[Insight & Opinion] The Light and Shadow of the 'Political Human'

[Asia Economy] I have been on Facebook for a long time. Some people record their private daily lives, while many others only talk about politics. However, those who reveal no personal side and only discuss politics feel unfamiliar. This is because political views alone cannot explain who they are. Being a ‘PC activist’ who pursues political correctness and being a ‘good person’ are separate matters.

Such people are usually staunch supporters or opponents of one side. Since they have an unusual interest in politics, should we simply call them ‘political humans’ (Homo Politicus)? Originally, ‘political human’ was a positive term. When Aristotle said in Politics that “man is by nature a political animal suited to form and live in a polis,” he was referring to the necessity of politics to achieve happiness. Hannah Arendt also emphasized active life, that is, political life rather than contemplative life, in The Human Condition. She said the revival of the political, the restoration of political thought and practical ability, is a condition for a truly human life.

Then, are the politically highly interested groups in our society truly living a political life that brings about a human life? Contrary to the expectations of political philosophers, we see that they are producing half-baked humans obsessed only with politics. A human being must have many things besides politics. But if one’s mind is filled only with politics, there is no room for other thoughts. A life full of political hatred makes it difficult to cultivate the human qualities necessary to become a ‘better person.’

This is the current state of our politics. Politics surrounded by fandoms of camps has produced extreme hatred politics. The spirit of coexistence is thrown into the trash bin, and only life-or-death fights that demonize the opponent are repeated. Even when falsehoods are fabricated and incited, and later proven untrue, no one properly apologizes. The language and dignity of politicians are shamefully at the lowest level of society. Among supporters, hateful and cursing language has become commonplace. Most distressing of all is that these parties neither think about nor reflect on their own problems. How can we call these people ‘political humans’ who seek a better world?

Our problem lies not in the ‘loss of the political’ that Arendt spoke of, but in the ‘excess of the political.’ Rebecca Solnit’s Orwell’s Roses is a unique book about George Orwell’s side of tending a ‘rose garden.’ Orwell’s life is often described as marked by war, but Solnit explains that he always cared about nature and “cherished everyday pleasures and joys that could be enjoyed here and now.” For Orwell, fighting was not only to get ‘bread’ but also to get ‘roses.’ Orwell, who said “What we must do is make this one and only life on earth worth living,” asked to have roses planted on his grave.

Do we have politicians who will tend a ‘rose garden’? The misfortune of our politics lies in the reality that politicians who lack basic dignity and culture as human beings, falling below the national average, are in positions leading the lives of the people. Watching politicians, stripped of rational reason and overflowing only with hatred and hostility, manipulate the country makes us wonder: what exactly is politics to us?

Yoo Chang-seon, Political Commentator

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.