Thread: The Importance of Liberty

In an attempt to destroy the philosophies of need, those eternal seeds of despotism and war, I'd like to take a few minutes to address the principles of the philosophy of freedom. When you think "philosophy of", think worldview, think of a set principles and premises leading to the conclusion that freedom is good (and not just good, but the only good). When you think of freedom, think both of the freedom to act and freedom from the actions of others.



The greatest roadblock to liberty is idealism. All idealism establishes a definition of Good for all individuals and depends upon, either voluntary or involuntary, universal obedience. There is no liberty in Idealism. There is only despotism and war. The Despots take possession, or ownership, over the ideal and, as the generals and ambassadors of the ideal, use the perceived relationship between the ideal itself and "the good", to justify every means on the road to the ideal end. The individual is sacrificed and liberty is gone.



You see, liberty is an individualist concept. "We" are only as free as "I" and "You" are free. Liberty is experienced by the individual in terms of what he or she is allowed to do; that is a freedom to create and act without restriction. In order for liberty to exist, all individuals must be free from compulsion. We are free to act, so long as those actions do not disturb the equal liberties of other individuals. This balance requires a massive social commitment and loyalty to liberty itself, as the proper and right environment for mankind.



Principle 1: Human Nature is neutral, neither good nor evil, but capable of both. The only means of regulating human behavior is to hold individuals responsible for their actions, but an individual is only responsible for actions committed of their own volition.



Principle 2: Freedom is conducive to creativity and progress. People, being positively selfish, create a universal standard of goodness predicated upon their needs, desires, and morality, all of which reach their highest potential when they are free.



When any power or institution, be they political, social, or religious, begin to regulate the means or the ends of human achievement, creativity and progress are crushed. Only individuals can choose the value of their own needs, their own desires, and their own morality. No other power has the authority to define these basic concepts for individuals. Therefore, the fundamental principle of any good civilization is that individuals are free to define and express their own values, to create free economies and communities with unrestricted rights to those expressions, insofar as those expressions do not deprive other individuals of a similarly free environment.



This requires a broad social commitment to property rights, to freedom of religion, to freedom of speech, to freedom of association, and to freedom of commerce. This also requires a broad social commitment to the protection of every individuals' own personal protection from force, fraud, and compulsion by other individuals and institutions. Only in the presence of such broad social commitments can a civilization survive a system of rules and standards (Laws) handed down by governments, be they Democracies, Republics, Commonwealths, or Confederacies. No other forms of government promote environments conducive to freedom, but even these forms of government provide their own obstacles and threats to liberty.



Freedom cannot survive arbitrary rules of law. We must all have the same sovereignty and responsibility over our own lives if we are to live together peacefully. Governments and Religions treat individuals differently, on the arbitrary basis of the individuals' investment in some ideal or higher purpose.



-----------------------------------



To create a free society, we must protect ourselves from ourselves, from our desire to control others, to control values, moralities, and the distribution of wealth. We must protect ourselves from our greed and from the rationalizations we use to regulate the behavior of other individuals. Letting other individuals be free is the hardest thing for us to do, as the liberty of others is a constant irritation to our insecurities, suspicions, and fears; but with bravery comes bliss.



I will not support any individual or institution committed to restricting the liberties or rights of others, either through arbitrary laws and regulations, through taxes and the redistribution of wealth, or through social compulsions, ridicule, or persecution. That is the most I can do for your liberty and I would ask that you would do the same for me. Yes? No?

Excellent post.



The insideous and incremtental nature of progressivism has most assuredly proven sentiments attributed to Andrew Tytler: "A democracy cannot exist as a permanent form of government. It can only exist until the voters discover they can vote themselves largess from the public treasury.



And this from Thomas Jefferson: "The natural progress of things is for liberty to yield, and government to gain ground"

[quote name='Blueneck' date='28 February 2010 - 01:42 PM' timestamp='1267382525' post='122932']

It sounds like you have been listening to Glenn Beck again.



Without "progressivism" we wouldn't have progress. Why do conservatives always want to stop time right where it's at?

[/quote]



Just because you call something "progressive" doesn't mean that it actually ends in progress.

[quote name='Blueneck' date='28 February 2010 - 01:42 PM' timestamp='1267382525' post='122932']

Without "progressivism" we wouldn't have progress. [/quote]





To what end, and at what cost would you have society "progress"?

[quote name='webrockk' date='28 February 2010 - 03:07 PM' timestamp='1267384074' post='122959']

To what end, and at what cost would you have society "progress"?

[/quote]



Obviously, there is no cost too great to force society forward. But this inorganic "progress" is necessarily predicated on a house of cards. This is why Democrats are always forced to eat the unintended consequences of their actions.

[quote name='Burning Giraffe' date='28 February 2010 - 02:02 PM' timestamp='1267380139' post='122904']

In an attempt to destroy the philosophies of need, those eternal seeds of despotism and war, I'd like to take a few minutes to address the principles of the philosophy of freedom. When you think "philosophy of", think worldview, think of a set principles and premises leading to the conclusion that freedom is good (and not just good, but the only good). When you think of freedom, think both of the freedom to act and freedom from the actions of others.



