The Essential-Liberalism Manifesto (Article XII)
XII. ESSENTIAL-LIBERALISM VALUES (3/3)
12. Inevitability and desirability
of majority rule: Inevitably, through the democratic
process, the majority’s sense of the good society will be the one to
define the contours of the Essential Liberalism principles and
practices, and the reconciling of priorities (at times, competing
priorities) called for in their implementation as laws. Therefore, no two
essential-liberalist societies need be identical in their version of
the good society, because majorities in each society may hold
different views on what is more or less important in implementing
these tenets and on how best to embody them in law.
The minority in the essential-liberalist
society possesses the power to change the opinions of current members of
the majority, so that one day the old minority may become the new
majority and pass laws embodying its values and priority judgments.
The extent to which a minority is effective in changing the hearts
and minds of the majority will affect how societal values change
over time, as would changes in the majority’s own outlook.
Although the majority’s implementation of
its version of the good society is largely constricted by the
framework of Essential Liberalism’s foundational principles and
practices,
the need for a community to express and embody its beliefs,
traditions, judgments, values, morals, and ideals will necessarily mean the
majority’s version of the good society will be the prevailing one on
any given issue, rather than the minority’s. Thus, for example, if a
majority in a community seeks to use public space to celebrate the
majority’s traditional religious holidays or display its traditional
symbols, such use is not necessarily antithetical to Essential
Liberalism, as it does not force any religious minority to celebrate
the majority’s religious holiday. If, instead, the majority in
society is subjected to the demands of numerous minorities (who, by
definition, hold less common—and frequently uncommon—views), the
majority is in effect being ruled by the minority. Invariably, a
majority embodying its values and priorities in law means more
people are happier than if the current minority positions were
embodied in law. Therefore, as a matter of both fairness and greater
utility, basic respect should be given to a majority acting within
the many essential-liberalist limitations placed upon it.
If a citizen holding a minority opinion
finds they no longer seek to persuade the majority to adopt their
minority views, or if they no longer wish to tolerate the majority’s
views and practices, they can opt to leave the community for another
community where their values are currently part of the majority.
13. Recognition that Conservative
Essential Liberalism is consistent with Essential Liberalism:
Essential Liberalism does not advocate the continuous exchange of
ideas among citizens on what constitutes the good society, without
also calling on them to recognize and partly settle on what has
already been shown over decades, centuries, and even millennia of
human history to be beneficial for individuals and for society as a
whole. The principles and practices
embodied in The Essential-Liberalism Manifesto, for
example, are already considered to be the current settled wisdom in
all liberal democracies around the world. Essential Liberalism is
therefore not inconsistent with what may be termed Conservative
Essential Liberalism, as the latter approach fully embraces
Essential Liberalism while emphasizing the need to preserve what has
been conserved by tradition and long practice as part of the good
society.
Though not opposing change, Conservative Essential Liberalism
calls for it to be more carefully weighed, gradual, and respectful
of what has come before, in recognition of the wisdom of earlier
generations and the traditions, values, laws, and institutions that
have enabled the survival of the present civilization. Such
conservatism treats with suspicion untested, radical, or otherwise
completely new and revolutionary ideas or implementations; judicial
involvement that unduly trumps majority wishes; and claims of
scientific mandates devoid of broader considerations, all of which
may result in social disintegration or other potentially
far-reaching changes born also of unintended consequences.
Conservative Essential Liberalism typically also prefers the size of
government, its involvement in non-essential functions, and the rate
of taxation all be minimized.
Conservative Essential Liberalism,
therefore, can be viewed as the moderate right wing of the political
spectrum in an essential-liberalist society—seeking as well to
preserve and protect Essential Liberalism itself from veering to the
left of the political spectrum, while also promoting its own vision
of the good society within the accepted parameters of the
essential-liberalist world-view.
Continuing the search for more aspects of
the good society within the Essential Liberalism environment and its
many agreed-upon freedoms, rights, duties, practices, principles,
and values is the shared goal of both those on the moderate right
and moderate left, as well as those in the center, each guided by
their own world-view.
14. Respect for friendly nations and
global cooperation: The territorial integrity,
sovereignty, and freedom of other essential-liberalist societies
need to be fully respected by the state, as these societies are
fundamentally the equal of one’s own, and share in the larger
fraternal community of essential-liberalist nations.
Essential-liberalist societies, realizing they have much in common
with one another, should foster greater mutual ties, including
pooling of resources to achieve common goals, and should otherwise
deepen the peaceful and friendly relations among them.
Friendly relations with all other nations
that are not hostile to the state and are not engaging in terrorism,
genocide, or large-scale atrocities should also be maintained, even
states that share only some of the essential-liberalist principles
and practices.
The state should, independently and in
concert with other nations, offer humanitarian and other aid to all
nations that have a great need for it, such as those experiencing
famine or plague, regardless of such nations’ governing ideologies.
The establishment of international bodies
and the development of international law should be encouraged for
the purpose of coordination and cooperation on matters
of global concern to all nations and all peoples.
15. Inculcating and spreading
Essential Liberalism: All citizens, as well as
appropriate governmental agencies, are entrusted with inculcating
these Essential Liberalism tenets among the youth of the state and
among its non-citizens, so that all members of society may come to
know and cherish these ideals. The dissemination of these ideals should also be
directed at other societies, in particular at those that are
governed by values that are antithetical to the values of Essential
Liberalism.
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Page last updated: October 15, 2008