Why Didn't Romeo approach Juliet

“Lo barappa tindi madbarona, ivattu saturday; late aadre , it will be rush. Hage barappa alliyaru Juliet illa baa!”, said Romeo's friend.

Romeo: is it necessary to take in Juliet always in the discussion? I dont know why my parents kept my name as Romeo, “RWJ” could have been better.

Romeo's friend: whats that!

Romeo: Romeo without Juliet!... ha ha.

Both laugh, discussion goes on, covering topic about some of most irrelevant topics that they have found either in facebook or twitter or in there company. Its a 10 min walk from where they live, to a near by resturant. Its a daily routine to both, walking along the same lane, watching beyound horizon, watching out for new things in their unchanged and unchangable area. For Romeo's friend its always same, nothing make much difference, either a new restaurant or new neighbour or new girl next door. Romeo couldn't have bothered much of all these things except about new girl who have rented apartment in their lane.

Aristippus: Aha! Thats my boy. A girl , what kind of Girl? Sexy, hot or ok ok type. ? What you want from that girl? Is it...

RWJ: oh oh...wait a min before you assume thing who are you??

Aristippus: Me, i am student of Socrates ,founder of hedonism; the philosophy of pleasure . I am the guy who said physical pleasure are more powerful then mental one; which people say i proved it by keeping prostitute in my house.

RWJ: dude !!! pros. Come on that too in house.

Aristippus: you drink right. You also smoke right.

RWJ: yes thats true. But why that question?

Macintrye: Because I , Macintrye, long back asked “What is good for Human Being?”. Aristippus was one of thefirst who came out with answer ,that pleasure is the one thats good for humans.

Aristippus: Before , you RWJ, get confused let me introduce Macintrye , you know his question right. His question brought storm in philosopy . Before you also ask “whats happening?”, i would like to inform you that what ever happening ,is happening in your mind, your physical body is safe ; is safely walking with all normal funtion, with your friend.

RWJ: whats is it all for.

Epicurus: you will get to know by the end of discussion.

Aristippus: why on earth you came along, had he read you?

Epicurus: Aaha, discussion need me, i need to contradict you about your notion of physical pleasure. What you say Macintrye?

Macintrye: kalá eípe(well said), human culture is filled with emotivism. Its void of rational argument. And as you know socrates once said “people dont see same things when they are under emotive grip ”. our role is only tell RWJ whats right and wrong.

Aristippus: you and your relativism. Physical pleasure is rational thing.

Epicurus : you are misleading RWJ.

Aristippus: AHa me leading him , my comtemporary, its 21 century ...wake up,its not your time of 3rd century B.C. Let me ask some questions to RWJ if he permits.

Aristippus say pointing towards still confused, awkardly looking RWJ.

RWJ: me!! questions!!! ok.

Aristippus: why do you smoke ? Why do you drink? Why you keep cigartte box in your pocket? Why is Bacardi in your cupboard?

RWJ: wow!!wow! Slow down, i am not going to answer you all these, its my personal matters dude. Its about privacy.

Epicurus: would you want us dig into it, we are in you mind , we do have access to all.

Seemingly more confused RWJ replies: well then, here is thing. I like smoking, its gives me a kind of pleasure. I am addicted to it now so i keep it. About drinking i occasionally drink, i love rum.

Aristippus : thats what i am talking about. Its about pleasure, your pleasure. Pleasure from smoking, pleasure from drinking. Pleasure from working etc right.

RWJ: Right

Epicurus: Dont put words in his mouth Aristippus!

Aristippus: RWJ is hedonist of my type, not of yours. He like physical pleasure, he goes to party, he enjoy being lazy, he enjoy watching porn. He is classical hedonist.

Epicurus: well well, if he is hedonist , let me ask him question about girls. Why do you like that girl? Is it because you badly want to get physical pleasure by seeing her or do you want have sex with her? Or would you like to go to prostitute in order to full fill your sexual desire.

RWJ: Are you insane, are you out of your mind. Is It my mind asking these stupid question? I better shut it down.

