Heart of darkness

Heart of darkness
Heart of darkness

Is humanity’s innate nature good or evil? Would we, without thinking, give our hand to someone who has fallen and raise them up, or would we keep walking or worse still, push them back down. This has been a subject that academics and philosophers alike have been pondering for centuries.

At its core, the simple question is are we basically good and are corrupted by society, or are we born bad and society keeps us in check? An ingenious study conducted by the inventive brains at Yale University has suggested that even the youngest humans have a keen sense of what is right over wrong and better yet prefer good over evil. This elegant study will be a subject for a later column but today I prefer to take you on another journey.

This odyssey begins from the southernmost tip of this glorious continent. The sun blazes, casting its radiance as far as the eye can see. I think there should be a special name for the blue the sky projects. A gentle breeze cools our stage. This is Cape Town at its finest. My brother-in-law Aamir described it as perfectly as I could imagine. He says in this city wherever he looks he only sees everything in high definition. Today we climb aboard to embark on a journey. The craft we board is not for a private champagne and caviar tour of Cape Town’s finest sights. This journey is far more sinister. It is a journey into the deepest darkest night. The blackness of the human spirit, the true heart of darkness.

Editor's Comment
Justice delayed is trust denied

Batswana who marched peacefully for 'Justice for Tshepi' demanded answers. They have now received a detailed account of police investigation and a promise that the file is with the Directorate of Public Prosecutions (DPP). The real test is whether the state now keeps its word without further prodding. In his address, the minister asked the nation to trust the process. He spoke of rigour, not neglect, and pointed to 10 months of...

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