Since Dame Onora O’Neill was awarded the Holberg Prize this
year, I was alerted to her work in Kantian philosophical traditions. There was
a line in the newspaper that struck a cord with me. It referred to her stance
on not only claiming our human rights but also doing our human duty. I have
since youth had a positive impression of duty, due to reading Kant in my early
studies. Something is required of me; I am a contributor in any society.
I listened
to a TED talk with Onora O’Neill where she talked about trust. Instead of
posing the question of how we could build trust, she unlocked the case from the
inside. It is not trust we need to seek, as it is a result. We need to offer
trustworthiness, being trustworthy, and by daring to be vulnerable in order to
build trust. Trust is something that is given; not something you produce.
Trustworthiness is something we can provide – rather than the trust itself. I
could see her point, and it is a fair one.
I often say
I trust in God. The only reason I can say that is because God has shown himself
to be trustworthy. The words of Jesus,
whatever he says about God, are trustworthy. He, after all, sacrificed his life
for it. And it did not stop there. In his resurrection he showed his victory
over death. Yes, he is trustworthy.
So, how does this connect with asserting one’s rights vs.
doing one’s duty? Naturally, there is no necessary opposition, but if we solely
claim our rights, demand respect, force our worth on others, we miss the point.
We are like narcissistic self-help enthusiasts, grabbing our piece of the pie (and
then some), without concern for others. There is a responsibility in being
human: the responsibility I carry for someone else’s rights and freedoms. My
own are fully contingent on theirs. In
my duty to share and be concerned for the wellbeing of others, I build
trustworthiness and the common human bond may strengthen.
Likewise,
as I trust in God for my life and death, I know He holds my hope for the
future, and I have no fears. Because He cares for me and showers me with good
gifts, I have everything to give. This is a perpetual life principle where we
all seem to benefit. The strength is never gone; the ‘pie’ is truly blessed.
