The Case for Contamination by By Kwame Anthony Appiah

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The Case for Contamination by By Kwame Anthony Appiah

Introduction

The author Kwame Anthony Appiah in the article “The Case for Contamination” points out and analyzes a number of ways that lead the world towards globalization. The author makes use of numerous wide-ranging examples to demonstrate the notion of “contamination” and the way it affects the world. In this article, he used the term contamination as a blend of all the innovative traditions and values that in the long run destroy and damage the heritage and culture of the ancestors. In this article, the author illustrates the steady change that has taken place in different religions and many cultures to provide evidence to his points; however, Appiah point of view is quite liberal, as well as is not deeply influenced by his religion.

Discussion

Kwame Anthony Appiah in the article “The Case for Contamination,” tries to describe the manifestations and effects of cosmopolitanism and globalization. The society and people are not being rapidly changed, but with the passage of time, they have adopted the change. With this change, shepherd in progressive adoption of nonnative cultures, which is a blend between exotic songs, language, politics and ideas. As soon as the world experienced globalization, it has impacted almost every aspect of life and society ranged from religion to everyday living. Hence, the author rightly and relevantly investigates the change took place in a gradual manner that evolve societies from purity to contamination or impurity. In order to a great degree, the thoughts of Appiah on contamination are correct. On the contrary, the rationalization and validation for contamination are quite over-extended and extremist (Livingston, 2008).

In this article, the author discusses about three issues that are interrelated with each other are ethical consideration, cultural diversity and globalization. Appiah argues about these three interrelated issues in two roles that religion plays. The first role favors the claims of globalization while other opposes the claim of globalization. Religion appeared to be two-fold sword when the author talks regarding the role of religion in the context of these three issues in particular.

One aspect of the claim asserts religion in an optimistic manner with respect to globalization and explains it as a protector of culture. It permits for people to get exposure to outside media; at the same time, holds the existing value of their culture. Religion may assist cultures to keep its roots in the innate ritual and customs as the globalization process develops. For instance, in this article, the author points out the significant case of religious Zulu man named “Sipho.” He lived in the KwaZulu-Natal province of South Africa. His upbringing was deeply rooted in his innate culture, and when he has undergone globalization in a number of forms, like because of exposure to television. He got influenced by the Soap Opera by watching a TV program - “Days of Our Lives” that was telecasted on American. Sipho asserts that this American ...