Over the last nine weeks, I have been blogging about the theme of Order and Chaos. Since the first day of class, many different, and new, understandings have changed the way I have come to see Order & Chaos. Below you will find my five choice words with practical examples which will help support how these definitions have evolved and expanded for me.
Order
(Structure + Parents + Government Control)
At the beginning of this term I understood Structure as help from my parents, and a sense of security because I know the Government is protecting me, and through my autonomy they have some control over my life. However, one of the most important things I have learned this year, is too much Order, creates Chaos. It's a very interesting paradox of life. However this term I now understand how the practical examples of Parents and Government Control, under the banner of structure, can create chaos.
Towards the end of the term we were asked to read an article on genetic engineering. From that article I came to understand that too much structure from your parents can lead to some very scary outcomes, even before you are born! "Some say cloning is wrong because it violates the right to autonomy: by choosing a child's genetic makeup in advance parents deny the child's right to an open future" (Sandel, CR 232). This changed the way I looked at parental structure because it shows how too much parenting can result in genetically perfect babies. I don't agree with cloning for the simple purpose of procreation, however I do agree with the use of it for medical purposes.
Thanks to increased legislation in the US, parents cannot genetically alter their babies, with the one exception of choosing the sex during artificial insemination. Governmental Control helps maintain structure within society. This too can become very troublesome when taken to the extreme. For example, while reading 1984 the government abuses their power and denies many rights. The government denies these simple rights to its citizens to maintain power, even expand it through war. "What was more important was that sexual privation induced hysteria, which was desirable because it could be transformed into war fever and leadership" (Orwell Part 2, Chapter 3, pg. 134). This leads the main character to start reflecting on everything he has been taught and to question the authority of "Big Brother."
Self reflection is very necessary to understand who we are in relation to others. We are born into a family and already have many social limitations placed on us, right at birth. For instance if you are a first born and male, than you may become a big brother, or expected to take over the family business. If you are a second born girl you may be deemed "Daddy's Lil Girl" and be given everything you heart desires. This leads me into my next example.
(Position + Society)
Understanding the individual is something we constantly learn more about over time. Different experiences help define us as individuals, our goals, dreams, even talents and gifts help us grow into unique people, one different from another but sharing some similarities. It is through this knowledge that we understand our position in society. America was founded on certain ideas, the right to life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness. Government control leads us to question where ourselves end and where others begin. However understanding what it is the individual is responsible for needs some clarification. "The only part of the conduct of anyone, for which he is amenable to society, is that which concerns others. In the part which merely concerns himself, his independence is , of right, absolute. Over himself, over his own body and mind, the individual is sovereign" (Mill, Cr 65). I believe that this is an important lesson that we learned this year, namely that in order to maintain order there has to be some balance.
(Clarity + Balance)
I believe Ben Franklin states it best in his autobiography, when he says: "I propos'd to myself, for the sake of clearness..." and goes on to define Order as: "Let all your things have their places; Let each part of your business have its time" (Franklin, CR 1). What Ben Franklin is stating here is that you have to balance everything from you personal effects to your personal business. Without balance their is either too much order which leads to chaos, or too much chaos, and no order. My understanding of how intertwined Order & Chaos really are has been greatly expanded because of the practical example of balance. This understanding helps brings clarity to not only order but chaos as well.
Chaos
(Suffering + Revolution/Change)
Without some sense of balance order become chaos. Chaos can lead to either suffering or change. This term I have learned that chaos is not necessarily a negative thing. If society is controlling the individual too much then it is up to the individual to change it. We have seen many instances this year where people who did not like the way things were within society did something about it. Mill puts it best when thinking about the individual in society when he says: "Mankind are greater gainers by suffering each other to live as seems good to themselves, than by compelling each other to live as seems good to the rest" (Mill, CR 67). It is up to the individual to decide for themselves, to live how they want, and not let society dictate how we live our lives. Although chaos can lead to change, its biggest weapon is its ability to create confusion.
(Confusion + Loss of the Individual)
This term I have learned how even simple things can become chaotic. During Professor Jacobson's lecture on chaos theory, I learned that "simple changes in the initial value causes large changes in the value of later numbers of the sequence..." and when applied to life, "simple systems can produce complicated behavior" (Jacobson Lecture, April 5th 2010). It is this complicated behavior that leads to confusion. With confusion there is so much chaos it is almost impossible to find any order to get your bearing. To much confusion leads to stricter controls on the individual. This in turn leads to loss of civil liberties and rights. "There is no question here about restricting individuality, or impending the trial of new and original experiments in living. The only things it is sought to prevent are things which have been tried and condemned from the beginning of the world until now; things which experience has shown not to be useful or suitable to any person's individuality" (Mill, Cr 72). It is with this understanding of when society should interfere in the lives of the individual to we truly understand the world around us.
Image accessed From: http://www.impawards.com/.../ order_of_chaos_xlg.jpg
Image accessed on: April 15, 2010
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