Authors A-E
Authors F-J
Authors K-O
Authors P-T
Authors U-Z
|
The Principles of Cooperative
Individualism
Cooperative Individualism is the name
given to a unique socio-political philosophy as well as the basis for
citizens of any society to establish a system of law that secures and
protects individual liberty, equality of opportunity and human rights.
The building blocks of Cooperative Individualism are the principles
that appear in the column to the right. Read them. Study them. Give
them serious thought. Let me know whether you concur that these
principles are consistent with your moral sense of right and wrong.
|
- That, all persons share the same
species-specific characteristics and have a similar need for the
goods (e.g., adequate food, clothing, shelter, nurturing,
medical care, education, leisure, culture and civic involvement) for
a decent human existence.
- That, we join together in society to
enhance our ability to acquire such goods and for our mutual
benefit and enjoyment.
- That, the source of the material goods
necessary for our survival is the earth, equal access to which
is the birthright of all persons, as is the full enjoyment of what
individuals produce therefrom.
- That, liberty is the basis for
moral human behavior, inherent in which is the constraint that such
behavior in no way infringes on the liberty of others.
- That, human behavior falls outside the
realm of liberty and within the realm of criminal license
when such behavior violates the liberty of others.
- That, the orderly functioning of society
requires the granting to individuals of licenses that
distribute privileges not enjoyed by others. To the extent such licenses
come to have exchange value in the marketplace, this value is
acknowledged to be societally-created. Justice requires, therefore,
that society collect this value as a fund for equal distribution to
all members of society and/or for societal expenditures
democratically agreed upon; and
- That, a society is just the extent to
which liberty is fully realized, equality of opportunity
prevails, criminal license is appropriately penalized, the
full exchange value of economic licenses is collected for
distribution and/or societal use, and the wealth produced by one's
individual labor (directly, or indirectly, with the assistance of
capital goods) is protected as one's naturally rightful property and
not subject to taxation or other forms of confiscation.
|