VICE: Congressman Jim McDermott on Depleted Uranium Usage in US Military

When Kingship came down from Heaven: Ethics and the political

A very thought provoking lecture by the brilliant Dr. Sayyid. He is one of my favorite public intellectuals and has shaped my thought in many ways, especially through his book, A Fundamental Fear.

Sayyid discusses the relationship between ethics, morality, and power. He makes some fascinating arguments which I will try to briefly summarize below. Although I recommend listening to the entire lecture because it is really beneficial.

First, rationality and power are intimately intertwined in society. In short, every decision can be rationalized, but it is those in power who have the authority and legitimacy to first act, and second define their actions as rational. They are not always successful in this endeavor, mind you, but this is prevalent in the mundane acts of life -- it is only in extraordinary moments that this tends to get successfully challenged.

The second, and last point I wish to mention from the lecture is: the life we live is in the difference between what we should be and what we are. This is where ethics and morality comes in. Morality, it seems from the lecture, is how we should act, while ethics is the process of rectifying reality with normative states.

This is why kingship and ethics have always been intertwined historically speaking. It was and is recognized that our actions fall short of our ideals. Kings and rulers should be the representatives of God on earth, since God is the ultimate justice and truth.

This difference that Dr. Sayyid mentions, though, is what gives our life meaning. The constant striving to make our lives better is one of the things which differentiate us from beings which just respond to stimuli and go about life.