REFLECTIONS YARO BLOG - DECEMBER 2020
ODIN - THE NORSE FATHER
Dear reader,
Have you heard or read about the
Canadian professor of psychology and author of the book “Twelve Rules for
Life”? If not, go to YouTube and click on Jordan Peterson. Somehow, he has
proven to be a tragic human even though he is highly intelligent and is incredibly involved in promoting the open and diverse culture of free speech and writing and giving video presentations that are being “killed”
by false intellectuals.
Like many great geniuses in
history, they alone were able to do the ‘impossible’ and open the world to
everyone. Christopher Columbus discovered what now we call AMERICA, GANDHI
liberated India, SIMON BOLIVAR liberated South America, Nelson Mandela, and so on.
Jordan Peterson is another man
who single handily is breaking the new PC (politically correct) movement that
is shouting loudly in the media about the need to silence his words and want
the Penguin publishers to cancel his new book.
Like most religious movements in
history the 'nice and positive' preaching is about spirit, togetherness, and
community, but in reality, (when we check the facts) it is about power and
control. Now the PC movement appears to promote ‘diversity’, ‘inclusion’, and
‘tolerance’ at the expense of controlling what we can read or listen to.
Speakers, writers, and promoters of freedom and debate and understanding are
shamed in public and even prosecuted for their ideas. They say: How they dare to write
books that question the natural pattern of being man and woman, male and
female? Today Shakespeare would be arrested for what he wrote because he
represents the ‘patriarchy’ that has become a swear word for many.
I want to reflect, again, on the word PATRIARCH or PATRIARCHY. It has become a “swear” word in our culture. In analyzing the word, we become aware (note) that PATER is a Latin word for FATHER and in ancient Rome the man in the family was called with the respectful phrase as PATER-FAMILIAS. Here I quote from history: “The pater familias, also written as paterfamilias, was the head of a Roman family. The paterfamilias was the oldest living male in a household and exercised autocratic authority over his extended family. The term is Latin for "father of the family" or the "owner of the family estate"
Roman law and tradition (mos
majorum) established the power of the pater familias within the community of
his own extended familia. In Roman family law, the term "Patria
potestas" (Latin: “power of a father”) refers to this concept. He held
legal privilege over the property of the familia, and varying levels of
authority over his dependents: these included his wife and children, certain
other relatives through blood or adoption, clients, freedmen and enslaved
persons. The same mos majorum moderated his authority and determined his
responsibilities to his own familia and to the broader community. He had a duty
to father and raise healthy children as future citizens of Rome, to maintain
the moral propriety and well-being of his household, to honour his clan and
ancestral gods and to dutifully participate—and if possible, serve—in Rome's
political, religious and social life. In effect, the pater familias was
expected to be a good citizen.” Now much of that authority has changed but the false
interpretation of FATHER is being pushed as a negative title for a man.
Historically, the early humans
did not have any separation of powers until the advent of agriculture and
settlements of groups of families to work the land and contribute to the
survival of the tribe or clan. Over time, the cultural shifts, religions, and
the need to keep a society in control, the patriarch became a symbol of power
out of necessity to survive.
Feminist theorists and writers have
published extensively about patriarchy either as a primary cause of women's
oppression or as part of an interactive system. Shulamith Firestone, a
radical-libertarian feminist, defines patriarchy as a system of oppression of
women. Firestone believes that patriarchy is caused by the biological
inequalities between women and men, e.g. that women bear children, while men do
not. Firestone writes that patriarchal ideologies support the oppression of
women and gives us an example the joy of giving birth, which she labels a
patriarchal myth. For Firestone, women must gain control over reproduction to
be free from oppression. Feminist historian Gerda Lerner believes
that male control over women's sexuality and reproductive functions is a
fundamental cause and result of patriarchy. Alison Jaggar also
understands patriarchy as the primary cause of women's oppression. The system
of patriarchy accomplishes this by alienating women from their bodies.
However, in the latter half of
the 18th century, clerical sentiments of patriarchy were meeting challenges
from intellectual authorities – Diderot's Encyclopedia denies inheritance of
paternal authority stating, "... reason shows us that mothers have rights
and authority equal to those of fathers; for the obligations imposed on children
originate equally from the mother and the father, as both are equally
responsible for bringing them into the world. Thus, the positive laws of God
that relate to the obedience of children join the father and the mother without
any differentiation; both possess a kind of ascendancy and jurisdiction over
their children”.
This idea of who is who keeps
coming up in many cultures around the world, Today with the many ways to
express our own beliefs and theories, we have the social network that instantly
communicates to many about what is the “truth”. On one hand, we observe the PC
groups that want to control the ideas and on the other, we have still evidence
of religious practices that forbid women to show their face in public.
We have a lot to reflect upon and
keep learning from every point of view and the internet is a good research tool
if used wisely. Perhaps we are in the midst of ending the patriarchal culture
of the past or maybe the female goddess that was worshipped in times of early
human settlements will ‘give birth’ to a new awareness and a new path to unite the human race.
I am including here a podcast by
my great gestalt teacher CLAUDIO NARANJO entitled: THE END OF PATRIARCHY AND
THE DAWN OF WHOLENESS.
Please click on the link above
Your comments are very welcome.
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