During these days, as usual in Italy, we have been interested by a large number of news about corruption of many politicians (again and again): these news instead of disdain have provoke dsolidarity among politicians and also envy in some common people. In addition, last night I have watched on TV the movie "VIdeocracy" adding further depressing elements in my already depressed mind.
Summing up all this, I have concluded that italian society has completely lost the concept of "shame". Many times I have suggested in this blog that the main problem of this unlucky society is to be deeply "catholic"; it means to be deeply hypocrite replacing the concept of "shame", remarkably characterizing the Ancient Roman Society, with the concept of "sin". While shame implies a public and civic responsibility towards a collectivity or a community on the base of personal dignity, "sin" implies a private relation with a subject who has the eventual power to cancel it (at certain conditions)
If shame shows a social dimension on the base of "hic et nunc" (here and now) principle, sin is a private affaire involving something standing "behind" (in spatial and temporal terms). In a society inspired by shame, you have a responsibility towards the others "now": you must solve your shame condition with a concrete "physical" action. In a society inspired by sin ethics are moved to abstract "meta-physical" actions i.e. with a conversation with a priest in a confessional and few prayers. A sinner trasfers his ethical troubles beyond his own living dimension for example in the perspective of a Paradise or Hell. You may regret and everything will turn as before. It's a problem between me and God (not between me and mankind).
This is the precondition for the double faced ethics in italian society unable to acknwledge shame and finding relief with sin. In this way "omnia licet". This explains also the critical role the Vatican plays in the italian society: notwithstanding the continuing scandals it maintains an immense power within the consciences of italian people. The Vatican promises an "unlimited warranty" for itself (the cases of paedophilia have been considered as sins rather than crimes thus moved in a meta-physical sphere) and for a political class without any principle or ethical value.
Further considerations about the idea of "shame" in the italian society con be found in this interesting article (in italian).
Summing up all this, I have concluded that italian society has completely lost the concept of "shame". Many times I have suggested in this blog that the main problem of this unlucky society is to be deeply "catholic"; it means to be deeply hypocrite replacing the concept of "shame", remarkably characterizing the Ancient Roman Society, with the concept of "sin". While shame implies a public and civic responsibility towards a collectivity or a community on the base of personal dignity, "sin" implies a private relation with a subject who has the eventual power to cancel it (at certain conditions)
If shame shows a social dimension on the base of "hic et nunc" (here and now) principle, sin is a private affaire involving something standing "behind" (in spatial and temporal terms). In a society inspired by shame, you have a responsibility towards the others "now": you must solve your shame condition with a concrete "physical" action. In a society inspired by sin ethics are moved to abstract "meta-physical" actions i.e. with a conversation with a priest in a confessional and few prayers. A sinner trasfers his ethical troubles beyond his own living dimension for example in the perspective of a Paradise or Hell. You may regret and everything will turn as before. It's a problem between me and God (not between me and mankind).
This is the precondition for the double faced ethics in italian society unable to acknwledge shame and finding relief with sin. In this way "omnia licet". This explains also the critical role the Vatican plays in the italian society: notwithstanding the continuing scandals it maintains an immense power within the consciences of italian people. The Vatican promises an "unlimited warranty" for itself (the cases of paedophilia have been considered as sins rather than crimes thus moved in a meta-physical sphere) and for a political class without any principle or ethical value.
Further considerations about the idea of "shame" in the italian society con be found in this interesting article (in italian).
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