Humanitarian Anthropology and Confucianism

Humanitarian Anthropology

• Humanitarian anthropology explores how anthropological concepts, theories, and methodologies can improve humanitarian action.
• Two main perspectives exist:
  • Anthropology in humanitarianism: Applying anthropological knowledge to existing humanitarian action.
  • Anthropology of humanitarianism: Examining humanitarianism from an anthropological viewpoint.

Meanings and Scope of Humanitarianism and Humanity

• Humanitarianism is an active belief in valuing human life and assisting others.
• It includes action motivated both by moral, altruistic, and emotional reasons.
• One aspect involves voluntary emergency aid, government development aid, domestic philanthropy, and human rights advocacy.

Confucian Philosophy

• "Ren," or humanity, is a core concept central to Confucian philosophy.
• Confucius linked acting with a love of people, emphasizing assisting others.
• Ren is highly valued as a central concept in Confucian thought.

Greek Philosophy

• Plato and Aristotle, while valuing love and kindness, didn't explicitly conceptualize "humanity" as a distinct virtue.
• Plato and Aristotle considered courage, justice, temperance, generosity, wit, friendliness, truthfulness, magnificence, and greatness of soul as virtues.

Abrahamic Religion

• Kindness, altruism, and love are prominent themes in the Bible.
• Proverbs and core biblical texts highlight the value of these concepts.
• Humanity is recognized as one of Thomas Aquinas' seven heavenly virtues.

Love & Kindness

• Love can be understood as a set of biological processes or a religious concept, encompassing positive feelings.
• Love is further delineated into interpersonal categories: love among children and parents, friends, and romantic partners.
• Love is more than just an emotion; it involves active participation in a loving relationship.
• Evidence shows negative feelings result from a lack of love, specifically in studies related to orphaned children.

Strengths of Humanity

• Kindness is a strength encompassing altruism, generosity, and helpfulness.
• It's deeply embedded in philosophical and religious traditions, embodied in Greek concepts like agape, the Hebrew concept of chesed, and Latin concept of philantropia, all relating to altruistic love.

Social Intelligence

• Social intelligence is a modern strength associated with humanity.
• It involves understanding relationships, including those in intimacy, trust, persuasion, and group membership.
• It relates to active emotional processes and combines aspects of personal and emotional intelligence.

Historical Perspectives of Humanity

• Different historical perspectives are explored using discussions on Confucian philosophy, Greek philosophy, and Abrahamic religions.

Methodological Relativism

• Anthropologists adopt a stance of "methodological relativism" when studying human behavior.
• This perspective prioritizes understanding cultural beliefs in their local contexts.

Power and Ethics

• Humanitarian organizations often present themselves as apolitical, devoid of power, and ethically neutral; however, it is crucial to understand their relationship to power.
• Ethical positions, such as deontological ethics, dominate the discussion surrounding how individuals should evaluate humanitarian acts.

Holism: Anthropology & Humanitarianism

• Holism is an anthropological perspective highlighting the interconnectedness of mind, body, individuals, society, and the environment.
• It considers the human condition to be more than just the sum of its parts.

Anthropology in Humanitarian Crises

• Anthropology's perspective distinguishes itself in examining armed conflicts as social practices deeply embedded within their sociocultural settings.
• Anthropologists explore the impact of armed conflict on cultural beliefs, norms, rules, ecology, economy, kinship, gender, values, and politics.

Chapter 4: Portraits of Western Humanitarian Aid

• The core nature of Western humanitarian aid is to alleviate suffering, protect human dignity, and maintain life during emergencies. Four core principles guide this aid: humanity, neutrality, impartiality, and independence.

Chapter 5: The Distributive Commitment of International NGOs

• International NGOs such as Oxfam and Doctors without Borders allocate resources (over $4B annually) to assist earthquake, famine, epidemic, and conflict victims, but challenges remain.
• NGOs face difficult decisions regarding the allocation of aid in an ethical and efficient manner.

Privatization: New Actors, New Emergencies

• The second half of the 20th century, including the Cold War era, led to a rise in worldwide humanitarian responses mediated by increased media coverage.
• This era saw a rise of non-state actors, like international humanitarian organizations

Effectiveness: Standardization and Professionalization

• The Rwandan genocide in 1994 prompted a sector reform of humanitarian aid, emphasizing professionalization and standardization.
• Initiatives like the Code of Conduct, ALNAP, HAP, and the Sphere project aimed to enhance humanitarian response effectiveness and accountability.

An Introspective: Acknowledging the Current Status of the Humanitarian System

• The humanitarian workforce has grown by 4% annually (2012).
• Humanitarian operations are facing diversification amongst agents, and their humanitarian response approaches.

Anthropology and Humanitarian System Debates

• There are ongoing debates among academics and practitioners regarding the limits and scope of humanitarian action.
• These debates focus on whether humanitarian aid should be politically charged or limited to life-saving activities, and NGOs' diverse approaches to aid, as seen in the example of ICRC and MSF versus CARE, Oxfam, and Save the Children.

At the Micro Level

• Humanitarian responses are segmented into two primary types based on the nature of the crisis:
  • Agencies focusing on life-saving aid
  • Agencies questioning the causes and consequences of a crisis

This quiz explores the intersection of humanitarian anthropology and Confucian philosophy. It covers key concepts such as the application of anthropological knowledge in humanitarian action and the Confucian belief in 'Ren,' highlighting the importance of valuing human life. Delve into how these ideas shape our understanding of humanitarianism and humanity.