We exist; we exist as humans; and as humans we can exist in a human or inhuman way. We are not responsible for the fact that we exist or that we are human, but we are responsible for how we live as humans. Therefore, we need to become clear about what it means to be human and to live in a human way today.
What does it mean for us today to exist, to exist as human beings and to exist as human beings in a human way? We are not responsible for the fact that we exist. But we can and must decide how we want to live. To do so, we must consider not only our human capacities, but also the multiple challenges we face today - from our moral responsibility, our finite freedom, our contested dignity, our diversity and the struggle for justice, to our finitude, passivity and creaturehood. Our
we is complex and kaleidoscopic. This results in opportunities and dangers that we need to be aware of. The fundamental existential challenge today lies not in the intersectionality and plurideterminacy of our concrete humanity, but in the fluidity, flexibility and complexity of our
we and the various groups to which we belong or can belong. It is always
we who respond to the challenges we face, but each time the
we is different. The consequences are particularly evident in religious traditions that use the intimate language of family. We are never just members of a group. We have a right to be different. Not all religions do justice to this.
Table of contents:
1 The Phenomenology of we
Part I Existence
2 Individuals and Identity
3 Identities and Conflicts
4 Existence and Indexicality
Part II Humanity
5 Humanity and Humaneness
6 The Fabric of Being Human
Part III Communities
7 Groups, Communities, and Families
8 Family Religions
9 The Extended we
10 Becoming Who We Are
