Respectful relationships + the inviolable dignity of the human person - adapted from my school bulletin reflection for 23/09/19
Respectful relationships and the inviolable dignity of the human person I'd like to share a passage translated from a book in French by a 20th century Swiss Catholic spiritual writer and mystic, Fr. Maurice Zundel. He recounts an anecdote shared by a Russian journalist, Koriakoff, from the latter's 2nd WW experiences. It expresses most powerfully how mutual respect based on Christian values can transcend barriers of race, cultural identity, difference, etc… It reminds me of of what the 20th century Franco-Jewish philosopher, Emmanuel Levinas, said about how the inviolable diginity of the human person is communicated through the “face of the other”, in particular through eye contact. When I think I this, I always come back to the fact that in art (paintings, film/tv…) the representation of an execution will invariably involve the person being executed having their eyes covered, making it easier for the executioner to do their duty, because otherwise t...