Devin Mahoney (6)
Should freedom be free?
Should freedom be free?
The social contract theory by
definition is the ideology of establishment of moral rules that govern
relations among people. It declares the necessity of social order in a
productive and safe society. The idea of the “contract” means an agreement
among people in a social group to treat others with respect, follow basic human
rules and at times, sacrifice some natural freedoms to obtain a greater good.
It has been argued through
generations of philosophers the true nature of humans. What would life be like
if, as a species we were to throw away our current ideologies and give in to
our most basic of impulses and animalistic tendencies? Many would conclude that
our world would descend into a nasty, dangerous, and criminal state quite
quickly and without much hesitation. Laws of man allow a certain level of
constraint and protection from dangers we face as citizens every day. But a rule,
as the saying goes, is often made to be broken. It is this exact ideology that
perpetuates itself in our society. Laws are only as effective as the subjects
enforcing them and the buy in of the citizens contained by them. Laws are not
all powerful and the end all deterrents. If this were true what would be the
necessity of enforcers of these rules? What purpose would a police force or a
judicial system serve if simply agreeing upon a law were the end all? It is the
duty of the people in a civilized society to ensure these laws are not only
crafted but an unwavering social structure. If people are not willing to
sacrifice for the idea of the greater good then progress will always see
counter production. For every action there is an equal or opposite reaction. It
is the absolute responsibility of each individual person to ensure there is no
room in a productive and prospering culture for those who would “cut against
the grain.” Those who would argue the evils of a governing body and the
necessity of true, unhindered freedom are the wrench in the gears of prosperity.
Governments can be corrupt and unjust. People can be selfish and dangerous. But
we have to fight against these evils of our nature and accept the beauty of
sacrifice for a better world. It is the responsibility of the people to create
the utopia. No government body, not individual citizen is more important that
the perpetual motion of social progress. If someone stand in the way of this ideal
they are a crack in the foundation and must be repaired.
"It is the absolute responsibility of each individual person to ensure there is no room in a productive and prospering culture for those who would 'cut against the grain'” - not sure quite what you mean, but I'm concerned about this formulation. Sounds like a call for vigiliantism and conformism.
ReplyDelete"not the idea that we have to be completely free from all constraints of man and nature. It is the truth that within these necessary conditions, we can still be free and live unrestricted in a progressive manner. We can together create a better world by agreeing we want it. And by willingly working towards a common goal" - am I right to detect here an endorsement of Rousseau's version of the Social Contract? Do you mean to support the General Will as taking precedence over individual liberty?