Locke, Rousseau, Hobbes, Free Socialism

Locke, Rousseau, and Hobbes are certainly some of the most influential thinkers in human history, especially upon the tradition of liberalism which we in the United States have inherited. Perhaps the most important distinction between the three is in their respective views of humanity in its state of nature. Locke and Rousseau tended to have a more positive view of this situation, believing that the natural tendency of humans is to respect each other's freedoms and to coexist. Hobbes, on the other hands, believed that nature is a state of war, starvation, and betrayal, necessitating the creation of the state. The question of human nature, in my view, is what ultimately guides our vision for society.

I will decline to speculate on the details of humanity in its natural state, because I believe that the very idea of humanity in a state of nature is arbitrary. In no period of human history have we existed in the absence of society; "organized" or otherwise, humans are hard-wired to live in groups and establish norms with consequences. With this in mind, it is unreasonable to conflate the creation of the state with the creation of society. The role of the state is to formalize and codify the dominating societal dynamics that exist regardless. In that sense, the state does not have a monopoly on oppression, nor does it have a monopoly on liberation.

What matters, then, is who controls the levers of power, regardless of form or name. I believe that oligarchy of all classifications and variations is wrong; CEOs, state officials, union leaders: call them what you'd like, the dynamic does not change. With that out of the way, it is clear that the masses must empower themselves by whatever means available, taking every inch they are given and seizing on every opportunity in sight. No single leader, electoral campaign, or union can free the people from their shackles. Instead, we must be able to recognize that a wide tool belt is necessary, and that there is no singular path to democratic empowerment. To pursue one strategy is not to abandon all others. The workingmen of the world should prepare for a long fight, remembering that every step forward must be constantly and vigilantly maintained. Rather than seeking to establish a permanent utopia, we must face the reality that the struggle for freedom will never truly end.

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

COVID-19 Blog

As the coronavirus rages on, an important question arises: should western countries aid the so-called "third world," particularly Africa, in combating the pandemic? I believe the answer is no, for two main reasons. My first objection is rather obvious: the United States currently has more confirmed COVID cases than all of Africa combined, and it isn't close. There are several possible explanations, including the warmer weather, but the exact reason isn't necessarily relevant. After a domestic coronavirus response which can only be described as a disaster of earth-shattering proportions, who are we to go on an international health crusade? There are millions of vulnerable Americans who are currently unable to receive adequate care. Our resources need to be going to them first, not abroad, and most certainly not to parasitic, too-big-to-fail corporations. My second objection: when was America's last successful large-scale international intervention, viole...
Read more

SARS CoV-2, COVID-19, and The World

It's no secret that right now the SARS CoV-2 is wreaking havoc across the world. As of today, the United States has surpassed China as the nation with the most cases of the novel coronavirus, with over 86,000 cases in our country to date. This is all pretty crazy, especially considering that this is all because of a pathogen that supposedly started with either bats or pangolins (the only mammal in the world known to have scales) in a small localized region of China. Of course, it's not only the health effects that are wide-reaching; the social effects are also just as prevalent. One of the ways in which the world is rapidly changing in regards to social effects is through panic buying of goods at places such as supermarkets and hypermarkets such as Walmart. However, the good news is that food in general is not going to run out; there may be shortages of certain particular items, nevertheless, as certain nations have curtailed exports. What is bound to change, possibly permanent...
Read more

COVID-19 Blog

As the spread of COVID-19 becomes greater many opinions on how to respond to this global pandemic have surfaced. Just a few months ago much of the population in the United States felt unthreatened by the virus as it spread through China, being concentrated in Wuhan, and later spreading in Europe. It was not until the virus quickly erupted in the United States that we each understood the true severity of this pandemic. Now we are seeing how individuals are being greatly impacted by this virus as we are all being asked to stay home and the everyday parts of our lives have been flipped upside down. In the opinion piece about what responsibility developed countries have for helping less developed countries I both agreed and disagreed. My initial response is that if places, like the United States, are struggling with medical resources how can we even begin to be helpful in less developed countries. Hospitals all throughout the United States are beginning to have to make life or death decisi...
Read more