The importance of asking why

 A few days ago I watched a discussion between the British author Tom Holland and the Norwegian philosopher Henrik Syse on YouTube.  Among other topics they talked about the Universal Declaration of Human Rights. The two agreed that the document was heavily influenced by Christian thinking.  Tom Holland pointed out that concern for the underdog and the weak came with Christianity.  Prior to Jesus Christ, the focus was always to the powerful and mighty.  The brutal Roman method of execution, the crucifixion, was admired as a sign of power.  As the Roman empire faded and a Christian society emerged, the emphasis was on the crucified, rather than on the crucifier. This dramatic change made all the difference in Western thinking. 

At the time of the signing of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, in 1948, the Western world was heavy influenced by Christian culture.   

In 2021 Western society is no longer as influenced by Christian though as in the post-World War II years. So, the question was raised: what will happen to concepts such as human rights and human worth in an increasingly secular world?  Holland and Syse agreed that it depends on who has a good answer to the question “why does a human being have intrinsic value, regardless of social standing?” Why is a human being of greater value than an animal?  The Princeton utilitarian philosopher Peter Singer tries to elevate animal rights but ends up lowering humans to the animal level.  He says that because an infant is not aware of his existence, he or she can be killed even after birth. An adult human being or an animal with self-awareness, must not be. The American theologian John Warwick Montgomery argues in his book Human Rights and Human Dignity “that not a single major philosophy of human rights is able to supply the motivation needed to carry out even its own best ideals.” But Holland, who until recently was an atheist, pointed out that Christianity and before it, Judaism has the necessary rational reason for human dignity:  The book of Genesis points out that man was created in the image of Gud.  That set him apart from animals and the rest of creation.

As Christianity is losing ground in Europe, many people see humans as just another species.  Abortion and euthanasia are widely accepted. Secular thinking does not have a reason for why human beings have special value.  On the path to increased secularization, we become a threat to ourselves.