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In honor of the readers of this post and, of course, the most ironic picture I could find. |
From my summary research on the quote, I've found many sources from which it could have originated. For example, it has been proselytized by many faiths in the past. It's also a reoccurring theme in social movements.
I've alluded to the importance of unity in the past: its importance to real change and revolution.
In Aristotelian fashion, in order to understand a whole concept, its often best to break it down into its many parts. In order to grasp what I mean when I say "unity is the way," I must first explain both what I mean by "unity" and "the way."
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What is "unity"?
Unity has many near synonyms, such as togetherness, oneness, collectivism, etc.
Etymologically, unity comes from the Greek "unus" which translates to English as "one."
"If its root meaning is "one", why not say "oneness"?" Well, unity has an additional, critical, meaning. Along with "oneness," unity also conveys a sense of harmony. In addition to evoking the oneness of parts, it also depicts the harmony of those parts.
So in short, when I say I "unity is the way," I'm stating that "[the harmony of the parts that compose the whole] is the way."
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Next, what is "the way"?
"The way," has a more self-evident meaning than "unity," in that, by "the way" all I'm referring to is the best for humanity and the planet. I.e. the way represents the good life for all. "The way" refers to both the means to, and ends of, good lives.
So expanded, when I say "unity is the way," I'm succinctly saying "[the harmony of the parts that compose the whole] is [the means to, and ends of, good lives]."
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I know that explanation was long-winded, but I needed to share it in order to identify exactly what I mean by the phrase. One needs to understand its exact meaning and subtleties in order to understand my justification for the statement because it ultimately represents a argument.
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Why is "unity the way"?
I've alluded in the past to how we have participated, and continue to participate, in a war for peoples' minds. To my knowledge, unity remains the only method of group conscientization and empathy fostering that will end this war.
In order to understand the phrase, its best contextualized with an example:
In feminism - I've argued on many occasions in feminists' and feminist sympathizers' circles that "unity is the way" to a feminist society. Feminists and feminist sympathizers, like everyone else, fight for their values: to proselytize and proliferate them. Now, I could spend the next 4-5 posts trying to establish just what these "values" are, because self-identified feminists struggle to reach, let alone maintain, a consensus as to their substance.
But regardless of the exact nature of such a feminist society, in order to get there we must be united, i.e., the only way to a harmonious whole is the harmony of the parts.
Feminist and feminist sympathizers cease their contribution to such a society when they argue that feminism, women's rights, equality, and ending patriarchy, are exclusively women's issues. Patriarchy, "rape culture," and inequality, affect everyone, and are perpetuated by everyone, to some degree.
When I argue that "unity is the way," in such contexts, I'm arguing that unity is not just the ends, but must also be the means. I've heard countless examples of "feminist" initiatives that intentionally alienate and segregate groups of people. Taking Back the Night with self-identified men standing at the side lines serving as a shining example - importantly, this is changing, but events like it still remain potential threats to unity as both a means to, and ends of, a feminist society.
Preemptively acknowledging the arguments I've ignited in feminists and feminist sympathizers reading this, I understand the rationale for the segregation. However, think of it this way: if since the dawn of humanity women had oppressed men, and men had struggled for the same equal opportunity, how would you feel if men refused to let women be a part of initiatives for mutual empowerment and equality? Further, would this segregation ever create a true unity, or is such a unity only possible when "unity is the way"?
All that to say, I argue that "unity is the way" because every time I've witnessed alienation and disunity, I've found despair. We have to get there together in order to be there together.
I've only just scratched the surface of this topic and still have more to discuss; I had to rush to publish this post to serve as talking points. Part 3 is coming.
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