Humility by Yuval Noah Harari Summary and Question Answer 

 Summary

The title of the essay “Humility” is appropriately relevant in the present world since the group of people have been driven by the illusions of false superiority. The essay is written by the most well-known author, historian and philosopher of Jerusalem prof. Yuval Noah Harari. In the essay he has appealed all religious and cultural groups of the world to be rationale to human beings, humanity being free from any types of pride and arrogance. 

According to him, each religious and cultural group of the world strongly believe that they are the centre of the world. Their culture is the superior to all other culture and human history has begun from the foundation of their culture. The author criticizes this false belief of the people. He has presented some examples of false superiority in the essay.

What the Greek strongly believe is that human history began from Homer, Sophocles and Plato and human civilization started from Athens, Sparta, Alexendria or Constatinople. According to the Chinese, the human history began from the Yellow Emperor and the Xia and Shang dynasties. The Hindus have their own belief. They say the history started from them. Before others, Maharshi Bhardwaj invented rockets and aero planes and Vishwamitra invented and used missiles. Acharya Kanad is known as the father of atomic theory. Similarly, he exemplifies the belief of the Muslims that any history prior to prophet Mohammad is irrelevant and they consider that history revolves around the Quoran. The Jews consider people of another group inferior to them.

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He is not in the favour of monotheism which may cause to destroy social and cultural wellbeing. He states the arrogance and superiority of the Jews. Yoga was invented by them because the yoga postures are similar to Hebrew language. If anyone talks about invention, they claim that the credit goes to them. 

The essayist suggests that all these beliefs are irrational. The people weren’t grouped on the basis of caste, creed, religion and boundary when human history began. In each person’s DNA morality, art, spirituality and creativity are embedded. These qualities are considered as universal human abilities. He advocates for religious tolerance and universal brotherhood inflating the egotism. 

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Understanding the Text

a. Describe the claim of the Chinese nationalists about the human history.

Ans: - The Chinese nationalists claim about human history that it was begun with the yellow Emperor and the Xia and Shang dynasties. What the westerners claimed about it is just a pale copy of original Chinese breakthrough. 

b. What do pious Muslims believe about the human history?

Ans: - Pious Muslims believe about the human history is that human history is prior to the Prophet Mohammad as largely irrelevant and they claim that all the human history came into existence after revelation of the Quran revolving around the Muslim Ummah (Muslim religious ties).  

c. What did the Aztecs firmly believe about the universe?

Ans: - Aztecs (members of the indigenous people dominant in Mexico before the Spanish conquest of the 16th century) firmly believed that without their sacrifices they performed each year, the Sun would not rise and the entire universe would disintegrate.

d. What, according to the essay, universal human abilities?

Ans: - According to the essay, the universal human abilities are morality, art, spirituality and creativity.

e. How are the basic yoga postures derived from the shape of the letters of the Hebrew alphabet?

Ans: - The basic yoga postures are derived the shape of the letters of the Hebrew alphabet. The ‘Trikonasana’ posture imitates the shape of the Hebrew letter ‘aleph’ and ‘Tuladandasana’ posture imitates the letter ‘daled’.

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Reference to the Context

a. How do Hindu nationalists refute the Chinese claim that human history really began with the yellow emperor and the Xia and Shang dynasties? Who do you agree with and why?

Ans: - The Hindu religion is considered as the oldest religion of the world. Many sages are reported to have invented many more things which the modern science has taken as a base of it. Such extracts are found in the greatest Hindu holy books. The sages had mysterious power which can be found in the god. So, the Hindu nativists refute (disprove) the Chinese nationalists claim that the human history began with the Yellow Emperor and Xia and Shang dynasties. They claim that the sages of Indian sub-continent had made aero planes, and missile rockets and invented atomic energy long before the Chinese began human history. I agree with Hindu mythology because whole world has followed it as the scientific base for the existence of Hindu sages before any nationalists did.

b. The author has dealt with a controversial debate on human history. Why do you think history has been a major contested issue in the present world?

Ans: - The essay ‘Humility’ written by Yuval Noah Harare seeks for the non-controversial claim about the human history. He has mentioned some of the highly debatable issues regarding the human history. The Chinese claim that human history really began after the yellow /Emperor and Xia and Shang dynasties while the Hindu nativists claim is different from the Chinese. They claim the sages in the Indian sub-continent invented aero planes, missiles and atomic energy long back than any other nationalists. Similarly, the Pious Muslims claim that other report regarding the human history before the Prophet Muhammad are largely irrelevant. These all claims have raised a debate and it is a major contested issue. The people of each nationality want to boast their superiority.  They have implanted an ego because of which they don’t accept other’s explanation about it. 

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