Understanding Friendship, Freedom, and Social Concepts
Friendship: A Natural Bond
Friendship encompasses natural tendencies, sociability, and love. Types of friendship include those based on utility, pleasure, virtue, and civil connections. Self-esteem is crucial, stemming from wanting and being accepted. It involves self-evaluation, reflection, and active listening.
Benefits: Acts of Kindness
A benefit is something given freely. Types of benefits can be essential, useful, or convenient. A true benefit is a benevolent action that brings pleasure to someone, given with gratitude (as Seneca noted). A problem arises with ingratitude, which leads to distance and isolation. Standards for benefits include:
- The Golden Rule: Give as you would like to receive.
- Reciprocity: The giver should forget what they’ve given, while the receiver remembers what they’ve received.
- Promptness: Giving at the right time.
- Selflessness: Giving without prejudice.
- Amount Provided: The extent of the benefit.
- Intention: The spirit behind the giving.
- Personalization: Tailoring the benefit to the individual.
Freedom: The Happy Trails
Freedom and happiness are intrinsically linked, feeding on each other. Foundational freedom stems from intelligence, capacity, and work. It inherently involves decision-making. Types of freedom include individual (imperfect) and personal (perfect) freedom. External conditions may limit us, but they do not determine us; they condition us. This distinction is crucial. Freedom entails responsibility and consequential actions. Fear of decisions can hinder the pursuit of the right path. Fighting for freedom is essential, as illustrated by the Myth of the Cave (representing a lie).
Equality and Fraternity: Pillars of Society
The French Revolution (liberty, equality, fraternity) highlights fundamental freedom and equality. The Welfare State echoes these principles, basing its policies on freedom and equality. An obsession with equality can be problematic. Gender inequality exists, but individuals are inherently different. Individual freedom encompasses political (mental), economic (emotional), and servile (bodily) aspects. Natural inequalities exist in individuals, including intelligence.
The Relationship Between Equality and Justice
Justice means giving everyone their due, embracing diversity, and harmonizing differences. Confusing justice with equality creates injustice. Contribute to the common good. Fraternity is more personal and difficult to legislate. Fraternity, equality, and justice reflect characteristics of the human person. Human rights apply to all people.
Tolerance: Embracing Diversity
Tolerance relates to diversity, addressing aspects where an evil is perceived. Tolerance (sharing) differs from respecting (the person). A limit exists where we move from a lesser to a greater evil. Tolerance is based on what is good.
The Covenant: Social Agreements
The covenant reflects the natural sociability of humankind. Pacts enable sociability, making life more comfortable and concretizing relationships. For example, marriage. The EU Constitution is an example. A covenant is a legal declaration that guarantees relationships or social interactions. It should be explicit and concrete. Characteristics include:
- Freedom: Implies control and requires externalization.
The pact creates something new, requiring fidelity over time. It aligns with culture. Examples include the Old Testament covenants of Noah, Abraham, and Moses. Social covenants represent a union with the divine, based on horizontal relationships between people. The compact is vertical (with God) based on horizontal (between people).
Law: Guiding Principles
Law is a written policy (or not) that regulates behavior. It shapes our perception, sometimes negatively. It holds social importance, blending with social conscience. It legalizes reality and reflects the order of nature. We perceive it as order, regularity, and harmonious relationships. Law regulates and orders an act or operation for its own well-being, promoting balance. Understanding the law is crucial. Types of law include:
- Global or Eternal
- Natural (General)
- Civil
Two poles exist: impermanence (variable) and permanence. The law represents the permanent within the impermanent. Acting well means applying the spirit of the law. When we see the good in law, we respect it.
Authority and Power: Influence and Capacity
To have power means having the ability to dominate. Authority rests with those who command. Knowledge stems from recognizing authority in a field. Authority (knowledge) differs from power (capacity to act). Authority is earned and can be lost. Today, we often confuse authority with power:
- Applications transfer.
- The importance of opinion counts as actually being able to do something.
Corruption corrupts both authority and power. Familiarity with reality gives us more authority to wield our power. A person who corrects gains authority.