What the Tributes to Mandela Say

People who divide time in order to master it tell us that we live in a time that is known as post-modern or late modern, a time characterized mostly by the bad things that modernity (or the time of lost innocence) has brought us. This time is characterized as a time of playfulness, a time of uncertainty, a time when heroism has left us because people are no longer sure of what is right or wrong. The relativism that paralyzes action, we are told, has led to widespread moral decadence. In short, it seems that now we are living in a time when people no longer know what to do or how to do it. Observing the machinations of politicians and other leading figures around the world may seem to confirm this impression.

However, the tributes that have been pouring in since the passing of Madiba seems to suggest that people still recognize that which is beautiful, that which is good, and that which is true. The tributes seem to suggest that people admire those who are selfless in spite of the fact that capitalistic greed and selfishness seem to be running rampant. The tributes to Mandela seem to suggest that we know the things that make for the beautiful life, we know the things that make for the attractive life. If we are not doing these things, it is not because they are not clear to us. The tributes to Mandela, unless they be only a hypocritical show, seem to suggest that moral relativism is not what is keeping us from being what we need to be. We seem to recognize a great soul when we see one. Our moral compass is not as corrupt as some would have us think. What we need to worry about is the question of how it is that we recognize greatness, acknowledge goodness, and acclaim magnanimity but find it difficult to practice these ourselves. Perhaps Mandela's greatest challenge to our time, however this time is named, is to inspire us to practice that which we know make for flourishing human life.