Ukuphila Esikhathini Sezimiso zokuziphatha Ezishintshashintshayo

KUNENGANEKWANE edumile ethi umlisa othile wahambahamba emini kwabhá ephethe isibani ezimisele ukuthola umuntu olungile, kodwa akamtholanga. Igama lalo mlisa kwakunguDiogenes, isazi sefilosofi esasihlala e-Athene ekhulwini leminyaka lesine B.C.E.

Ayikho indlela yokuthola ukuthi le nganekwane iyiqiniso yini. Noma kunjalo, ukube uDiogenes ubesaphila nanamuhla, besingeke simangale uma bekungadingeka azikhandle nakakhulu ukuze athole abantu abaziphethe kahle. Abaningi babonakala bengayithandisisi inkolelo yokuthi abantu kufanele baphile ngezimiso ezithile zokuziphatha. Njalo nje abezindaba basiqaphelisa indlela isimilo esixega ngayo—kubantu, kuhulumeni, emisebenzini, kwezemidlalo, kwezamabhizinisi nakwezinye izindawo. Izimiso zokuziphatha eziningi ezazaziswa izizukulwane esezadlula seziyinto engathi shu namuhla. Izimiso esezinesikhathi zisetshenziswa ziyahlolisiswa futhi ngokuvamile zingathandeki. Abantu bavuma ngomlomo ukuthi ezinye izimiso zinhle kodwa abazisebenzisi.

U-Alan Wolfe, isazi senkolo nokuhlalisana kwabantu, uthi: “Sesadlula isikhathi lapho abantu babamukela izimiso zokuziphatha ezifanayo.” Lesi sazi sicashunwa sithi: “Kuyaqala ngqa emlandweni ukuba abantu abaningi kangaka bangathembeli ezinkambisweni nasezinqubweni ezithile ukuba zibaqondise endabeni yokuziphatha.” Ikhulumela iminyaka eyikhulu edlule, i-Los Angeles Times iphawula okwashiwo isazi sefilosofi, uJonathan Glover, esathi ukuncipha kwethonya lenkolo nelemithetho yemvelo yokuziphatha kuye kwaba negalelo elikhulu ebudloveni obugcwele umhlaba wonke.

Nokho, nakuba abantu bengasazazi izimiso ezazamukelwa kabanzi, abantu abathile basazifuna izimiso zokuziphatha. Eminyakeni embalwa edlule, uFederico Mayor, owayengumqondisi-jikelele we-UNESCO, wathi “izimiso zokuhle ziyinto ehamba phambili ekhathaza umhlaba kunanini ngaphambili.” Kodwa ukuthi umhlaba uyehluleka ukwamukela nokuphila ngezimiso ezinhle akusho ukuthi azikho izimiso ezinhle okungaphilwa ngazo nokufanele kuphilwe ngazo.

 Nokho, ingabe bonke abantu bangavumelana ngokuthi iziphi izimiso okufanele kuphilwe ngazo? Kusobala ukuthi ngeke. Uma zingekho izimiso zokulungile nokungalungile okuvunyelwene ngazo, umuntu angakwazi kanjani ukuhlola noma iziphi izimiso ukuthi zinenzuzo noma cha? Kuyinto ethandwa kakhulu namuhla ukuba umuntu azibonele ukuthi iziphi izimiso afuna ukuzisebenzisa. Nokho, uyabona ukuthi ukucabanga okunjalo akuzange ngempela kusithuthukise isimilo sabantu bebonke.

Isazimlando saseBrithani, uPaul Johnson, sikholelwa ngokuqinile ukuthi le filosofi yokuzibonela iye yaba nomthelela “ekululazeni . . . umuzwa obukhali womthwalo wemfanelo nowesibopho sokugcina isimiso sokuziphatha seqiniso esamukelwayo” owawubonakala ukhona ngaphambi kokuqala kwekhulu leminyaka lama-20.

Abantu bangakwazi-ke yini ukuthola “isimiso sokuziphatha seqiniso” noma ukuphila ‘ngemithetho yemvelo yokuziphatha’? Likhona yini igunya elingase likwazi ukunikeza izimiso ezingaphelelwa isikhathi, ezingenakushintshwa, ezingenza ukuphila kwethu kuzinze futhi zisenze sibe nethemba ngekusasa? Isihloko esilandelayo sizophendula le mibuzo.