Humility
Author: Yuval Noah Harari | Genre: Essay
📖 1. Understanding the Text
Answer the following questions.
a. Describe the claim of the Chinese nationalists about human history.
=> Answer: Chinese nationalists claim that human history began with the Yellow Emperor and the Xia and Shang dynasties. They assert that their civilization is ancient and superior, believing that all accomplishments of Westerners, Muslims, or Indians are merely imitations or pale copies of original Chinese breakthroughs.
b. What do pious Muslims believe about human history?
=> Answer: Pious Muslims believe that history prior to the Prophet Muhammad is largely irrelevant (the age of ignorance, or Jahiliyyah). They view the revelation of the Quran as the central turning point in world history, asserting that all subsequent human history revolves around the Muslim community (ummah).
c. What did the Aztecs firmly believe about the universe?
=> Answer: The Aztecs firmly believed that their religious rituals and human sacrifices were necessary to keep the universe functioning. They believed that without the blood sacrifices they performed each year, the sun would not rise and the entire universe would disintegrate into destruction.
d. What, according to the essay, are the universal human abilities?
=> Answer: According to the essay, universal human abilities include morality, art, spirituality, creativity, and inventiveness. Harari argues that these abilities are inherent to all human beings, having evolved during the Stone Age in Africa, rather than belonging exclusively to any single nation, religion, or culture.
e. How are the basic yoga postures derived from the shape of the letters of the Hebrew alphabet?
=> Answer: The essay refers to a claim made by an Israeli yoga teacher who asserted that yoga was originally invented by Abraham. The teacher argued that basic yoga postures were derived from the shapes of Hebrew letters—for instance, trikonasana was said to imitate the letter aleph, and tuladandasana supposedly imitated the letter daled. Harari uses this example to illustrate the absurdity of cultural appropriation and chauvinism.
📝 2. Reference to the Context
a. How does the author challenge the Jewish claim to moral exclusivity?
=> Answer: Harari challenges the Jewish claim to moral exclusivity by examining historical and anthropological facts. While Jews contributed significantly to monotheism and ethics, the claim that morality began with Abraham or the Ten Commandments is false. Empathy, social cooperation, and prohibitions against murder and theft were practiced by chimpanzees, hunter-gatherers, ancient Egyptians, and Mesopotamians thousands of years before the Hebrew Bible was written.
b. Discuss the author’s perspective on the relationship between religion and morality.
=> Answer: The author argues that morality does not depend on dogmatic religion or belief in a supernatural deity. Morality is fundamentally rooted in empathy and the capacity to understand suffering. Sociable mammals developed altruism and moral norms through evolution to survive in groups. Religions did not invent morality; they merely codified pre-existing evolutionary instincts into institutional doctrines.
c. "It is more polite to criticize one's own people than to criticize foreigners." Do you agree with the author's view? Why or why not?
=> Answer: Yes, I agree with the author's view. Criticizing one's own people and culture demonstrates intellectual honesty, self-awareness, and constructive introspection. When individuals criticize other cultures, it often breeds resentment, hostility, and nationalistic friction. Conversely, self-criticism within a society fosters growth, dismantles arrogance, and models the true humility required for peaceful coexistence.
d. How does the essay advocate for true humility in the modern world?
=> Answer: The essay advocates for true humility by encouraging people to abandon civilizational narcissism. Harari asks readers to realize that their own culture, religion, and nation are merely small fragments of the human story. In an era where humanity faces global challenges like climate change and technological disruption, recognizing our shared vulnerability and modest place in the universe is essential for international solidarity.
🌐 3. Reference beyond the Text
a. Write an essay on "The Conflicting History of Human Civilization".
=> Answer: Throughout history, civilizational progress has been driven by cultural exchange, yet marred by chauvinistic conflict. When nations or religious groups believe they possess a divine monopoly on truth, they justify imperialism, war, and persecution of other groups. From ancient imperial conquests to modern geopolitical tensions, the myth of cultural supremacy has fueled bloodshed. True civilizational progress occurs not when one culture dominates another, but when diverse peoples recognize their shared human heritage and exchange knowledge with mutual respect.
b. How does cultural or religious chauvinism lead to conflict in modern society? Give examples.
=> Answer: Cultural and religious chauvinism creates an "us versus them" mindset that divides communities and breeds intolerance. In modern societies, extremist political factions often weaponize religious pride or racial nationalism to scapegoat minorities and justify discrimination. For example, sectarian conflicts in the Middle East and rising anti-immigrant sentiment in Western nations stem from the arrogant belief that one's own group is inherently superior to others. Overcoming these conflicts requires educational systems that teach human diversity and civilizational humility.