Confronting Ageism

The Catholic Peace Weekly Diagnosis of the Times Column, written by a professor in the social welfare department of a university, reminds readers of some of the problems related to ageism.

We all remember signs that reminded children they were not welcome in certain areas of society, with ‘No Kids Zone’, but today there are places that elders are not welcome, the signs are not seen, but respect for age, despite the traditional emphasis on respect for elders in  Confucianism, rapid modernization and changing social dynamics have led to a rise in age discrimination, particularly in employment and social interactions.

The professor recalls an incident she heard from a senior professor who is about to retire. He went to a newly opened café where he works because he wanted coffee, and sat down at an empty seat at the entrance. But after a while, the waiter approached him with an embarrassed expression and said, “I’m sorry, but could you please move to a seat inside?” The reason was that if an elderly person was at the entrance, the young students would turn away and not come in. Reflecting on it, it seems that there have been numerous places in our society that have not been welcoming to the elderly. 

‘No’ carries a lot of context, some of which is very healthy and some of which is not so healthy. When the 'no' is directed towards a person, we have plenty of reason to examine our values and priorities, for the object could be discrimination and even hatred.

As a result, ‘No Kids’ has created negative perceptions about marriage and childbirth, which has spread low birth rates, and ageism has created discrimination and hatred against the elderly, and even possibly the fear of the elderly. 

Aging is a universal human development that no human can avoid. No one is born old, and no one is forever young. Just as the elderly of today were young in the past, the young of today will become old in the future. Our lives, in most cases, are mysteries that cannot be predicted.  It must mean that we should not be arrogant before the omnipotent God, but live humble, faithful, and devoted lives.

Therefore, we cannot know the secret hidden behind it until we reach that time. Until we reach that age, until we live that time ourselves, we cannot find out the truth of life hidden in the life of that age. Therefore, we are only as ignorant as our current age, and only as wise as our experiences up to now.

However, there is only one way to gain knowledge and wisdom beyond my age and experience. It is through the elders and seniors who have walked the maze of life before us. When Pope Francis declared the ‘World Day for Grandparents and Senior Citizens,’ he said that the vocation of the elderly is to “preserve roots, pass on faith to the young, and care for the young.”

We cannot buy the experience and wisdom of that time without paying the price of 60, 70, or 80 years of our lives. In other words, we can never attain the wisdom of the elderly without becoming elderly. However, God gave us grandparents and senior citizens, allowing us, who are ignorant, to borrow their wisdom.

Generations are connected and circulate continuously. One generation is connected to the next, and then to the next. Breaking the natural order of connection and circulation and disconnecting generations is the path that leads our lives and our society to decline and destruction.

As we experienced during liberation, a country taken by an invasion from another country can be reclaimed. However, a country where a new generation is not born and the population decreases, unable to be passed on to the next generation, will disappear. The moment a generation is cut off, both society and its individuals cease to grow and develop.

Humans are social animals who learn and grow through relationships. Furthermore, we can gain more learning and wisdom through relationships with other generations that precede or follow us than through relationships within the same generation that are equally ignorant.

Yes, South Korea is facing a growing problem with discrimination against older adults, commonly known as ageism

While Korean culture, traditionally influenced by Confucianism, has emphasized respect for elders and filial piety, rapid modernization and changing social dynamics have strained these values. 

"Do Not Be Afraid"

In the Catholic Peace Weekly's Preciousness of Faith column, the professor reminds us to turn our eyes to God.

“Do not be afraid,” he remembers how Pope John Paul II often said these words to the students during the columnist's time as an international student, and they brought him great comfort. It was a simple expression, but the Pope, who had lived a life filled with countless hardships and trials, with these words imparted to young people, was a source of great courage.

“Take courage! It is I. Do not be afraid.” (Matthew 14:27) These are the words Jesus spoke to his disciples as he walked on the water when the wind blew and the waves tossed their boat. In this way, Jesus approaches us amid crises and trials of our lives, saying, “Do not be afraid.”

What is fear, and where does it come from? The most difficult thing about facing fear is its inherent ambiguity. While fear can sometimes be positive, when excessive, it shrinks our hearts, thoughts, and actions.  Most of what we fear is something that hasn't happened. And even then, we often approach it with preconceived notions rather than as an objective reality.

