Freedom or Freedoms as values
Posted: Fri Jul 14, 2017 8:14 am
Freedom or Freedoms as values
There is an understandable but dangerous assumption that we as a democracy must have fundamental values. The result is a set of fixed rules. We see this with human rights, with people demanding specific things as their right.
It is Freedom as a value, related to other values, that should be considered fundamental.
Freedoms, in plural, are specific pragmatics that we derive from a given set of values.
An altruistic society will certainly construct such a range of pragmatic 'rights' and responsibilities.
But as pragmatics they must be open to discussion and amendment and related together according to what is practical at a particular time. But with a view to the future.
In altruist society education for the young in particular is a pragmatic right. It is so indeed because we cannot survive without it - it is normal family upbringing. On a formalised basis, provided by society, it is something that we can and should afford. We can do so because we are have an advanced economy with surplus wealth, that should be shared.
Equality is of course a value in the same dimension as freedom. Neither or both of them mean much that is sensible by themselves, they have to be related to values in other dimensions, in particular social responsibility, and against other values. Nature is not a value.
There is an understandable but dangerous assumption that we as a democracy must have fundamental values. The result is a set of fixed rules. We see this with human rights, with people demanding specific things as their right.
It is Freedom as a value, related to other values, that should be considered fundamental.
Freedoms, in plural, are specific pragmatics that we derive from a given set of values.
An altruistic society will certainly construct such a range of pragmatic 'rights' and responsibilities.
But as pragmatics they must be open to discussion and amendment and related together according to what is practical at a particular time. But with a view to the future.
In altruist society education for the young in particular is a pragmatic right. It is so indeed because we cannot survive without it - it is normal family upbringing. On a formalised basis, provided by society, it is something that we can and should afford. We can do so because we are have an advanced economy with surplus wealth, that should be shared.
Equality is of course a value in the same dimension as freedom. Neither or both of them mean much that is sensible by themselves, they have to be related to values in other dimensions, in particular social responsibility, and against other values. Nature is not a value.