TO: Marco, Jonathan and NEMO
Hi gang,
This is more of a first crack at the issue than a response to others,
though
I do address a comment of Jonathan's. The following thoughts are
somewhat
disjointed thoughts on the topic of freedom.
DEFINITION
Freedom? What is it?
Freedom is the versatility of possible actions. It is the range of
possible
Experience.
FREEDOM AND THE SOCIAL BARGAIN
In a Quality society, individuals have maximum versatility and freedom.
However, it is arrived at by somewhat of a bargain. Individuals trade
away
some freedoms so that they can gain a much larger repertoire. They give
up
some versatility and possibility so that other, much greater options can
be
gained.
Those lost specifically include the "freedoms" to harm and destroy
others.
As a member of society, one must agree not to lie, cheat, steal, rape,
injure, damage or slander any other member. One must abdicate these
freedoms.
In fact, the scope of society can be partially defined by the who has
and has
not agreed to play within these rules.
The benefit of being a member of a group abdicating these freedoms is
that
you gain the freedom of not being terrorized by the other members.
Furthermore, the suppression of all the negative freedoms establishes
the
environment for cooperation, synergy, sharing, and knowledge building.
Entire new dimensions of freedom are created that would be impossible
alone
or in perpetual biological struggle with others.
A lone man has hardly the freedom to survive. A society of men has the
freedom and capability to accomplish almost anything.
A Quality society trades up for better freedoms and expanded ranges of
possibilities. More freedom for the individual, and more freedom for the
society itself.
SIDE NOTES ON FREEDOM
Every society must have a police mechanism to correct any tendencies of
people to scam the system. Cheating by gaining the benefits of other's
cooperation while actually exploiting them for one's own gain would
undermine
the very foundation of the social agreement. If some could gain the
benefits
at no cost, then there is no incentive for any to play by the rules.
Society
would crumble. Individual and social freedom would suffer irreparable
harm.
In the history of society, one great challenge has been to learn which
freedoms are harmful and which are not. Harmful activitiess, once
identified, must be repressed, but beneficial freedoms must be allowed
to
blossom. Many societies have chosen to repress the freedoms to
question,
think, retain the fruit of ones efforts, and the freedom to communicate.
They
feel these threaten the static social structure. Quality societies,
though,
have realized that they must be Dynamic, and that these are the freedoms
needed for people to voluntarily form and maintain an adaptive, learning
structure.
FREEDOM AS THE FOUNDATION FOR LEVEL EMERGENCE
It seems to me that the foundation for a Quality society is indeed the
foundation for the Intellectual level. Democracy, free enterprise,
science,
art, free assembly and speech, free religion, and the freedom to
question
authority and convention are all the essential ingredients to Intellect.
In summary, the best biological solution -- the solution providing the
most
Quality and freedom -- is to form voluntary societies, and the best
social
solution -- again maximizing Quality and social versatility -- is
Intellectual.
Jonathan recently wrote:
"I always seem to start off by attacking the question;-)
In this case the question implies that individual freedom is an
intellectual pattern.
Just because Pirsig says it does not mean that it should go
unquestioned.
IMO, individual freedom is a SOCIAL pattern."
Rog:
I agree. INDIVIDUAL freedom is a social pattern of QUALITY.
Furthermore,
social freedom is an intellectual pattern of quality. In fact it seems
that
the emergence of the levels involve major transitions toward enhanced
freedom. Life is a major transition in freedom for inorganic patterns,
society for life, and intellect for society.
SO WHAT WAS THE QUESTION?
Is freedom a means or an end? I suspect it is both. Could be wrong
though.... Let me know if you see any Quality in these ramblings.
Rog
MOQ.org - http://www.moq.org
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