For example, when we're diagnosed with an illness, we often suffer and fear more from the preconceived notions about it than from the disease itself. If I were diagnosed with cancer, I might perceive it as a death sentence, knowing I likely only have a short time left to live, and even that time would be painful. I'd soon have to leave my beloved family and neighbors, and I'd become sad, depressed, and miserable. This is even though cancer isn't as scary as I thought.

Our lives are filled with worries and concerns, not just illness. No one lives without worries. For us, the Lord's words, "Do not be afraid," can be understood as a call to break free from exaggerated thoughts and emotions about the object of our anxiety. The key is to break the link between the thing we fear and the fear of that thing. The object of our fear is nothing more than a hollow illusion, not reality.

The only way to escape temptation or illusion and return to reality is to turn to God, not to fight it. The more we fight temptation or illusion, the more power we give it. Temptation is not a sin; it is our wills that make it sinful.  

When Jesus was tempted by the devil (cf. Matthew 4:1-11), rather than fighting the devil to the end, he turned his gaze to God and defeated him with the Word of God. "Get behind me, Satan!" (Matthew 4:10). When we rely on the Word of God, the devil's temptations lose their power and disappear.

Therefore, in times of temptation and trial, when we are deeply immersed in fear and worry, let us immediately cease our struggles and turn to God. Let us turn not only our eyes but also our bodies and hearts to Him. He is our Father.  He cares for and protects His children, and will do so to the end. 

With God, there is no trial we cannot endure. He always provides a way for us to survive even in trials. He has already provided solutions to our worries, and He has placed angels along our paths. All we need to do is trust in the Lord and walk the path He has laid out.

When our hearts are weary and distressed, let us listen to the Lord's voice: "Take courage. It is I. Do not be afraid." When we entrust our hearts to the Lord, the fears in our hearts will vanish. 

Freedom and Happiness

Asking St. Thomas Aquinas the Way to attain true happiness, a Catholic University philosophy professor wants us to reflect on whether we can achieve true happiness by absolutizing human freedom. This is the topic in his column in the Catholic Times. 

Today, people live free from many shackles, natural disasters, poverty and famine, various diseases, superstitions, and the oppression of tyrants compared to previous generations. The recent emergence of artificial intelligence (AI) and the rapidly growing technologies of transportation and communication have broken down even the barriers of time and space that have restricted humans. In this way, we enjoy conveniences and live freely in a completely new world compared to the past.

When looking at the aspect of the inherent human right that all humans should enjoy without discrimination, that is, the ‘right to freedom,’ we can see that significant historical progress has been made today. However, do people truly feel happy as much as they feel free?

The emergence of the tendency to absolutize freedom and criticism of it, St. Thomas Aquinas, in opposition, clearly stated that humans have freedom. 

Furthermore, modern thinkers such as J. P. Sartre presented notable reflections emphasizing the freedom and responsibility of humans who devote themselves to the future. However, some scholars have emphasized human freedom so much that they have moved toward absolutizing ‘indeterminism’ without acknowledging any kind of constraint on freedom. In other words, since humans are beings who complete themselves in freedom, they argued that a higher power, such as God, that can restrict human freedom should not be acknowledged.

However, this position of acknowledging infinite freedom for humans has been met with much criticism. Humans are primarily limited by their dependence on the world, society, and history. Humans are also limited not only by external factors but also by their passions and psychological pressures. In reality, only a tiny number of people can confidently say that they are genuinely free, and even fewer are happy.

Humans constantly pursue freedom, but when they do, they feel ‘anxiety’ or ‘loneliness’, and sometimes, unable to bear the psychological weight, they want to escape. To overcome this dilemma, we must note that human freedom is not a simple idea, but a complex one. For example, St. Thomas Aquinas, while acknowledging that the will’s tendency toward good is inevitable, distinguished three cases in which the will can act freely.

Freedom of execution (Exercitii) refers to the ability of the will to perform or not perform its own acts of will, that is, to desire or not to desire. Freedom of specification (Specificationis) is the ability to choose this and nothing else. And freedom of opposition (Contrarietatis) is the ability to choose good, not evil. 

‘Freedom of execution’ is entirely at the discretion of the will, but ‘freedom of specification’ can be enjoyed more freely the more one possesses values such as power, honor, and wealth, and it can be enjoyed when one is not hindered externally. However, is it possible to move beyond the ‘negative freedom’ that Erich Fromm called ‘Liberty from~’, that is, the state of being free from relationships, compulsion, restraint, and interference, and move toward ‘Liberty for~’?

