Our time is dominated by pathos, a Greek term to designate emotions and passions in the philosophy of Aristotle in particular. Basically, it’s about acting, reacting, interpreting the world and events according to the criterion of lived passions. It is not a question of showing discernment, prudence or even reflection on the facts experienced. No, no need, because the feeling and the emotion allow to tell the truth. Many examples from recent years can demonstrate the dominance of this pathos over reason.
The Daughters of Caleb and Netflix
Recently, we were able to learn that Netflix decided to remove the second episode of the series Caleb’s Daughters because of a black face. In order not to offend the sensitivity of people, of certain categories of people, the Internet giant has decided to censor an entire episode, not without various contradictions. Indeed, the sensitivity is not of the same measure depending on the cinematographic scenes. Thus, we can see, in series, people cut into pieces, adults raping a woman without consent, acts of incredible violence, but the black faceit is too sensitive.
By acting in this way, the decision-makers assume that the people watching these series and films have little intelligence or reasoning. In fact, it would usually be incumbent on people to be able to appreciate the historical context of the series. It would be normal to remind people, if necessary, that certain scenes can be shocking so that everyone can think about whether or not they watch this or that series, this or that film. Let’s talk to intelligence, to reason, instead of letting emotions dictate what is allowed or not.
Hypersensitivity and extreme wokism
This recent development is only the tip of the iceberg. We are indeed in an era of hypersensitivity on different levels. To the point that actions, multiple censorship of books, works, remarks are commonplace in order not to offend such a group, such sensitivity of such an individual or even to avoid an emotional scandal.
Where are people’s intelligence and reason? Are they so stupid not to put into perspective such and such a statement or such and such an act depending on the context? According to certain current events, reason has taken the edge. Hello emotion at all goes.
The woke movement (in its extremes) takes advantage of this principle of emotion as a criterion of judgment. The various minorities are right, prima facie, to demand equal treatment in the multiple spheres of life. They are right to denounce past and current acts of certain fanatics. However, a minority of minorities uses precisely this hypersensitivity to claim a complete paradigm shift and thus impose their emotional tyranny.
This translates into the desire to withdraw words, to burn books, to demand constant repentance from certain groups, to censor such and such a speaker, to threaten or exclude such and such a group, such a person on the grounds of having been hit emotionally.
Emotion dominates, reason skates.
When pathos is at the heart of decisions, then reason is flouted and endangered.
It is time to curb this domination of pathos to teach, or relearn, people to think, to contextualize and to relativize the facts and acts of a few.