The Forum > Article Comments > The freedom and ethics of protest in a time of pandemic > Comments
The freedom and ethics of protest in a time of pandemic : Comments
By Rob Cover, published 8/9/2020Some of the anxiety driving recent protests in Melbourne and Ballarat relates to reasonable personal and community concerns about the impact of sustained lockdown on work, business and social life.
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I am aware that I seem to have drifted from the topic, but this is because life choices, preferences and even political ideas ought to draw on metaphysical resources.
«Your analogy of wearing a mask is further confusing the issue. A mask is a pretence.»
And so is the make-belief that we are that body which we wear.
You see, political conclusions may differ subject to our metaphysical understanding. Had it been true that we were humans, had it not been just a mask, then indeed we could arrive at very different political conclusions.
«To reiterate, your stand is of a right of total personal freedom and beholden to no man (authority).»
Not quite. I just explained that we are not a person.
We, you and I and everyone else, are absolutely free, but NOT SO our masks, not the persons that we pretend to be, thus "total personal freedom" is out of the question.
Now you also introduce the concept of "right". I don't like this term: "rights" are a civil/social concept, whereby a human authority of a kind ALLOWS certain people to do certain things. This is not freedom at all, this is pittance: freedom is natural, God-given and cannot be robbed.
«How do you exercise that right?»
As above, my freedom is not a right.
One way I exercise my freedom is by choosing to belong or not to societies and by accepting or not, certain authorites.
«Do you realise that is an anarchist position, and do you wish to dispute the point?»
It depends. A-narchy means the absence of rule. An anarchist as I understand, opposes any rule whatsoever. My modified position is that no one may rule over another without their consent. It's fine to have rules/governments, so long as those who are made to live under them have agreed to it. I envision a society where everyone participates by free choice. I do not want to live in a society, even the most wonderful one, if it forces itself upon others who disagree to have anything to do with it.
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