[HWPL Peace Education Textbook 3-2] The Relationship between Peace and Order| The Root Cause of Disorder: Greed

 

[HWPL Peace Education Textbook 3] The Causes of the Breakdown of Peace in Human Society

[3-2] The root cause of disorder: Greed

 

◆Learning Objectives:

1. Understand that the root cause of disorder is the collapse of order.

2. Recognize that the fundamental cause of the collapse of order is greed.

3. Realize that the fundamental spirit of peace is love, and that peace begins with the transformation of individual character.

 

◆The Fundamental Cause of Disorder: Greed

What is the root cause of disorder?

When investigating the various conflicts in the world, it is often difficult to attribute them to a single cause. However, upon analyzing many events, a commonality can be found: most conflicts arise due to excessive greed. Greed refers to an excessive desire for or pursuit of something. In contrast, conflicts not driven by greed are often resolved peacefully.

How Greed Disrupts Peace and Order

-Insights from Religious Scriptures and Historical Cases-

A.Greed in Religious Scriptures

Religious scriptures from various religions teach that excessive greed creates anxiety in individuals, leads to disputes and conflicts in society, and becomes the source of sin.

Image from HWPL Peace Textbook

B.Tragedies Caused by Human Greed

1) The Holocaust

The Holocaust, originating from the Greek word "holókauston" meaning "sacrifice by fire," refers to the systematic genocide orchestrated by Hitler's Nazis during World War II. This genocide targeted approximately 11 million civilians and war prisoners across 35 countries occupied by Germany, including Jews, Slavs, Roma (Gypsies), homosexuals, disabled individuals, and political dissidents. The Nazis, convening on January 20, 1942, in the suburbs of Berlin, discussed the "Final Solution of the Jewish question," aiming to establish Aryan racial superiority and dominate the world. The Holocaust stands as the epitome of the 20th century's tragedy, driven by human greed in the form of racial supremacy.

Image from Pixabay

2) The Opium Wars

The Opium Wars began in 1840 as a result of China's efforts to crack down on opium smuggling by British merchants. The British East India Company, suffering substantial losses in its trade with China, resorted to exporting opium to compensate. This led to widespread addiction among Chinese officials and civilians in Guangzhou, resulting in the outflow of silver from China. In response, the Chinese government dispatched Lin Zexu to suppress the opium trade and arrest smugglers. Lin Zexu confiscated and destroyed around 1,400 tons of opium. However, the British government refused to compensate China for the confiscated opium, leading to lobbying by British merchants to initiate war with China.

The Role of Greed in Disrupting Order and Peace: Examples and Reflections

The Holocaust stands as the greatest tragedy of the 20th century, demonstrating how human greed in the form of racial supremacy shattered the order of humanity. What is even more astonishing is that such atrocities occurred less than a century ago. Films like "Schindler's List," "Life is Beautiful," and "The Pianist" serve to memorialize the horrors of the Holocaust.

Image from Pixabay

Germany, in an effort to not repeat its shameful past, educates its students about these events and has established memorials like the Holocaust Memorial to acknowledge its wrongdoing. Former West German Chancellor Willy Brandt famously knelt before the Warsaw Ghetto Monument in Poland as a gesture of repentance for his nation's actions.

 

◆Reflection

1. Reflect on your own current desires, how they affect your state of mind, and brainstorm ways to address these desires.

2. Research and present cases where human life has been disregarded due to human greed.