Socrates: wow wow! RWJ dont do that, we are sorry, i will apologise on behalf of these. They dont have idea of indology. But these are question to be answer. And i would like to request to my fellow philosopher to frame question that have cultural sensitivity.

M K Gandhi : Yes well said socrates, soul is not combination or permutation of all the available solutions and know resposnes of the body, its not sofware. Its beyond that. RWJ you will discover it.

Aristippus: let RWJ respond.

RWJ: well i now know what Aristippus want to convey. Its not about sex. Ya it can be said that indian culture is not open system, which doesnt mean that we have sexual desire, so strong that we like girl only because of that. Its about some thing that makes my heart beat faster than normal, its, that make me to come out with good dress to resturant, its what make me to see again and again across the table to have just a look at her. Its about things called decency that props up when she cross us. Its calm me down, its her look that make my proud eyes to find things in air. Its my desire to be in relationship, a relationship of care , a relationship which is trust worthy.

Gilligan: well said RWJ, its me Gilligan who introduced Ethics of care in this male dominated world of non emotivism. You are right what you say about care part in your answer.

Aristippus: RWJ, you said you are addicted to smoke, why often you smoke, is it that if you dont smoke again again, what do you loose.? Is it pleasure ? Or do you smoke to keep pain out.

Epicurus: do you want to prove RWJ a hedonist of your type. Again.

RWJ: let me answer this Epicurus, yes i need to smoke again and again beause it need to . pleasure from it dont last. But you cant equate that to “looking again and again towards her to have pleasure which according to you is physical pleasure.”

Plato : where is socrates? why cant socrates tell us about Desire.?

Epicurus: rememeber he never wrote book, you are the one who wrote on his behalf. That what RWJ mind knows, so you better speak.

Plato: ham .. all i can say is about 3 things : logos, thumos, appetumia.

Epictetus: dude no greek!

Plato: well-come Epitetus. The derivator of habit. Let me now concentrate on appetumia ie desires, appetite. Humans does have desires, which are natural. Its upto the guy in question weather he want to pursue the desire, which may make person pleasure seeking, which might boil down to wealth seeking.

Epictetus: i can add that if this thought is not controlled by a choice which every one has , will lead to habit. Its same as RWJ has smoking habit. He do have a choice of not to smoke and pursue other mental desire.

Epicurus: discussion is going out of control, our dude will never understable his current dilemma. Nimanna bitre harikatene bardabidtira.

Aristippus: so its not about physical pleasure, when you see her.

RWJ: i am sure its not about physical pleasure, its more like mental pleasure. I kind of agree with Epicurus's mental pleasure.

Epicurus: I suppose Aristippus got the answer, RWJ might be hedonist of your type in smoking which i call pleasure which is not natural and not necessary. But in this case desire to have companion is a pain which RWJ is reducing by seeing forward to that girl, which he might end up by proposing her.

RWJ: Hold on a second.... dont you think Epicurus, you are going way beyond your imagination.

Bentham: every desire need to have motive; motive will search for action and action will give you outcome. When you have desire to be close to her, then why not have motive of proposing her and having relationship.

RWJ: who are you?

Aristotle: I always talked about purpose and point , ends and means to get happiness. But people side lined me, they all now listen to Bentham, the guy who just spoke with you RWJ.

RWJ: WOW! What now, i suppose discussion about pleasure and pain is over or what?

Epicurus: Kind of, we are guides, we dont decide we just suggest, its you who need to decide.

RWJ: so my looking at girls while walking along road, in resturant, office etc is natural or is it habit which will boil down to a bad character trait.?

Epicurus: Yes , they are natural but !!!

Plato: you need to control your desires and urges. Concentrate more on mental pleasures. As Epictetus said you do have a choice. making no choice in your desire for pleasure is a bad habit, especially in case of sexual desire , that to in India, where social rules are strong.

Immenual Kant: RWJ , in society like Indian, autonomy is less. Here concept of heteronomy rules ie you cant decide for yourself. But there are section of society in your own society which encouarge autonomy. So are you an autonomous person or you accept heteronomy.?

RWJ: does autonomy means having free will in all aspects of life.

