Humanity's Moral Responsibility

The great physicist Albert Einstein once said, ―A hundred times I remind myself that my inner and outer life are based on the labors of other

men, living and dead, and that I must exert myself in order to give in the same measure as I have received and am still receiving.‖ Here,

Einstein makes a profound statement—that as citizens of the Earth, we have been presented with the legacies of innumerable great men and

women that helped forge a better world for their posterity. Thus, Einstein presents the remarkable idea of a moral responsibility to give back

to the very society that had given him so much throughout his life. Today, as youth, we each have a moral responsibility to transcend Einstein‘s idea of simply ―giving back‖ to the world—but to also ensure that it becomes a peaceful place. Through analysis of Hindu scripture

and trends in the Earth‘s geopolitical climate, we will see that this moral responsibility is self-evident.

According to the Center for Systemic Peace, armed conflict has dropped sharply since the dissolution of the Soviet Union in 1991. However, repeated terrorist attacks in Mumbai, the September 11

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incident, the continuing wars in Afghanistan and Iraq, and now political revolution in the Middle East all clearly point to the renewal of feud in this new millennium. Even today, people in India colloquially refer to

sociopolitical arguments as ―Mahabharat.‖ But can referring back to the Mahabharat help us understand our moral responsibility to follow

the path toward peace?

At a superficial glance, the Mahabharat seems to contradict the notion of ensuring peace. After all, the epic culminates in the grueling war

between the Kauravas and the Pandavas. However, we often forget the eve...

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...s of that responsibility. However,

one question remains unanswered: why is it incumbent upon youth specifically to ensure that the world is a peaceful place? The answer is

simple. As the upcoming generation, we have—as Einstein would have said—inherited an amazing platform from which to launch a campaign for peace. Today, a new wave of globalization that has seen the emergence of the United Nations promises peace for the future. This

is only possible, however, if each individual adheres to his own moral responsibility, or dharma, as discussed in this essay. Speaking of

future, the youth of this country and world represent the future, and thus, it is we (and not the adults of today) that have a responsibility to

pave the way for a brighter future in which every voice is heard and all may live in peace and security of both physical possession and mind.