Early on as kids one is usually taught the Golden Rule: Do not do to others, what you would not do to yourself. In Things Fall Apart, by Chinua Achebe, the life story of Okonkwo is told, and the struggles of the clan when a new religion is brought to the clan that Okonkwo lives in. Rev. Smith is a disrespectful missionary sent to convert the Igbo people, those of Okonkwo’s clan, after Mr. Brown the previous minister became sick. In Cosmopolitanism, written by Kwame Anthony Appiah, Appiah tries to show the importance having culture, and how to solve debates between distinct cultures. In the book the golden rule is mentioned, in that one should respect other’s cultures even if it is different. If one were to apply the golden rule as talked about
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In Cosmopolitanism, Appiah similarly states “The idea behind the Golden Rule is that we should take other people’s interests seriously, take them into account” (Appiah 63). By taking in account other’s cultures, one can lessen the harm to others when making a decision that affects both. However, Rev. Smith from Things Fall Apart does not consider the culture of the Igbo people. He sees them as two different and incompatible items; “He saw things as black and white. And black was evil” (Achebe 184). In doing this Rev. Smith allows no compromise, or thoughts of the Igbo people into the church. His decision to disregard the Igbo culture stirs unrest between the Igbo people and the Christians. This unrest then leads to the burning of the Christian church. If Rev. Smith were to accept, or even consider some of the Igbo traditions, the church may have not been burned down or adversely hated by the rest of the …show more content…
Building off the golden rule, learning others’ cultures show respect to them in that one wants to understand why they do what they do. In Cosmopolitanism, there is an anecdote about a nurse who wants this group of people, who believe in witchcraft, to boil their water before they use it. The nurse then explains to the people that it kills off the bacteria, but when she comes back they are not boiling the water before use. She then explains to the people that the boiling kills off the spirits that make their babies sick, and then the people start to boil their water before using it. The nurse had to learn about the culture of the people in order to explain a phenomenon to them. Similarly, in Things Fall Apart Mr. Brown attempts to learn about the Igbo culture and religion, so that he could prove fallacies in it. “Neither of them [ Mr. Smith and Akunna] succeeded in converting the other but they learned more about their beliefs” (Achebe 179). Although, Mr. Brown never succeeds in converting a high clansman he is respected by those of the clan. These actions of Mr. Brown grant him respect from the clan. Therefore, if Rev. Smith were to try to understand the Igbo he would gain the respect of them and be seen in better terms. Additionally, Rev. Smith by doing this would uphold the principle of the golden
In Cosmopolitanism, Appiah similarly states “The idea behind the Golden Rule is that we should take other people’s interests seriously, take them into account” (Appiah 63). By taking in account other’s cultures, one can lessen the harm to others when making a decision that affects both. However, Rev. Smith from Things Fall Apart does not consider the culture of the Igbo people. He sees them as two different and incompatible items; “He saw things as black and white. And black was evil” (Achebe 184). In doing this Rev. Smith allows no compromise, or thoughts of the Igbo people into the church. His decision to disregard the Igbo culture stirs unrest between the Igbo people and the Christians. This unrest then leads to the burning of the Christian church. If Rev. Smith were to accept, or even consider some of the Igbo traditions, the church may have not been burned down or adversely hated by the rest of the …show more content…
Building off the golden rule, learning others’ cultures show respect to them in that one wants to understand why they do what they do. In Cosmopolitanism, there is an anecdote about a nurse who wants this group of people, who believe in witchcraft, to boil their water before they use it. The nurse then explains to the people that it kills off the bacteria, but when she comes back they are not boiling the water before use. She then explains to the people that the boiling kills off the spirits that make their babies sick, and then the people start to boil their water before using it. The nurse had to learn about the culture of the people in order to explain a phenomenon to them. Similarly, in Things Fall Apart Mr. Brown attempts to learn about the Igbo culture and religion, so that he could prove fallacies in it. “Neither of them [ Mr. Smith and Akunna] succeeded in converting the other but they learned more about their beliefs” (Achebe 179). Although, Mr. Brown never succeeds in converting a high clansman he is respected by those of the clan. These actions of Mr. Brown grant him respect from the clan. Therefore, if Rev. Smith were to try to understand the Igbo he would gain the respect of them and be seen in better terms. Additionally, Rev. Smith by doing this would uphold the principle of the golden