WITH the dilemma that we face every day resides the fact that indeed, there have been a mishandling of two or more forces ever since the beginning of man’s existence.
Perhaps this oblivion might be inevitable for us because for once, we have failed to understand the forces that involve every individual’s struggles in life which in fact either causes it or that results from it. According to sociologist C. Wright Mills in his work, The Promise: The Sociological Imagination, he stated that “Neither the life of an individual, nor the history of a society can be understood without understanding both.” This incredibly stimulating and mind-provoking relationship between biography and history provides justification for our everyday dilemma.
“Nowadays people often feel that their private lives are a series of traps.” The world seems to be consistent with how it becomes increasingly “me”-centered as more human affiliations arise, i.e. job, family, neighborhood. Mills describes it as a “trap” as we are completely fenced around such a little perspective of only thinking about our own private orbits that constitute these affiliations. The failure to comply with these affiliations results to the troubles that we experience every day.
The Allegory of The Cave by Plato is also a philosophical approach that talks about how we are completely blinded by the “truth” by which we see within our niches. Since we are me-centered individuals that only focus on our very own private orbits, we create our own “reality” or sense of “truth” within this environment.
This form of reality tells us that we cannot fix our own troubles in our own private orbits. And because we become so comfortable with our niches, we learn to settle for what we think we are.
However, Plato suggests that there is still “truth” beyond what we have believed as true all the while. We have just been blinded by the things from which we were exposed. Thus Mills states that, as we begin to expose ourselves to other milieu as spectators, the more trapped we seem to feel.
This is because we find a different reality on the outside world which we are ignorant of and see these as threats, only contributing us more troubles.
“The facts of contemporary history are also facts about the success and the failure of individual men and women.”
Mills paints us a picture as to how biography and history should be in a sense of correlation with one another. He states the industrial revolution, a significant event in world history as an example. While it takes a huge spot in the line-up of history, it also takes a significant role to that of every person’s biography.
At this event, a peasant now becomes a worker, and a feudal lord is liquidated and engages himself in business. Notice how an understanding of one entity couldn’t be realized without looking at the other entity, because in the first place, biology and history are not two separate entities- they should be one. This explains how an event in the larger world could conspire with the changes in every individual. Mills criticizes how we could have been far better individuals if we hadn’t upheld the belief of separating our personal actions with that of the world’s. He states that many people today, produce actions without the concern of knowing what effect it would give to the larger society.
People become so indifferent with the outside concerns in a sense that they do not realize the effects of their choices to the structure of the bigger world.
“Humanity itself now lies before us, the super- nation at either pole concentrating its most coordinated and massive efforts upon the preparation of World War Three.” We have reached the peak of development and innovation. This is probably one of the greatest achievements of mankind. However, not all rewards are very fulfilling. That humanity has encountered such a dramatic change has either created a pro-world destination or a final destination. Mills describes the checks and balances of development that contributed to a drastic change in our world. Either the underdeveloped world that demands for change world or the overdeveloped world that has become bureaucratic with violence is very fulfilling.
Mills was right when he tried to give us a promising hope that builds bridges and destroys barriers between two entities that used to be one. Sociological imagination allows us to grasp the reality, the changes in the status quo and how it affects our daily routine. It makes us become more aware of our behavior that affects the social structure as a whole. It provides solutions as it gives us a new understanding of human affairs. Basically, it is but a test of one’s rationality.
To inflict change is to be the source of change, and as long as there is an existing concern for humanity there is hope. Sociological imagination realizing the reality, it’s taking a step back from reality. (Nikki Degaldo)
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Nikki Degaldo is a first year Accountancy student of Ateneo de Davao University. She will be soon joining Sun.Star as a regular columnist sharing the perspective of the young on current issues and concerns.