Life does not have an instruction manual because it is open to indeterminacy and uncertainty. Assuming our condition as beings who live in fragility means accepting our humanity. These are some of the ideas defended by Joan-Carles Mèlich, Professor of Philosophy at the Autonomous University of Barcelona (UAB) and a leading thinker and essayist, in a new interview at the Café del Observatorio Social of the ”la Caixa” Foundation, a space of analysis, debate and reflection that studies the current situation of society and its challenges, and disseminates knowledge of the social sciences and humanities.
“Fragility is the relationship we establish with the world and it can be broken at any moment. That's why you have to take care of it. Human beings cannot relate to the world in a firm and secure way, but rather the contrary”, says Mèlich. “The world is fragile because it is a world of shadows and chiaroscuro”, he adds. “Most of the things that happen to us in life are not programmed, they happen. And they happen against our will. Uncertainty is moving in an ocean of indeterminacy”, affirms the thinker.
The human being is a finite being and that does not only mean that we are going to die, but that life does not have an instruction manual. “The problem with the instruction manual is not the manual as such, but the fact that the logic of the manual has colonized the world. What good is it for everything and everyone. For all relationships such as partner relationships, parent-maternity relationships and friendships”, reflects Mèlich during the interview. "Existence, being finite, is also uncertain," he remarks.
However, uncertainty usually causes us anguish and eliminating it gives us peace of mind. Therein lies another of the current dangers, as the UAB professor points out. “You have to be very careful with the supposed experts who solve the problems of life in a clear and distinct way, that is, in a not uncertain way. They are dangerous, ”he warns. And it is that if fragility and all that it entails are eliminated, the human being approaches a disturbing scenario. “If the world stops being a world of shadows, we are dangerously close to totalitarian universes”, comments the thinker and essayist.
For Mèlich, technology has become an ideology, an apparently neutral politics and culture that, however, hide our vulnerability. “Technique has ceased to be an instrument and has become a way of life. We think and live technologically ”, he maintains. But technology has its own values, such as speed and utility. “We live in a world in which haste has colonized human relationships. But these are not built with that. If there is rush, there is no love. There is no friendship. Human relationships cannot be built based on these values ”, he assures.
In this sense, the thinker goes further in his analysis. “One of the dangers of today's totalitarianism is that it has put on a friendly face. That face is technology ”, he affirms to focus on the selfies and the dynamics of the followers or followers on social networks. The gurus of the sects say that same word: “Follow me, the important thing is me. I know the truth. I know what will make you happy." And that is very dangerous. The educator, on the other hand, says: “No, you set the path. You have to build your life. I can be there if you need me. But realize something very important: you are going to fall”, deepens Mèlich.
For the thinker and essayist, wisdom can save us and, above all, reading the great classical authors. “The classic does not speak of the past, but of the present. It is very important to distinguish the present from the present, which ceases to be interesting the next day. We live in a time of great relevance and of very little present ”, he assures. “In order to understand the present, I need the past. But what is the use of reading Don Quixote? To realize that the answers to life's questions are not clear or distinct, ”he comments.
According to the UAB professor, the new anthropological vision of fragility requires a new ethic, based on compassion and the ability to accept our mistakes. “Have you noticed that no one asks for forgiveness? Everyone has a clear conscience. And that's dramatic. In the ethics of compassion, one responds to the pain of the other and does so actively”, he comments. For Mèlich, we must dare to fragilely inhabit the world. “Think, stop, calm your life. Because calm is the condition of thinking. Dare to stop and think that your life may be wonderful, but it will never be wonderful enough”, he concludes.
The ”la Caixa” Foundation Social Observatory is a space for analysis, debate and reflection that studies current affairs in society and its challenges, and disseminates knowledge of the social sciences and humanities through scientific publications, as well as activities of reflection and debate organized in CaixaForum Macaya and in the rest of the centers. In its desire to disseminate knowledge and connect with new audiences, in 2022 it created a new content format adapted to the new digital and audiovisual context such as the Café del Observatorio, a space for interviews with experts from various fields.
The interviews, which aim to disseminate rigorous knowledge in a format that is easy to use and accessible to non-experts, are conducted by Dr. Swen Seebach, vice-rector for Academic Planning and Quality at the Abat Oliba University, professor of sociology and communication theory and expert in the sociological study of emotions, the future and bio-emergencies. Other interviews published and available on the platform have been with Josefa Ros on boredom, José Carlos Ruiz on how we build our identity in the digital age and Míriam Juan Torres on social polarization.
