Also - on same thread in FR -
________________________ ______________
To: shy.invisible.grl
And now we see the difference between libertarianism and conservatism. Libertarianism is based on the Rousseauian concept of the "noble savage" (much like liberalism). It sees humanity as a collection of independent, self-sufficient beings whose only connection is through formal contractual means. Libertarianism eschews concepts like "morality" as a basis of personal responsibility; only that which an individual has formally agreed to is considered a duty. This road parallels liberalism and leads to the same eventual destination: a humanity devoid of humanity; a civilization of angry, isolated cynics struggling to keep what is "theirs" without regard to their fellow man.
Conservatism recognizes that human beings are fundamentally social creatures, and that our "individualistic self-sufficiency" is an illusion born of plenty. The "noble savage" is, when isolated or alone, a dead savage. Human interaction is mediated not only by the formal contracts we endorse, but also by the constraints of our morality. It is this morality (the sense of something larger/greater/more important than ourselves) that culminates in the concept of Natural Law, the foundation of our republic. Libertarians like to ignore that our Founders understood morality to be as fundamental a natural law as our God-given right to freedom.
The libertarian, upon reading this story, states that the firemen have no legal or contractual duty to help put out the fire. True. But the conservative notes that it is fundamentally immoral to watch a fellow person's house burn down and not try to help them. The libertarian confuses moral imperative with obligation. "And to hell with the Golden Rule!" they say. The conservative understands that an act of saving/generosity doesn't just reward with a potential financial gain (as the thankful homeowner might pay), but that it creates a sense of community whose benefits transcend the simply pecuniary.
How many of our modern problems are due to our loss of community? Yet this is the ultimate destination of libertarianism (and the selfish bast*rds who revel in it). And it is a future every conservative must despise (and combat)...
296 posted on Tuesday, October 05, 2010 4:29:22 PM by Charles H. (The_r0nin) (Hwaet! Lar bith maest hord, sothlice!)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies | Report Abuse]
