Why do we hate? Is it just that we fear others that are different to us? Do we fear, and therefore hate the unknown? Is hatred the underlying cause of prejudice, or is it fear? Is the root of hatred fear? The following video explores this and other questions about why we hate:
In his Ted Talk lecture, Yuval Noah Harari explains how human beings differ from animals in their ability to coalesce and work together in large numbers. He explains how human beings are unique in that they use fictions in order to come together and agree on a principle which isn't real. Money, for example, is such a fiction, as are corporations and nations. Similarly, human beings forms groups who identify with such fictions. Nations, races, political groups, religions...all abide by rules and beliefs established by the group. And groups vie against each other for power; each group using its own beliefs and values to compare itself to other groups, and accept or reject, or incorporate those beliefs or values into its own.
We know slavery is an historical wrong. We know human rights abuse is an historical wrong. We know women's lack of autonomy is an historical wrong. We know that homosexuality, and gender rights, have been too long coming to civilization. Nowadays, many more of us are politically aware of the injustices minorities have faced throughout the ages. As we become more aware, the politics of freedom changes, and those who were once slaves, or dehumanized, or disenfranchised, know what is to be seen as equal in society. But is it any different for animals? We enslaved people of color because we could. Elements within human society have controlled and manipulated and subjugated other elements within society because they could. And they got away with it because they could. But is it any different how we treat animals? We kill and eat, wear, and enslave animals by the millions every day. We wear their skin, and we eat their flesh and organs. We eat their eggs, and drink the milk intend...
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