Difference between revisions of "Civicwiki:The Path"
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| − | + | The political tradition of America (inherited from England) tells us that the object of most political thinkers was to establish a society in which each individual, with the smallest possible deference to the authority of his rulers, would have both the privilege and responsibility of guiding his own actions within a framework of established rights and duties. Those traditions are now old but no less valid, so they could use a restatement in today's terms. | |
| − | + | We hold this truth to be self-evident: that each of us should be free, and further, that this is universally valid. Another CivicWiki premise is that most of society’s ills can be cured by maximizing our freedom as individuals. CW articles will discuss what we mean by freedom, maximizing freedom, and how that makes a good society. (Freedom and liberty are synonymous in the way we use them on CW.) Such a discussion is necessary because the desirability of freedom is not self-evident to everyone. Belief in individual freedom seems to have a shelf life. After a couple of centuries of it, we take it for granted, the idea seems to get stale, we as people have always been imperfect, and we want to create “better worlds.” At no time in the history of the planet has any society done that except when moving away from despotism in the direction of liberty. | |
| − | + | Having articulated the principles of freedom in today’s terms, we will then apply those principles to the problems of our time. CW will discuss the meaning of liberty and the various ‘freedoms’ claimed by people and sort through which are real and which are false – and why. We will then apply those principles to the issues. As part of this, we must also understand the trends in thought that work against freedom. We will dwell on economic freedom, without which, we will ask, can individuals or society be considered free? We will try to answer that and other questions. | |
Revision as of 16:59, 6 January 2017
The political tradition of America (inherited from England) tells us that the object of most political thinkers was to establish a society in which each individual, with the smallest possible deference to the authority of his rulers, would have both the privilege and responsibility of guiding his own actions within a framework of established rights and duties. Those traditions are now old but no less valid, so they could use a restatement in today's terms.
We hold this truth to be self-evident: that each of us should be free, and further, that this is universally valid. Another CivicWiki premise is that most of society’s ills can be cured by maximizing our freedom as individuals. CW articles will discuss what we mean by freedom, maximizing freedom, and how that makes a good society. (Freedom and liberty are synonymous in the way we use them on CW.) Such a discussion is necessary because the desirability of freedom is not self-evident to everyone. Belief in individual freedom seems to have a shelf life. After a couple of centuries of it, we take it for granted, the idea seems to get stale, we as people have always been imperfect, and we want to create “better worlds.” At no time in the history of the planet has any society done that except when moving away from despotism in the direction of liberty.
Having articulated the principles of freedom in today’s terms, we will then apply those principles to the problems of our time. CW will discuss the meaning of liberty and the various ‘freedoms’ claimed by people and sort through which are real and which are false – and why. We will then apply those principles to the issues. As part of this, we must also understand the trends in thought that work against freedom. We will dwell on economic freedom, without which, we will ask, can individuals or society be considered free? We will try to answer that and other questions.
