I have been working up a minor fret about possibly jingoistic connotations of “above all nations”, particularly to someone who googles the phrase.
Let me make it clear.
The title of the Catlin/Brittain/Hodges compilation was inspired by the inscription “Above all nations is humanity”.
I interpret this inscription as something of a counter-balance to any notions of national or religious superiority.
So I googled the entire phrase (i.e. “above all nations is humanity”) earlier this week. US links topped the list, which is hardly surprising, given that the inscription is carved on the Cornell campus.
Here are some interpretations of "above all nations is humanity":
George Ball reflecting, in 1999, on his first sighting of the inscription said: "it took me many decades before I realized what it really meant. It was identifying the greatest threat to the human race, national sovereignty, the idea that the nations of the world are autonomous, that they can do what they like within their own borders, that they are accountable to no one. During World War II, I recall a big sign I saw on the wall in a German school house which read "National Socialism is our people's greatest belief." It does not fit well with "Above all nations is humanity."
Nearly all the great atrocities of the 20th century are the result of the decisions made unilaterally by sovereign nations.
Here is the idea in the fine words of Max Frankel in a recent issue of the New York Times magazine: "Someday in the next century we will acknowledge that there can be no global rights without global laws and no way to write and enforce those laws without a global congress, courts and cops. As the lion in the jungle of nations, the United States is not ready to yield to higher authority. But in time we will realize, like the nations of Western Europe, that sovereignty has become the enemy of safety."
It appears also to be the motto of The Cosmopolitan Club at the University of Illinois which devotes a page to its philosophy, along with translations of the phrase into several languages. (You need to scroll down. And they need to seek out more translations, the obvious ones coming to mind being Arabic, as well as the languages of Africa and South East Asia.)
Then elsewhere there's David Scott along with other residents of the Cosmopolitan Club commenting on their interpretation of its (selfsame) motto: "It's a worthy motto. I wish more people in the world took it to heart. Is the corollary of this, 'Beneath all nationalism lies inhumanity'?"
2 comments:
This entry reminds me also of Edith Cavell's famous quote, which I often think on: "Patriotism is not enough, I must have no hatred or bitterness toward anyone." I take this to mean that we can keep some semblance of nation where it can be seen as community, but not use nationalism as a vehicle to inspire hatred in a quest for power.
As such, I look forward to the day where nations are considered as teams, where patriotism lends to team spirit, such as can be seen in (some) sporting events. Such gentle rivalry would be far preferable to the kind of fervour that gives rise to war. I think this will only come about when hunger and thirst are taken care of, and resources can be traded and not stolen? As even this latest horror in Lebanon is about money, in the end, with religion being used to stir people up to such craziness.
Glad to see you blogging again, em :)
Above all nation sis such a powerful phrase, and its opposite aphormism 'Beneath all nationalism lies inhumanity'?" is wonderful and I am going to have to steak it and quote it at my dad.
I grew up in the village where Edith Cavell was born, she was an extraordinary woman. Big animal fan, especially alsatians: she said she very rarely lost hope in mankind but when she did her dog was a very great comfort.
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