessity for international manufacturing corporations or trading and financing corporations, the latter being in serious danger of falling into a new kind of world-wide, speculative predatory capitalism. The necessity for conscientious responsibility counts, all the same, for the international media, which runs the danger of poisoning people world-wide with murder, shooting, violence and all kinds of abuse. Now, in order to avoid any clash of civilisations, a number of elder statesmen, former presidents and heads of governments from all five continents, with outstanding religious and philosophical academics as
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advisors (by the way, including three Koreans, one being Prof. Shin) got together in order to analyse the situation and options for action. The first meeting was about 12 years ago. We were able to produce a meeting of minds and in the end of about 10 years of deliberations, we came forward with a draft (which I understand is in your hands) for what we call "A Universal Declaration of Human Responsibilities." I would like to repeat that it took about one decade of preparations and deliberations between political leaders, philosophical leaders, religious leaders of all the religions of the world, including Confucianism, all the ideologies, including Communism, to prepare the draft. (By the way: it has never really been clear in my mind whether Confucianism is a religion or a philosophy or something in between, but certainly is it a very strong set of ethical rules). Our first objective is to start a global discussion. And the hope is that such a discussion will in the end lead to a similar United Nations Declaration as the first one 50 years ago - under the name of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights. The Declaration of Human Responsibilities would be of a character similar to that of the Human Rights Declaration, namely it would be an ethical appeal, and not in itself an international law. The Declaration of Human Rights in the meantime, has led to some international pacts, particularly in Europe, for instance, the European Human Rights Convention, or the installation of the European Court of Justice for Human Rights. And not to be forgotten are the effects and repercussions of the Helsinki Final Declaration of 1975 and its famous "basket 3" on the domestic political situation in a number of countries, particularly inside the Soviet Union and other Soviet dominated states. Buku Ajar Ilmu Budaya Dasar
Since the text of our draft is in your hand, I am not going to read it out to you. I just would like to draw your attention to two or three of the articles. In Article 4, our draft does repeat the Golden Rule which does play an important role in all the world's religions; to put into short-hand: "Do as you want to be done by. Do vis-a-vis others as you want to be done by them." I would also like to quote Article 9 that states, "All people have a responsibility to overcome poverty, malnutrition, ignorance and inequality. They should promote sustainable development all over the world in order to assure dignity, freedom, security and justice for all people." Furthermore, Article 15 says, "Representatives of religions have the duty to avoid prejudices and discrimination of other beliefs. They have the duty to foster tolerance and mutual respect." Let me insert here a short paragraph about my home country, Germany. In my country, many managers in business, and quite a few politicians, many television and media people, do not live up to their duties. They enjoy using their freedom but the society doesn't enjoy their responsibility. For instance, there prevails too much permissive education in my country, responsibilities and fundamental duties are rarely mentioned. Inconsideration, egoism and the so-called "self-realization" seem to be today's ideal for many, and they just pay lip service to the public's welfare. But if you look at the world as a whole, quite a few managers in industry today, do not acknowledge their moral duty of creating jobs in cases of unemployment inside their societies. They do not acknowledge their duty of implementing training programmes for young people. More and more of them seem to adhere to what they call
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"shareholder value" as a guiding ideology for what they do or not do. More and more of them attach to the price of their shares and dividends a higher importance than they attach to their moral responsibilities. This is the case, not just in the United States of America but also in Europe as well as in Asia. But if society does not cultivate its civil virtues, then society can degenerate into a political chaos of conflicts of interests. On the other hand, the United Nations Declaration of Human Rights of 1948 already did mention individual duties in its Article 29, at least in a general stipulation: "Each individual does have the duty towards community, because that is the only way to allow personal freedom and full development." But nowadays, one rarely hears any reference to Article 29 of that Declaration. I have to admit that, of course, our draft of the Universal Declaration of Human Responsibilities does also meet with several criticisms. In the West, the draft is being confronted by two main criticisms. So-called pragmatic politicians say that this draft is all too idealistic, without a chance of global acceptance and without a chance to be followed afterwards. On the other side, some Western advocates of human rights argue that our draft Declaration of Human Responsibilities is kind of a twin to the Human Rights Declaration, and may drag down the effects of the original rights concept. Quite differently, in Asia, some do criticise that although the draft of responsibility does coincide in many ways with Asian cultural traditions and should therefore be welcome, they feel its proximity to the Declaration of Human Rights is superfluous and therefore arouses suspicions.
Buku Ajar Ilmu Budaya Dasar
In the course of ten years' deliberations among religious leaders from other quarters, I have learned that Mahatma Gandhi once upon a time has listed several social sins. Let me quote two of them. He has for instance declared: "Politics without principles is a social sin." Also has he declared: "Commerce without morality is a sin vis-a-vis the society." Who would undertake to contradict these statements? Some time ago, the Financial Times, a great newspaper of London, has written about our draft for the Declaration of Human Responsibilities, and I quote "Right, we do need general rules of business behaviour... It could be of general advantage for the brains of general managers if we had a universal declaration of business responsibilities." Also this line of thought could become fruitful, if indeed our draft would trigger a worldwide discussion. So far, a few governments have asked for a discussion of this draft in the plenary of the United Nations. There are some other people who in the meantime have thought along similar lines and come up with parallel drafts. Quite a few outstanding personalities in all the five continents have put their names to our draft in the meantime, apart from those 30 former heads of state or government who initiated the draft in the beginning. But I would have to admit that our draft of the Universal Declaration of Responsibilities is just one of the desirable efforts to be established in the conscience of mankind in order to reach a consensus on a minimal code of ethical ground rules. We do need other efforts as well. We do need efforts by teachers and priests and academics to contribute to the idea of a global ethical minimum - and by politicians as well. Otherwise, the age of globalised television and internet may turn out into an era of superficiality, plus intolerance and strife.
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