Kant: No, treating yourself autonomus means ,you are neither the end nor the means of the project.

RWJ: what !!! speak in english boss.

Kant: it means, in simple word you must not be mean person, or you dont use people to get what you needed.

RWJ: what does this question have to do with girl?

Kant: i have doubt that you might want that girl because she is hot or she is rich or something else?

RWJ: 1st point i dont know her, we havent met yet. But it might that she is beautiful. Is it wrong to be with beautiful people.

Kant: there is nothing wrong in being with, unless you have a wrong intention to persue.

RWJ: define wrong intention?

Kant: getting in relation only to have physical pleasure? Or cheating her ?

RWJ: no not so , i dont have such intention. Can we go beyond this pleasure topic?

Kant: why?

M K Gandhi: In India speaking about sex is taboo. You all have started to use word” physical plaesure ” instead of sex. That Indian effect.

Kant : Answer then: are you ready to marry any girl of any region, religion, caste etc if you like her? Do you have reservation of any kind to any thing regarding a girl that you want to marry? These are gerenal question , not specific to that girl.

RWJ: i am autonomus person as per my definition; i choose for my self. But i cant guarantee the same of my family.

Kant: so you are saying your family believes in contemporary social marriage laws of you religion. Right.

RWJ: yes

Kant: Then i can say that ,they can be heteronomist to you in certain issue like marriage etc. What about your reservations?

RWJ: i do have general reservation, may be i haven't thought about it.

Kant: if you have reservation and you have historical reason to be heteronomist, then there is tendency to not to respect autonomy and hence be heteronomist toward your girl. Which may have different consequence than you are intended in the first place.

RWJ: ooh..ufoo i am getting confused now, cant you explain in simple words.?

Kant: every one has the same query about my explaination. Here is thing , there is concept of “free will “ which helps to choose things and is upholder of autonomy. If you dont have autonomy ,you may not wish to encourage it either, which might be detrimental to the free will of your love one, which might make them unhappy. Not respecting autonomy distort the intention which may bring different and undesirable consequences.

Gilligan: kant want to say that you may think, you have good intention but inherently you may not and hence your action and consequence may go wrong.

RWJ: ham! He may be right. I havent discovered much. And i dont know her intention, or what type of person she is ? Whats she values?

Aristotle : what do you think about means to get her? Do you have clarity about your goal? Do you have accountibility of these goals?

RWJ: what? She is not thing , so that i need to find means to get her.

Aristotle: my apologise; means meaning ways to get in touch with her.

RWJ: I havent thought about it, however i dont want to be seen has jerk when i approach her.

Aristotle: it means , you want to have frame work of socially approved character traits. Right

RWJ: yes and can approaching a stranger that to a girl is socially execptable?

Aristotle : approaching a girl is not a wrong thing unless you have wrong intention for approach. But is the approach itself wrong intention. May not be so ,its ends, ends are good and means are also good. But does your culture allow it ? Yes it may or may not. If your culture doesnt allow , then it might be termed as vice. In your word being a jerk.

Aristotle : let me ask you question. Where do you find the happiness. Is it in Honour? Is it in Pleasure ? Or Is it in wealth?

RWJ: isn't happiness independent of these?

Aristotle : offcourse it is independent. According to me these all give happiness, no doubt about it. But its virtue such as honesty brings real happiness. Its above all.

RWJ: you mean to say i must not show off my wealth, pleasure and honours to get to my loved one. Instead i need to be honest and not try to make up the things.

Aristotle : right. And we dont have control over your character traits but we do have control over our actions. These need to be channelised so that it become a habit, a virtue habit. Like being courages.

RWJ: if happiness is end Aristotle, what if my happiness is in contradiction of my family happiness, who are heteronomist.?

Aristotle : you need to check with the concept of Duty vs Happiness of kant.

Kant: here i am.

RWJ: do you have questions?

Kant: a lot of . To whom does these duties belong to ? Is it duty for sake of duty or Does it have elements of inclination. Inclination meaning intention of duty.

RWJ: what is duty for sake of duty?

