When should individual liberty prevail over cooperation and the interests of the group?
That is a fundamental question that troubled me in my second year in college. It troubled me enough that I wrote a paper on it.
My view then and now is that we live both in a society in which we must sometimes conform to rules and regulations and subordinate our own interests and liberty to the best interests of the group but in which at other times and with regard to other matters, we must assert, defend and exercise our individual rights and liberties.
I picture a circle in which we stand. At times, we stand side by side and form a tight ring around the circle. We follow the rules and regulations and enforce them vigorously. We do that when our society requires it in order that we be protected from, for example, grave, imminent security threats such as war or famine or disease. We also do it when we will all decidedly profit or benefit from the order that the rules and regulations provide. Traffic rules not only protect us from accidents. They help us move more efficiently on our roads and streets.
At times, we move in and out of the circle. We are creative and independent. There are no rules and regulations. We don't need them. Our security, our health and safety are not at issue. We don't all eat the same food. We drive different kinds of cars. We wear different colors. We think for ourselves. We don't need too many laws and regulations, but as our population becomes more numerous, as we know the people we deal with less well, we need more rules and regulations.
Most of us don't want to live in a jungle, a human jungle. But we don't want to live in a cage either. And just when we need to cooperate and when we need to be independent depends on the situation.
Republicans, especially libertarians do not understand this. It isn't a difficult concept. They just think rigidly and cannot accept the fluidity of life.
Hope my post makes sense. It's late, and I am tired.
But I will say that my understanding this, that I figured it out pretty precisely when I was young made my life so much better. It made it possible for me to apply this principle to my family life, my marriage and in my relationships with my children as well as with my friends and my society. So this is a good concept to think about.
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