However, in terms of the ‘opposite freedom’ of avoiding evil and choosing good, the aspect of ‘positive freedom’ allows one to act autonomously when a clear goal is revealed. However, it is very questionable whether freedom can be considered to have improved in this aspect today. Today, people feel they are free only on the surface, and in reality, they are not free, and in some aspects, they seem to be regressing. This is because they are obsessed with external success, leading to the prevalence of selfishness and hedonism, and the contempt for sacrifice, moderation, justice, and consideration for neighbors.

Human freedom is the freedom to choose while being restricted by specific and historical circumstances. However, we humans can choose one of various values, but we cannot ultimately define the value itself. Humans must say, “I do this because it is good,” but cannot claim, “It is good because I do it,” and the standard of that value does not lie with the subject of the action.

“The truth will set you free.” (John 8:32) If human will determines what is bad, this is a defect in freedom. Immoral decisions, although they formally have the appearance of freedom, are neither freedom nor a part of freedom. The choices that many modern people indulge in, such as gambling and drugs, only leave behind the lack of freedom that is addiction. Humans must constantly choose between good and evil objects, and the direction that matures or suppresses their liberty. If immoral desires diminish the freedom of the will, the more firmly the will is directed toward good, the greater the freedom will be.

 

Price of Excessive Greed

The Catholic Peace Weekly's Philosophy Chat column warns us to be wary of excessive greed, as it can be a barrier to a happy life.

It is not an exaggeration to call modern society, where people constantly feel pressured to achieve something, an era of excess desire. Han Byung-chul (1959~), a philosopher living in Germany, defines modern society as a ‘fatigued society’ caused by ‘excess positivity.’ Is it really the excess of positivity that makes us tired, or is it the excess of desire?

Humans are the only subjects in nature who seek to satisfy their desires mentally beyond their physical instinctive desires. However, since desires can never be satisfied, a life that pursues only desires can only lead to despair. Lacan (1901-1981) defined this desire as a ‘subject’s deficiency that constantly pursues an ambiguous object that arises from the unconscious. 

Desire has long been understood as one of the instincts that originates through organic union with the body (flesh), and the desire of the body that comes from physical deficiency has been philosophically evaluated more negatively than the desire of the mind that comes from mental deficiency. 

This is mainly due to the influence of Western mainstream thought, which has traditionally valued the unchanging spirit over the changing body, and pure reason over emotions that are easily influenced from the outside. 

Human desires, however, are fundamentally mental acts that have no limits, unlike general desires that are naturally generated from biological needs and demands and disappear when they are satisfied. In other words, physical desires have physiological limits, but mental desires are never satisfied.

The reason humans are ‘subjects of desire’ is not because they are a result of the body, but because humans are mental beings. However, this does not mean that desires are completely unrelated to the body. Since the body is a means of mediating the mind for humans, desires are also essentially impossible without the functions of the body.

Desires fundamentally come from trying to fill a lack, but there are various factors that incite desires. Modern society structurally leads humans to various desires by constantly provoking greed. Greed is one aspect of human desire that is not satisfied with the present and wants more. 

McLuhan (1911-1980) argued that the development of media brought about the ‘extension of humanity’, modern society, with the dazzling development of media, the Internet, and artificial intelligence, overcomes the limitations of physical reality and realizes dreams that seem impossible, thereby creating a new desire for human expansion.

In contrast, Zizek (1949- ) defines modern society as a society dominated by everyday ideology and warns against it, saying that the ideology of modern society is a type of ‘fantastic construct’ that conceals the reality of fundamental human desires.  This ideology of desire is used as a faithful tool to hide the interests and power of groups, especially in our society.

As Father Grün (1945- ), a theologian, said, greed eventually develops into pathological possessiveness; for a healthy life, we need to be wary of excessive greed that incites desire more than anything else. 

Altruistic Selfishness

A few years ago, a book called "The Survival of Cities" was published. It was written by two Harvard economics professors in response to the COVID pandemic. The authors ask: "Cities are always faced with crises such as disasters, wars, and epidemics, but can they survive?" 

In the View from the Ark in the Catholic Times, a professor in the department of Urban Engineering, after reading the book, gives the readers some of his thoughts on the subject. 

The authors' answer is very optimistic. The history of cities has always been amid crises. Still, they have responded wisely and survived, and they will continue to do so. When asked to provide endorsements for the Korean edition, he found that their argument was altruism. For him, this lack in our society was the reason for the problems. 

