Conflict Of Visions Essay Research Paper Conflict

Conflict Of Visions Essay, Research Paper

Conflict of visionsLibertarian philosophy founded in reason, individualism While current thought has it that the intellectual foundation of our society has seriously eroded, it was somewhat refreshing to see libertarianism discussed recently in this paper. As the only political philosophy that is founded purely on reason, it may be the case that it offers the only real hope for a society that is thrashing to and fro between the worlds of traditional values and immediate feelings. I would like to add to the discussion by pointing out some of its potential weaknesses, and comparing it to its more predominant siblings, conservatism and liberalism, with the intent to both strip it of its innocence and show more of its advantages. First let’s talk about some of its strengths. First and foremost, it is based on intellect. Conservatism, with its base firmly on the ground of what has historically “worked,” has almost as much disdain for pure reason as liberalism, which, although it often corrals the more brilliant thinkers, defers its decisions to emotion and feeling. The question arises, “Should we base all our decisions on pure reason.” It is, after all, our power to reason which differentiates us from all other living organisms.Throughout the ages it has been libertarian thought which has provided the most dynamic of progress by both freeing us from the liberals’ emotional shackles and breaking the conservatives’ traditional paradigms. Libertarianism shows the most respect for the individual. One of the fondest memories I have of my undergraduate days was the undying individualistic streak most everyone maintained. Today, with all of us striving to be multiculturally aware, politicallycorrect, celebrants of the Hegelian brotherhood of diversity, it is sad to note that all the fruits, flakes and losers who rebel from this notion have become not only the few remaining individualists, but also the ones we won’t tolerate. Liberals believe we areall one being. When you itch, I scratch. Conservatives think the collective genius of past generations is preferable to the thought of the individual. Both are filling a hole with its own dirt. It is only by recognizing ourselves as individuals that we can maintainour self-esteem, our health, our conscience, in fact, everything that we cherish. These things we first develop in ourselves, we respect and value in others. Maybe someday we will stop lumping people into groups, stereotypes, races, minorities,majorities, gangs and classes and reach out a friendly hand to the individual instead. But alas, libertarianism is not without its weaknesses: *First is the presumption that all men are capable of reason. Look around. If you as a college student can’t look around and draw the conclusion that all you see sho w signs of at least modest reasoning skills, then how do you expect the rest of society,without the benefit of a college education, to maintain this faculty. Edmund Burke, the father of modern western conservatism, spewed forth a constant stream of venom towards Thomas Paine, the American patriot and libertarian hero, for this exact reason. Burke believed very few men were capable of higher reason. Watch CNN tonight and see if you disagree. *Another problem for libertarianism is getting elected. The libertarian movement is not new. While it is true that libertarians are able to scrape together candidates and get on ballots, their victories are relatively few. They, along with conservatives, exhibitan extreme distaste for government. If they don’t feel comfortable with government in general, then how are they going to govern. *There is also an argument to be made that it is quite fatuous to make every decision on the basis of reason. Edmund Burke believed it was insanity to treat every decision as if it had to be reasoned. Some decisions are best made by simply using whathas worked in the past. For instance, conservatives would argue that we do not need to constantly reassess, or reason, the need for a strong military, since historically we have always found the existence of one to be beneficial in times of crisis. Burkethought that it was tradition that kept us from the vicissitudes of good and bad tries at applying reason to everything. There is something to this. *Finally for Libertarians, there is a weakness that is (especially in the U.S.) hard to overcome. This is their hostile attitude toward religion. Thomas Paine started this by following his immensely popular and influential works on freedom and libertywith a highly controversial treatise on religion that did severe damage to his reputation and career, (at least in his own time).Ayn Rand, the ideological heroine of libertarian thought, was an admitted and vocal atheist. Ludwig Von Mises, the brillianteconomist whose prescient denunciation of the perils of socialism help secure him as the economic godfather of libertarian thought, was also extremely skeptical of religion. While it may be argued that there is no place for religion on a foundation ofpure reason, with over 90 percent of Americans claiming some religious belief, it would appear impossible to establish a political party that is suspicious of religion. It is interesting to note (and sad) that Libertarians aren’t popular enough to have earned any malicious nicknames so they can be summarily discarded solely for their imputed reputation, as for example the cruel Religious Right-Wing fanatics a