"You mean we praise and remember only those leaders who are benevolent?" She asked. "Yes, benevolence is an important element of leadership." He told her. "I don't agree, the great Mughal Emperor Akbar was not a benevolent person per se, yet he is considered as one of the most important leaders of the sub-continent". She remarked.
"You may be right in your own right, but benevolence represents respect, love, justice and fair treatment, you know," he said. "How come that?" She asked. "Have you read Tonni Morrison's novel "Love", it tells you how people respect and love a benevolent person!" It also tells you that benevolence is an important element of love!"
"Oh, I see, but nobody told me about that novel, will you elaborate it further," she asked. "Why not?" Let us meet tomorrow at the university grounds. Great, I'll be there at 5 o' clock.
"Ok."
The moment I reached the university grounds, she was already there waiting for me.
"Welcome," I said.
"Great, let us talk about Tonni Morrison's novel, Love."
"'Love' is a beautifully portrayed novel. In the novel, the process of imagining and remembering involves a constant shifting and manipulation of language, images and literary form. The novel presents the sensitivities of black Americans and their value system. These individuals are in search of justice and fair play. Here love is emerging from the benevolence of Bill Cosey, the novel's hero and being celebrated by the other characters."
"How are love and benevolence co-related?" She interrupted.
"Good question, I must say, the fact is that benevolence or the appetite which attracts love, is a desire of the happiness of the person beloved and an aversion to his misery. In fact benevolence arises from the desire of happiness of our friends.
"Oh, I see." I never thought about that." She observed.
"I agree, many people do not think in these terms. The truth is that benevolence has a cause composed of a quality that operates and the subject on which it is placed. It also has a goal, say for example, well-being of the loved ones.
"I may add that love does not necessarily have a goal." She observed.
"You may be right, but the fact is, love and benevolence are always conjoined in human experience."
"An important direction, I must admit," she said.
"Let me tell you that Morrison's novel revolves around Bill Cosey who used to be the owner of Cosey's Hotel and Resort, which in its time served as an oasis for African Americans in search of a respite, good food and a little entertainment. As the story begins, the hotel has been long abandoned to the sands of the vaguely placed Eastern coastal town of Silk. "L," the anonymously named former cook of the hotel, serves the function of a Greek chorus in the story.
"You are emphasising personal feelings, isn't it?" She asked.
"You are right. Let me tell you that the Greeks used the term philia incorporated not just in friendship, but also loyalties to family and polis - one's political community, job, or discipline. Philia for another may be motivated, as Aristotle explains in the Nicomachean Ethics. The motivational distinctions are derived from love for another because the friendship is wholly useful as in the case of business contacts, or because their character and values are pleasing (with the implication that if those attractive habits change, so too does the friendship), or for the other in who they are in themselves, regardless of one's interests in the matter. The English concept of friendship roughly captures Aristotle's notion of philia, as he writes: "things that cause friendship are: doing kindnesses; doing them unasked; and not proclaiming the fact when they are done."
"Let me absorb these things, for me new horizons are opening," she said.
"Ok, let us meet at 'Café Cyress', tomorrow at 4 o' clock."
"Sure, I'll be there."
"Welcome," I said. She was settling on a chair in front of me.
I really dwelt on the ideas, concepts and elements of this subject introduced by you yesterday, I understand, you are talking about the creation of balance, harmony and unity of thoughts, isn't? She asked.
"Certainly yes, when we talk of justice we mean a proper balance, no arbitrary distinctions are made, equals are treated equally and unequals are treated unequally, and there exists a kind of impartiality. These are the most important aspects of leadership."
"You mean the author is trying to awaken the conscience of individuals and is drawing our attention towards the existing inequalities in the society?"
"That's it, the author is drawing our attention towards an ideal concept of justice, to say, there is always a natural principle of benevolence in man, which is in some degree to society what self-love is to the individual. On the basis of facts portrayed the author is of the view that when a certain conception of justice is an official norm, people can act justly by conforming to such a pre-given conception more out of habit, out of fear for punishment, or in order merely to satisfy some completely self-regarding desire. And without benevolent desires, the author thinks, no conception of justice can be created and no just actions can be performed.
"Won't you elaborate a bit more?" She asked.
"Ok. In my view justice involves a combination of benevolence and practical reason directed at achieving the goals that this benevolence prescribes. In a society where all agents lack either benevolence, practical reason, or both, the concept of justice will have no applications."
"It is amazing, isn't it? It also brings out the fact that benevolence has many characteristics, isn't it?"
"You sound perfectly correct dear. Benevolence represents benevolence in the form of agape love; Benevolence in the form of friendship; Benevolence in the form of sympathy; Self-love versus benevolence in the form of agape love; Self-love versus benevolence in the form of friendship and sympathy; Mutual justice in relation to love, friendship, and sympathy."
"You mean to say, where there are strong forms of mutual benevolence there should be no conflicts and, therefore, no problems of justice. When we look at mutual benevolence in the form of mutual sympathy, we meet the converse case. Mere sympathy is, it seems to me, too weak a feeling to be able to restrain different people's conflicting self-regarding desires. Mutual respect, however, is neither too weak nor too strong to ground mutual justice. And in my view benevolence has many forms such as benevolence in the form of esteem-respect; and benevolence in the form of reverence-respect." She observed.
"You are so close to the truth, I must say. In fact, an intimate relationship is another important element of leadership. In the case of emperor Akbar, benevolence and intimate relationship with the people is very much evident. His religious policy, though criticised, represents evidence of love, tolerance, intimate relationship, justice, equality and to restrain different people's conflicting regarding desires. I would rate him as the greatest leader of the sub-continent."
"Yes. I agree. Now I understand that leadership requires respect, love, justice and fair treatment. You have made my day. The concept of leadership, a tricky subject, has been explained in so simple terms. Thank you." She said.
"You are welcome my dear."
(The writer is an advocate and is currently working as an associate with Azim-ud-Din Law Associates)
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