Politics, Ethics, and Freedom: A Philosophical Examination

Politics, Ethics, and Freedom

Politics concerns the governance of citizens. Politics and ethics share a common objective: ethics seeks individual welfare, while politics aims for the collective well-being of the people. According to Aristotle, humans are social and political animals; only beasts and gods are apolitical. Politics enables us to live in society rather than as savages. However, the problem lies in determining who should rule. It's challenging to identify who should hold power because the majority can sometimes impose a "tyranny of the majority," where individual or minority interests suffer. The division of powers (legislative, executive, and judicial) emerged from the 17th and 18th centuries to address the problem of corruption and the concentration of power.

Many scholars have questioned whether humans would be better off without rules (anarchy). However, it seems that anarchy is unsustainable; survival requires standards. Two major theories exist regarding the state. Hobbes argues that humans are inherently evil, and society civilizes them through rules. "Homo homini lupus est" (man is a wolf to man). Humans lived in a cruel and selfish state of nature, characterized by bloody and ruthless anarchy. They decided to create a non-aggression pact, and the state emerged from this covenant. Rousseau, conversely, asserts that humans are naturally good and that society corrupts them. According to Rousseau, we must form a new society governed by the people through a social contract. This contract would govern citizens and subjects, potentially restoring happiness and establishing the state.

The state holds a monopoly on the use of force. The army and police, known as "state security forces," work for the state. Individuals renounce the use of force, granting that power to the state. Ideally, this benefits everyone, as only the state can use force in accordance with our laws. Security forces must comply with laws, which are conventional rules adopted by citizens and can be moral or immoral.

Ethics is a critical reflection that aims to be objective and neutral about different moralities. Morality is the set of prohibitions and obligations that define what is right and wrong. Our morals, which are related to our education, dictate our understanding of right and wrong. We speak of morality when we act according to the dictates of our conscience.

Conditioning implies influence, where an option is highlighted, but you remain free to choose. Determining implies force, where you lack freedom.

Free Will: If freedom exists, despite conditioning, there is a self that decides. Determinism: No freedom exists. We are all determined by society, education, biology, etc. There are three kinds of determinism:

• Cosmology: Universal laws that determine human development (e.g., tarot).
• Theological: God knows what will happen while affirming human freedom.
• Scientific: Through intense scientific study, human behavior can be predicted.

Without freedom, there is no morality. If there is no freedom, accountability is impossible, which is why many people fear freedom. In the 19th century, liberalism, a school of thought that defended freedom above all else, emerged. John Stuart Mill, a prominent representative, famously stated, "My freedom ends where another's begins," defending individual freedom against state power.

Relativism: This philosophical current claims that all value is relative to the individual. All values depend on context; there are no absolute or objective values. Nothing is inherently good or bad; it depends. Absolutism: The opposite of relativism, arguing that moral values are absolute, not relative, and not dependent on any circumstance, like mathematical values. Pluralism: Maintains the diversity of opinions, perspectives, and values, without one predominating. However, all values must respect human rights in all cultures.