The greatest roadblock to liberty is idealism. All idealism establishes a definition of Good for all individuals and depends upon, either voluntary or involuntary, universal obedience. There is no liberty in Idealism. There is only despotism and war. The Despots take possession, or ownership, over the ideal and, as the generals and ambassadors of the ideal, use the perceived relationship between the ideal itself and "the good", to justify every means on the road to the ideal end. The individual is sacrificed and liberty is gone.



You see, liberty is an individualist concept. "We" are only as free as "I" and "You" are free. Liberty is experienced by the individual in terms of what he or she is allowed to do; that is a freedom to create and act without restriction. In order for liberty to exist, all individuals must be free from compulsion. We are free to act, so long as those actions do not disturb the equal liberties of other individuals. This balance requires a massive social commitment and loyalty to liberty itself, as the proper and right environment for mankind.



Principle 1: Human Nature is neutral, neither good nor evil, but capable of both. The only means of regulating human behavior is to hold individuals responsible for their actions, but an individual is only responsible for actions committed of their own volition.



Principle 2: Freedom is conducive to creativity and progress. People, being positively selfish, create a universal standard of goodness predicated upon their needs, desires, and morality, all of which reach their highest potential when they are free.



When any power or institution, be they political, social, or religious, begin to regulate the means or the ends of human achievement, creativity and progress are crushed. Only individuals can choose the value of their own needs, their own desires, and their own morality. No other power has the authority to define these basic concepts for individuals. Therefore, the fundamental principle of any good civilization is that individuals are free to define and express their own values, to create free economies and communities with unrestricted rights to those expressions, insofar as those expressions do not deprive other individuals of a similarly free environment.



This requires a broad social commitment to property rights, to freedom of religion, to freedom of speech, to freedom of association, and to freedom of commerce. This also requires a broad social commitment to the protection of every individuals' own personal protection from force, fraud, and compulsion by other individuals and institutions. Only in the presence of such broad social commitments can a civilization survive a system of rules and standards (Laws) handed down by governments, be they Democracies, Republics, Commonwealths, or Confederacies. No other forms of government promote environments conducive to freedom, but even these forms of government provide their own obstacles and threats to liberty.



Freedom cannot survive arbitrary rules of law. We must all have the same sovereignty and responsibility over our own lives if we are to live together peacefully. Governments and Religions treat individuals differently, on the arbitrary basis of the individuals' investment in some ideal or higher purpose.



-----------------------------------



To create a free society, we must protect ourselves from ourselves, from our desire to control others, to control values, moralities, and the distribution of wealth. We must protect ourselves from our greed and from the rationalizations we use to regulate the behavior of other individuals. Letting other individuals be free is the hardest thing for us to do, as the liberty of others is a constant irritation to our insecurities, suspicions, and fears; but with bravery comes bliss.



I will not support any individual or institution committed to restricting the liberties or rights of others, either through arbitrary laws and regulations, through taxes and the redistribution of wealth, or through social compulsions, ridicule, or persecution. That is the most I can do for your liberty and I would ask that you would do the same for me. Yes? No?

[/quote]



Its very hard to be free when you are hungry.

[quote name='The_Bear' date='21 March 2010 - 03:56 PM' timestamp='1269201362' post='131307']

Its very hard to be free when you are hungry.

[/quote]



No, it's not.



I get tired of all these middle and upper-middle class white Democrats talking like they know the plight of the poor. They don't know shit about it. I've lived with less than most of these Caucasian idealistic liberals. And it isn't liberty that is hard when you are hungry, it's the lack of liberty that is hard when you are hungry. It's the government standing in your way, its Corporations getting special favors from the government resulting in billions, while the government hands out meaningless pittances to impoverished people. That's why I think Democrats are totally full of crap. They don't know what it is like to be poor, all they know is that poor people are easy to bribe. But that weakness doesn't speak to the virtues of the liberal Statists, but rather to the ignorance and lack of education of the poor. A reality which the liberal Statists remain responsible for.

[quote name='Burning Giraffe' date='21 March 2010 - 03:59 PM' timestamp='1269201555' post='131309']

No, it's not.

[/quote]



Really?

How many people would willingly forsake food, money, clothing, shelter, honor, power, knowledge, and be satisfied with only liberty if they were given none of those other things?



How would you survive?

[quote name='The_Bear' date='21 March 2010 - 04:04 PM' timestamp='1269201889' post='131312']

Really?

How many people would willingly forsake food, money, clothing, shelter, honor, power, knowledge, and be satisfied with only liberty if they were given none of those other things?



How would you survive?

[/quote]



By creating, hunting, trading, making clothes, building shelters, honoring my values, empowering myself, training my mind, and studying my surroundings. We are not as weak as you imagine.