Since December of last year, our society has revealed some ugly facts. Things are so difficult to understand that you wonder, “Could common sense really have collapsed to this extent?” We experience things that would only happen in novels or movies. Our society has seen how ‘justice’ and ‘truth’ are being diluted and relativized in the ‘pursuit of profit’. With the election of the New President there is hope for a new future.
About 2,500 years ago, the ancient philosopher Thrasymachus said, “Justice is the interest of the strong”. In some ways, this cynical saying still seems pervasive in our society. When each person cries out for ‘justice and truth’ for their own interests, and when these individuals become the majority, justice seems to be the ‘interest of the strong’.
Therefore, we reflect on whether justice that is not based on truth is still dividing society and heightening conflict and tension. Perhaps ‘truth’ itself is distorted. In such a society, the direction of truth and justice can easily be swayed by the power of the majority, by the strong.
However, our collective intelligence strives to pursue truth and realize justice. To achieve this, we must grasp the reality we live in. When discussing understanding reality, people often first think of economic aspects. However, we need to pay attention not only to the economy but also to our communication methods and our understanding of truth and justice.
Pope Leo XIV, points out that we are caught in a confusing linguistic structure resembling the Tower of Babel. He emphasizes we are communicating through language that is ideological, biased, and lacking in love He says, "Communication is not just about conveying information, but also about shaping culture."
This prompts reflection on the languages used by the media in our society and by each of us, and what kind of culture we are forming through that language. This is also a very important task in communication that respects and protects the dignity of human life. The Pope also emphasizes the importance of the family, asserting that in efforts to guarantee the dignity of the vulnerable and fragile in our society, from unborn lives (embryos and fetuses) to the elderly, the sick, the unemployed, citizens, and the disabled, no one should be excluded.
However, our society is increasingly defining the weak and vulnerable with ideological and biased language. When those who use such language are in the majority, society will ultimately strengthen human rights only for those with a voice. Unfortunately, this is already happening, and we are now facing a reality where even the voices calling for justice are increasingly being relativized.
To achieve this, we need to grasp our reality correctly. People often first think of economic aspects. However, we need to pay attention to the economy, our modes of communication, and our understanding of truth and justice. Pope Leo points out that we are caught in a confusing linguistic structure akin to the Tower of Babel. In other words, he emphasizes that we communicate within a language that is ideological, biased, and lacking in love.
According to him, "communication is not merely the transmission of information, but it also forms culture". This prompts reflection not only on the language used by the media in our society but also on the language each of us uses and the culture we are forming through that language. This is a very important task in communication that respects and protects the dignity of human life.
The Pope also emphasizes the importance of family. He insists that no one should be excluded from the efforts to guarantee the dignity of the weak and vulnerable in our society, ranging from unborn lives (embryos and fetuses) to the elderly, the sick, the unemployed, citizens, and the disabled. Yet, our society increasingly defines the weak and vulnerable in ideological and biased language. When those who use such language become the majority, society will ultimately strengthen human rights only for those with a voice. Unfortunately, this is already happening, and we are now facing a reality where even voices calling for justice are increasingly being relativized.
The Pope also emphasizes that without truth, true peace cannot be achieved, whether personally or communally, especially when words' meanings are ambiguous or used hypocritically, making it difficult to establish genuine relationships. Above all, he states that truth must not be separated from love. What should we do for our society to move in the right direction today? As the Pope quoted Saint Augustine, we should reflect on whether we have lacked the attitude of looking at every human being, from the most vulnerable to all humans, with a gaze of love.
