Humanism - Philosophic-Ethical-Political-Economic Study of the Development of the Society
By Aleksandar Sarovic
Competition year: 2004
Place: 9
About Aleksandar Sarovic
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Humanism for Dummies
Nobody knows how a good society is actually supposed to look like. We are all dummies in it. I have refused to be the dummy and therefore have tried hard to define a human society.
Humanism necessarily requires freedom. A free man is supposed to decide on everything he wants but his exercise of freedom must not deprive other individuals of their freedoms. Freedom gives people a choice to choose their needs and to satisfy them. Freedom fulfils people’s reason for being and gives them a chance to be happy.
Are we free?
The level of freedom depends on the development of society. Our freedom is not necessarily on a low level today but certainly is not enough developed either. Politically our freedom finishes right after voting for the representatives in councils, assemblies, or parliaments. Once they are elected, authorities tend not to like democracy. The elected people may easily prevent us from our freedom, make us powerless and unhappy, and exploit us. We cannot do anything to oppose them besides waiting for years to replace them at new elections.
What is even worse, those who rule society become model to all other authorities in society. As a result, our bosses, teachers, parents, and all other authorities easily take the power in the fields of their influences and become rulers that oppress us and prevent us from being free. In such a society people tend to hate each other what makes destructive relationships inside society. I have suffered a lot under these kinds of problems and that is the reason why I have decided to find a solution that will bring freedom to the people.
May direct democracy give a satisfactory solution?
Some people propose that we skip authorities and by the help from computer technology make consensus and/or direct decisions about all the issues concerning our interests. Performing consensuses and direct democracy is good idea but it cannot be enough successful alone. Firstly, such decision-making is difficult and very time consuming to give enough good result. Secondly, powerful people do not like democracy and especially not direct democracy; therefore, they would find a solution to prevent it. Thirdly, making decisions requires a certain level of knowledge and one could not expect all of the people having it. Also each society needs to make a practically unlimited number of decisions and no one has enough time and probably neither desire to participate in all of them. Beside that democracy is not a perfect solution because it enforces the wish of majority to the needs of minority and therefore it may take the freedom away from minority. Finally, even if democracy solves all these problems there is not even a theory that may effectively protect individuals in society from the ruling power of other people.
So what we are going to do?
Let’s leave the rights of making decisions to authorities when they are required to do them. They may also freely increase their responsibilities but then let’s make them directly responsible for their doings to everyone all the time.
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