Re: Individual Freedoms

Natasha V. More (flexeon@primenet.com)
Mon, 26 Aug 1996 18:59:09 -0700 (MST)


At 08:55 AM 8/26/96 +0100, Sarah Marr wrote:

>Quite some time ago, Natasha More wrote:
>
>>Has anyone recently on this list explored the concepts of individual
>>freedoms from the perspective of individual freedom being unlimited?
>>
>>I am having varied ideas concerning unlimited freedom and am in the process
>>of reexamining how I view my own "unlimited individual freedom". I am
>>beginning to think that I was incorrect in even using the phrase and that
>>instead of it spurring my own continual process of growth, it might be
>>stifling it.
>>
>>How do Extropians view individual freedom and do Extropians think that
>>"unlimited" is an incorrect or unnecessary or redundant word to use in the
>>phrase. Would "maximum" be better?
>
>I must say that I'm not sure about either 'unlimited' or 'maximum'. The
>former seems to exclude personal choice in restricting one's own freedoms in
>some desirable way, whilst the latter opens the possibility of others
>restricting one's freedoms in undesirable ways.

I agree with you regarding "unlimited", and I think I was originally
incorrect and inaccurate in my looking for a stance as an underpinning of
how I do and will approach my own individual freedoms.

Maximum, I do like. I will have to give it careful thought and see if it
restrict one's freedoms. I'm not sure that it does.

>I think 'dynamic individual freedom' sums up my approach to the subject: I
>wish to define my own freedoms to suit my own worldview and have the
>flexibility to manipulate and alter those freedoms as that worldview changes.

I didn't think to use the word "dynamic" in this phrase. I use it often when
referring to optimism, i.e., "dynamic optimism" (and as an Extropian
principle). I like what ideas it conjurs up. Thanks for the suggestion, Sarah.

Natasha Vita More
(f/k/a Nancie Clark)
http://www.primenet.com/~flexeon
"The best defense is an artful offense."