‘Friendly’ Satan statue causes anger in Segovia, Spain
The new report reports on an event that sparked controversy in the Spanish city of Segovia. In the city, at the initiative of the local council, a statue of the devil was erected, which is referred to the legend from the past of the city. According to it, the devil gave the city an aqueduct, which makes it part of the cultural and historical heritage. However, this artifact was perceived as offensive to Catholics as the devil should be portrayed as “repulsive and despicable, not friendly and seductive” (Street, 2019, para. 5). For the less religious residents of the city, the statue also causes dissatisfaction, as it is, in their opinion, excessively friendly, which promotes the image of the devil.
At the same time, the creator of the sculpture, as well as the heritage supervisor, note that this artifact is a tribute to the history of the city and will also help in attracting tourists. In this situation, the opponents of the statue interpreted it as having a deep cultural and religious connotation, which became the cause of controversy. In turn, the defenders of the statue see it as a symbol of the city, telling part of its history, as well as a tool to attract tourists to the less developed parts of the city.
Controversy Explanation
The resulting controversy influenced the interpretation of the sculpture as deliberately offensive not only to the religious but to all residents of Segovia. The main reason is the depiction of the devil as well-nourished and content, and also created specifically for selfies. These aspects make some residents of the city convinced that the author of the sculpture deliberately encourages residents to bow to some kind of evil. While religious residents interpret this artifact solely in terms of religious beliefs, the general public sees it as an insult to personal and social values.
Humanities & Ethics
Humanities help in defining ethical issues by identifying their constituent components based on a variety of objective and subjective factors. In particular, this area allows considering such factors as a conflict of interest, individual beliefs, social values when resolving ethical dilemmas. This approach is valuable because it helps to take into account less obvious factors that come from the cultural, psychological, emotional, behavioral, and other characteristics of people (Museums and the ethics of engagement, n.d). Stenmark et al. (2010) note that professionals in humanities in relation to ethical dilemmas are “troubled by the conflict between the ideal of remaining objective… and the inherently subjective nature” (p. 296). This balance between facts and beliefs is the core value of humanities when considering ethical issues. This aspect can help to resolve controversies and find a compromise based on the interests of all actors.
Humanities & Ethics Today
In today’s society, humanities are most important for taking into account the interests of the largest number of different groups. The modern world is characterized by a high level of diversity, including cultural and religious, which determines the ethical issues that may arise (Boston, 2019). Members of different groups that have various beliefs and values can currently live in the same territory. However, they inevitably clash, which potentially creates conflicts of interest and ethical dilemmas. Humanities in this situation can act as a tool for assessing objective and subjective factors. This area can integrate aspects such as legislation, individual values, social norms, as well as cultural and historical characteristics. This approach allows one to choose the most balanced solution to controversies to take into account the interests of all parties. At present, this is most significant for avoiding conflicts based on different beliefs and perceptions.
References
Boston, R. (2019). Polish woman arrested for ‘offensive’ religious art. Church & State, 72(6). Web.
Museums and the ethics of engagement: Interview with Janet Marstine. (n.d). Soundcloud. Web.
Stenmark, C. K., Antes, A. L., Martin, L. E., Bagdasarov, Z., Johnson, J. F., Devenport, L. D., & Mumford, M. D. (2010). Ethics in the humanities: Findings from focus groups. Journal of Academic Ethics, 8, 285-300. Web.
Street, F. (2019). ‘Friendly’ Satan statue causes anger in Segovia, Spain. CNN Travel. Web.