Feather - Nujabes The lyrics in this song express individuality in an artistic way through social critique, spiritual aspiration and self-awareness. The opening verse depicts an individual who moves lightly through the world, yet carries the weight of the suffering they see around them. The second verse describes an individual who is shaped by contrast and conflict: “taking chances, word tap dancing with wolves”, and must navigate the noise, propaganda, division and chaos of everyday Throughout the song, the repeated refrain of “drifting away like a feather in air” conveys a sense of detachment from the chaos. The individual in this case is not seeking to escape reality, but is being propelled by it towards “something that is greater”. Implying that identity and individuality is not what emerges after the chaos molds you, but rather your sense of self is rooted in higher ideals, introspection, and the search for purpose beyond the material world. The song concludes with the understanding that it is only through service to others that you can truly develop your capacity: “Treat you better than me, cause that's the heavenly key, To unlock the inner strength where my essence will be”. In this way, the lyrics reflect a view of individuality that is both socially aware and spiritually rooted, illustrating that in today's society, the individual can be understood in their totality through examining the conditions they move through and the transcendent ideals they strive toward.

Rawls’ veil of ignorance is an attempt at an interesting thought experiment to imagine a standpoint of complete detachment, one where due to ignorance of their personal circumstances, no single individual can design social, economic, material, spiritual or political mechanisms to benefit themselves. The assumption is that through the use of rationality these individuals would seek to be as fair as possible so that the rules don't back fire on them.

However, even if the individuals are unaware of their own personal circumstances, rationality still comes from somewhere. The Writings tell us that the soul is inherently rational and endowed with faculties such as thought, imagination, reasoning, and understanding, that allow it to perceive true reality. These faculties, while inherent in the soul, must be strengthened and developed throughout our lives. They are shaped or distorted through education, culture, and societal norms. Therefore it is imperative we develop our capacity for justice and learn to see reality unburdened by the normative prejudice, or inherited beliefs.

Bahá’u’lláh’s description of justice as “the best beloved of all things” really stands out to me, as it is really a gift for us to be able to investigate Truth and draw closer to God. Justice isn’t simply fairness, it’s a faculty of the soul, a way to “see with our own eyes and not through the eyes of others”, which protects us from blind imitation, prejudice, and all the underlying assumptions that influence the way we think.

What is becoming clear to me is that Justice is not a passive word, it implies actively seeking and discerning the Truth for ourselves. This is a capacity that each individual must develop. True Justice should impel us to turn to the Writings and develop our personal understanding of reality rather than being swayed by the dominant hegemonic ideology.

Understanding hegemony helped me deepen my understanding of how the dominant worldviews shape our reality. Gramsci’s concept highlights how powerful groups maintain influence not only through political or economic means, but by guiding the cultural “common sense” of society through education, media, and other institutions. This reminds me of the Social Imaginary by Charles Taylor, and the fact that in many cases the perspectives and values that we espouse may not really be our own, but learned rhetoric that we’ve never questioned. While real change happens gradually, as consciousness shifts over time, some strategies that civil society organization can use to combat the influence of the hegemony are: Educational systems that develop moral insight and critical thinking, not just academic knowledge.

Media that offers truthful, diverse perspectives instead of serving narrow interests.

Spiritual practices and community-building that cultivate unity, service, and a shared sense of purpose.

Raising the level of discourse and questioning assumptions, bringing forward voices usually ignored, and focusing on essential issues rather than superficial ones.

Through these small but steady steps, civil society can offer an alternative narrative that is ultimately more inline with our true nature as noble and spiritual beings.