One of my favorite things about my culture is the concept of dharma—that is, duty, in a broad and pervasive sense. In the Hindu culture dharma is the singular sacred duty of individuals, all of whom are believed to have individual purpose based on their abilities (and unfortunately, circumstance).
Unlike a lot of other conventional morality, it holds even more true today than centuries ago. People today are obligated to fulfill distinct duties to their nation, often one they have chosen or can influence in some capacity. Ditto for local governments, groups, and employers, among other legally-enforceable responsibilities. But people today also have a duty to find a career (or careers) with some degree of fulfillment for themselves, having …show more content…
J. Robert Oppenheimer would have disagreed. In addition to being a great physicist and born Jewish, he also extensively studied Hinduism as a philosophy through its principal work, the Bhagavad-Gita. This seems a little strange at first glance, considering Bhagavad-Gita translates roughly into “Song of the Lord”. His interest makes a little more sense considering his words at the first nuclear test, a quotation from the work. “I am become death, the destroyer of worlds.” In a sense he had, thanks to the superhuman power of the technology he proved crucial in creating during the Manhattan project. He believed that like the tragic hero Arjun, he ought to fulfill his duty to society to take part in a fight that was not his own. Oppenheimer did not believe in his creation, being inclined toward pacifism. In fact, immediately afterward, he suggested a weaker weapon should have been used as warning first for Japan, and became an outspoken critic of nuclear power. Still, he felt not only obligated but happy to deal with the immense task of building the first atomic bomb, and refused to sign a popular petition urging the president to not drop it, humbly describing himself as unqualified to make the decision. In a world of specialized responsibilities, this approach makes sense on some
Unlike a lot of other conventional morality, it holds even more true today than centuries ago. People today are obligated to fulfill distinct duties to their nation, often one they have chosen or can influence in some capacity. Ditto for local governments, groups, and employers, among other legally-enforceable responsibilities. But people today also have a duty to find a career (or careers) with some degree of fulfillment for themselves, having …show more content…
J. Robert Oppenheimer would have disagreed. In addition to being a great physicist and born Jewish, he also extensively studied Hinduism as a philosophy through its principal work, the Bhagavad-Gita. This seems a little strange at first glance, considering Bhagavad-Gita translates roughly into “Song of the Lord”. His interest makes a little more sense considering his words at the first nuclear test, a quotation from the work. “I am become death, the destroyer of worlds.” In a sense he had, thanks to the superhuman power of the technology he proved crucial in creating during the Manhattan project. He believed that like the tragic hero Arjun, he ought to fulfill his duty to society to take part in a fight that was not his own. Oppenheimer did not believe in his creation, being inclined toward pacifism. In fact, immediately afterward, he suggested a weaker weapon should have been used as warning first for Japan, and became an outspoken critic of nuclear power. Still, he felt not only obligated but happy to deal with the immense task of building the first atomic bomb, and refused to sign a popular petition urging the president to not drop it, humbly describing himself as unqualified to make the decision. In a world of specialized responsibilities, this approach makes sense on some