The history of cities has always been a series of crises. Still, they have responded wisely and survived, and they will continue to do so. 

All humans are 'selfish', but when a community faces a crisis, self-interest is put aside, and selflessness is demonstrated. In the face of a situation, if everyone acts selfishly, we will perish, so we instinctively know that we must act selflessly for our own survival and benefit. Thanks to Covid, the columnist found a valuable book that reminded him of the causes and solutions of our 'Korean Situation' — an unhappy developed country'.

South Korea is a shining example of a developed country that has developed quickly. Its cultural and artistic capabilities are among the best in the world. However, the happiness level of the people in this rich country is very low. We are living in a country that shines in many areas but is also sick. 

South Korea is the only country where the 'competitive education' pressures children to compete unconditionally. The soaring real estate prices, which make it impossible for one to live even by saving a lifetime of salaries, are another symptom of a sick country. 

Home prices should naturally go down, but will they? If more than half of the population owns their own homes, how many people desire a drop in housing prices? This is the reason why stabilizing home prices is difficult. Advanced countries recognized and responded to this issue early on. The reason housing laws were established from the late 19th century was because homes were seen as a 'human rights' issue rather than 'assets'. 

Rental and social housing in advanced European countries constitutes about 20-30%. This is starkly different from our country, where it falls below 10%. Among the citizens of Vienna, Austria, considered one of the most desirable cities to live in, only 25% live in homes they own. The prediction that our population will rapidly decline and will be the first to reach 'zero population' is also evidence that we are in a lot of pain. 

The core issue of the population problem lies not in the decrease but in the concentration. The population is concentrated in the metropolitan area, leading to intense competition that causes individuals to give up on marriage and childbirth, while in the country, they are approaching extinction due to a lack of sustaining population. The nation has become advanced, but why are the people not happy? 

What could be the cause? Are we losing the balance between selfishness and altruism and rushing ahead selfishly? Could it be that the indifferent sentiment of 'as long as my child does well, competitive education is acceptable, home prices must never fall, and I don't care if my hometown disappears' is at the heart of it? 

Even in the days of poverty, 'altruism' was always alive in our hearts. There were always people in need everywhere, but we embraced them. We have become a 'wealthy nation' through hard work and tightening our belts to escape poverty.

Even when we were poor, 'altruism' always lived in our hearts. There were people in difficult situations everywhere, but we embraced them. We worked hard to escape the endless poverty and became a 'rich country.' Still, we live as 'unhappy citizens' who have to compete from cradle to grave. How can we cure this disease?

The realization that 'altruism is self-interest', 'altruistic egoism', is the path to healing. It is the recovery of common sense that a community in crisis must prioritize altruism to survive. It appears that this disease has deepened since we began using the words "Get rich!" 

Let's restore balance and fix it. Let's create a truly advanced country where everyone is happy, anywhere, and return to a time when our hearts were warm and our values were in place. 

Seekers of Truth

In the "Preciousness of Faith" column of the Catholic Peace Weekly, a seminary professor offers insight into the potential dangers to seekers of truth.

When studying theology, you meet great theologians and spiritual leaders, are amazed by their prophetic insights, and sometimes feel as if your faith has been upgraded to another level. Studying theology indeed helps your faith. However, there is always the risk of pride and failing to appreciate the faith of ordinary believers who have not studied theology.

Theology does not automatically increase your faith. Instead, the experiences in life, both the good and the bad, depending on our responses, can help us grow spiritually.  As you grow older, you gain wisdom and your faith deepens. Therefore, he recommends that students studying theology meditate on the following words of Jesus:

"I give you thanks, Father, Lord of heaven and earth, because you have hidden these things from the wise and learned and revealed them to foolish people. Yes, Father, this is your good pleasure." (Matthew 11:25)

The greatest weakness of the wise and learned is that they rely only on the wisdom and knowledge they possess. As a result, they believe that only they are right and disregard the words and thoughts of others. Naturally, it is difficult to entrust everything to the will of God.  However, people like foolish children often find it easier to entrust everything to God. 

As a priest, the columnist has interacted with many believers over the course of time. He has become increasingly convinced that the people with the most profound faith are not famous theologians or preachers, but rather ordinary people who live quiet lives of faith. They are people who have acquired the wisdom to entrust everything to God. That is why, like Jesus, they can rejoice in the Holy Spirit and taste the joy of being thankful for the fulfillment of the Father's will.

