Observational Blog #3: Observations and Reflections at Musée de l’Homme
The museum is trying to answer the question of who we are, and it does well at finding the universality of humanity. I will convey my observations and some of my immediate reflections on the galleries that impacted me the most.
Physical Beings
We forget about our physical features. It is so interesting to see the human being in its most vulnerable, naked form: the limbs, the fingers, the torso, the glutes, etc.. I found the Culture Gallery in the Physical Beings section quite engaging after being introduced to the human body in its purest form. The Culture Gallery, for example, showed the cultural practice of foot-binding. This showed me the ridiculously powerful influence of culture. It does not seem like a human being is an animal that is purely concerned with bodily survival. In other words, man does not live by bread alone. Why is merely surviving not enough for human beings?
I also enjoyed observing the display of other primates who we are considered to have common ancestors with (e.g., chimpanzees and bonobos). The audio tour guide mentioned they make tools to crack things open, and they also make tools for fighting. As I listened to the similarities we carry, I came to understand that we grossly under-value the study of other primates. We forget that we are not just made in the image of God but also made in the image of animals. Valuing both perspectives would be a union Western and Eastern beliefs.
In conclusion, our physical being is integral to who we are, and I think that we often forget that (I would say especially in the West).
The Brain
The second part of the human exhibition leads us to question and investigate the brain. The gallery showed the human mind compared to other animals, stressing the fact that many animals also have the ability to think. Again, I take notice of the recurring theme that we are not separate from other animals but rather share evolutionary history with them.
The most impactful part of The Brain gallery for me was looking at and listening to the audio tour guide’s discussion of the skull of Rene Descartes. From my journal:
“I can’t believe I am standing in front of the skull of Rene Descartes. The audio tour guide says that this is what people said about it: “A very small skull, a very great man.” I recall reading his Meditations as I burned the midnight oil. I remember pouring over his Discourse on Methods. He craved adventure when he was a young man. He joined the military and made the world his book, traveling everywhere. But interestingly enough, he soon came to realize that he must look inward. And just as Descartes sat in a room alone, so did I as I poured over his writing. And just as he doubted everything, so did I! He said that he is not a genius but that he just works hard. That inspires me.
What was his impact on me?
You made me feel like I’m not alone. You put me in the company of a great man like yourself, and I am forever grateful for that. “
Life and Death
In this gallery, the universal contemplation and grappling of the reality of life and death is displayed. This gallery has a mystical touch to it and shows how each culture has deep spiritual beliefs and practices that address and make sense of life and death.
A Senegalese healer outfit was displayed. This is what the “sooth-sayer”, the individual that can make contact with the invisible world, would wear. The sooth-sayer seems to essentially be a shaman. In other words, the sooth-sayer is a doctor of the spirit. What was extremely peculiar about the outfit was that it had tiny mirrors all over it. In my interpretation, it seems like the soothsayer guides you to see the reflection of yourself. The meaning behind the multiplicity of mirrors might be that the soothsayer is also the one that not only can guide you to reflect on who you are as a whole but to reflect on parts of you that you have yet to see or reveal to yourself.
Phrenology
This was a gallery that needed to be shown, but it was the most disturbing for me. It angered me how people inappropriately claimed scientific conclusions on the basis of the measurements of a skull in order to discriminate against specific groups or classes of people. From my journal:
“That is so dangerous. The notion that the shape of someone’s skull determines something. It is an extremely dangerous idea. The audio tour guide says that, back then, they would say that the shape of one’s skull determines their talents, their intelligence, homosexuality, and even if they will turn out to be a criminal.”
In summation, I think that the museum did a great job of displaying how human beings are so different but essentially the same at the most fundamental levels. It cuts through cultural bias and pride. It cuts through all sorts of prejudices. It broadens the scope of the definition of who we are.