Kant: people do their duty for sake of happiness, for sake of social compulsion, for sake of honour, for sake of status etc. Have you every done a duty without expecting reward or praise or when it hasn't given happiness . If yes ,then such duties are “duty for sake of duty”. In Nepotism, corruption people perform duty for sake of other things , these type are inclined duties. Hope you got the point.

RWJ: yes! But what how does this links with happiness and how this could stop me for not being happy.

Kant: man according to me has duty to be happy however its may not be strict duty. Strict duties comes with rights, that is right of others for whom your duties are directed to.

Aristotle: i can add a point that your upbringing could effect how you persue the things.

Kant: yes aristotle is right. Family is your upbringing unit. So do you have duty towards them ? Are they strict duties or meritorious? To what extent you are ready to sacrifice thing like feeling, happiness, pleasure, wealth to perform your duty.? What if your family doesnt approve your relation? So will you sacrifice your happiness, your pleasure of being with your girl etc for sake of family ? Or are you ready to conserve happiness of your girl and perform duty of relationship without caring duties of your family?

RWJ: Now i am getting why you people never got committed. Is deciding ,to be in relationship so difficult.?

Kant: RWJ, you havent answered my question.

RWJ: yes my family as all indian families are... is culture centric. Caste and religion are undiffering issues when it comes to marriage. But as i am autonomous i can make duty towards my family as non strict duty. However i will and need to maintain good will towards both duties ie both for family and loved girl. Does it morally stands, kant?

Kant: it may. Good will is good because of your intentions. If your intentions are good towards your loved girl and family, then consequences will be good. But i can be good in my societal frame work, indian society is different. You better know it, RWJ.

Ross: RWJ, i am W D Ross, there are some prima facie duties that need to taken care of.

1. duty of Gratitude: i.e towards your parents.
2. duty of justice: towards both girl and family.
3. duty of self improvement : not getting much in mess like these.
4. duty of fidelity: both implicit and explicit.

RWJ: Ross does these apply same for every one.

Ross: may not be so, each case is differnet. But some times some socially acceptable norms or utilitarian norms does take precedent to your thought.

J S Mill: yes in society, things works in utilitarian frame work.

RWJ: what does that mean?

J S Mill: greater happiness for greater number of people. Which means to say if the act that creates happiness for large number must be encouraged. Which may boil down to arugement that marraiges must happen with broad concent.

RWJ: Mill dont you think that it can be contested? And what about right of those who doesnt agree with majority in family frame work?

J S Mill: now you are becoming good learner. Yes it has been contested. However intra caste marriages , intra religious marriages have social acceptance because they are on majority side. Inter caste or inter religious marriages brings happiness to some section but for broader section , they dont get happiness. It might be beacasue of society being heteronomy rather than autonomous. This may not be good but its acceptable and these socially acceptable things doesnt come with pain for society. Its society point of view.

RWJ: what about right?

J S Mill: yes individual have right, which till now society hasn't learnt much to respect, but hope it will especially indian society will learn. Hope inter caste and inter religion and region marraiges become utilitarian in concept.

Aristippus: RWJ, have you ever thought that , to approach a girl you need to think so much so that you forgot what you want.

RWJ: Ham! Thats true i am normal person, i thought these people will discuss and will conclude the thing, making my work easy, but no, they havent. Things are much more complicated now.

Aristippus: ha ha ... now you know ,you might be thinking that why i am being with them brought out simple and straight forward concept of pleasure.

RWJ: no Aristippus you are not right now! You are right about physical pleasure and lust but not about other thing. Life doesnt just revolve around pleasure.

Socrates/Plato: very well said, we achieved what we intended to. We never give conclusion, we suggest, its you who have to decide. We will be present when you have dilemma, dilemma is good.

Gilligan: Excuse me!! i have question for all male scholars and to you RWJ. ?

Every say in corus : what ? Questions ? Not now...

Gilligan : Have you ever thought ,what girl might be thinking about RWJ and what are her thought about all your big thoughts?

End of mental conversation

“Yenadru order madappa, asta guraisi nodbedpa. Yed hogyalu”, said Romeo's earth friend. As he said Romeo got back to this world only to see that girl has gone out of sight.