The Lord gives even the most insignificant and ignorant among us the opportunity to see His face. Of course, it is not a matter of seeing the Lord with one's own eyes, but there are those who, without even realizing it, have encountered the Lord and entered deeply into His mystery. They unknowingly reveal the image of God. The God who shines upon them is humble and poor, without pretense or deceit, pure, revealing His heart as it is, without hesitation or reservation, flowing like water.

The truth of life and the truth of God are contained in their lives. We live our faith to become like God. Not to appear noble and holy on the outside, but to become people who exude sincerity and overflow with genuine humanity. The ordinary parishioners we meet in our churches are precisely such people. We need eyes that can recognize the face of God in them.

He concludes the column by asking the Lord for the freedom of heart to entrust ourselves to the Lord like innocent children, the courage to reveal ourselves without reservation, the wisdom to consider another person's circumstances before pointing fingers and judging, the resolve to reach out to those in need, and the sense of responsibility to speak up for what is needed for a better tomorrow.

Death— Helps us Live Life Holistically

“Oh Lord, grant to each of us our own proper death.” As Rilke (1875-1926) confessed, there is no event more unique in human life than death. The philosophy professor in his Catholic Peace column, Philosophical Chat, brings our attention to this always-present topic.

Death is a very unique event at the end of life that no one can do for us. Death has been a topic of debate in religion and philosophy since the beginning of human existence. Death is an eternal severance, a deep darkness, a heavy silence, that turns everything into nothingness. Humans fundamentally feel existential anxiety in the face of this inevitable death, and dream of a hope to overcome death.

The understanding of death varies from ‘death as the severance of life’ seen by natural science to ‘death as eternal immortality’ claimed by religion. Feuerbach (1804-1872), a materialist, emphasized the meaning of ‘natural death’, which involves living healthily in this life, reaching the end of one’s life, hopefully in old age, and recognized the importance of the unique life of this world and urged people to actively live their lives for meaningful causes.

However, natural death, which derives its significance only from its relevance to worldly life, has limitations in understanding death as a limiting situation that we face, regardless of age, even though it is a representative symbol expressing the world view of natural science and modernity. Even if natural death in old age is ideal, it is actually difficult for a dying person to reconcile with the unfamiliar death that is approaching.

Existential philosopher Jaspers (1883-1969) argues that death, as a fundamental and limiting situation of the human condition, contains significant meaning that goes beyond the biological end, which is to understand and clarify human existence. Death is something that humans can never overcome and is, in itself, inaccessible to experience and comprehension. 

Death represents an 'absolute ignorance' and 'absolute silence,' being something that cannot be described or contemplated. The moment death comes meaningfully is not at the moment of biological death, but at the moment of encountering death as a limiting situation that awakens the possible abyss of existence. This attitude is neither a stoic calmness that does not fear death nor a denial of the world that overcomes the emptiness of death through a life beyond. Instead, the true meaning of death is revealed in the attitude of willingly shouldering and enduring the weight of pain that comes from being aware of one's own death and the end of one's existence. 

Heidegger (1889-1976) defines human existence as 'being towards death.' Death signifies the 'absence of being' where everything becomes nothing, and only when humans proactively approach death do they come to make meaningful commitments regarding their existence. Humans fundamentally worry about their own existential possibility, and this worry is founded on the presence of death. What humans ultimately and terminally bear is the possibility of death. When faced with the possibility of death, humans can finally exist as their true selves. Humans are not beings who come to an end with death at every moment; instead, they are beings who are driven towards the end from the moment they are born. Death does not signify only the end of life or a rupture in life; rather, it is a fundamental element that allows one to view life holistically and comprehensibly, thus enriching life with greater meaning.

The moment when death approaches meaningfully is not the moment of biological death, but the moment when we existentially encounter death as a limiting situation that awakens the possible abyss of existence. This attitude is neither a Stoic calm that does not fear death, nor a denial that overcomes the futility of death with life on the other side. Instead, the true meaning of death is revealed in the attitude of being aware of one’s own death and willingly bearing and enduring the weight of the pain of one’s own existence ending.

Human beings do not face death at every moment, but are born to die. Death does not signify a disconnection from life, but instead it allows us to view life holistically and comprehensively, making it more meaningful through its limitations.