Man and Humanity

Rachel Maria

What is the connection between friendship and citizenship? Since the topic of the year is friendship as model for a new citizenship, this is an important question.

There are probably many answers to the question, which we can discuss in other posts, but the simplest comes down to the relationship between man and humanity.

Friendship is about individuals. It is a one-on-one relationship with another person.

Citizenship is about individuals too, but not so directly. It is a network of relationships and interactions, and it involves institutions and individuals.

Friendship is about a man, and citizenship is about humanity. And while man and humanity are closely connected, they aren’t the same thing. Man makes humanity, and in the same way friendships make citizenship.

A person is always more important and more valuable than people. For one thing, that’s because “people” aren’t real to me — but a person is. I can have all sorts of compassionate thoughts about world peace, but if I scowl at my bus driver, those thoughts don’t mean anything. I can act on a person, or even many persons, and I can have a relationship with them. I can’t do the same with humanity in general.

This means that if I want to improve humanity in general, I need to look at particular humans. And if I want to improve my culture, my society, and my country, I need to look at my fellow citizens. I need to improve my relationships with them.

Authentic citizenship with real concern for the common good has to be built on authentic friendships with real concern for the person next to me right now.

This is why friendship is a legitimate model for a new citizenship. The next step is to actualize those details of true friendship here and now.