In the previous lecture, I elaborated on the Left / Right dichotomy in politics. In fact, current politics is simplified to the question "Are you Left or Right?"
In an equally simplified way, it means "Do you put your personal interests first or do you link your personal interests to the interests of the community first?
This made me wonder, where do these terms "Left" and "Right" come from? Why not Red and Blue or Rond and Square or something like that?
Some research revealed the following: As you know, today the terms “left-wing” and “right-wing” are used as symbolic labels for liberals and conservatives,
but they were originally coined in reference to the physical seating arrangements of politicians during the French Revolution.
The split dates to the summer of 1789, when members of the French National Assembly met to begin drafting a constitution.
The delegates were deeply divided over the issue of how much authority King Louis XVI should have, and as the debate raged, the two main factions each staked out territory in the assembly hall.
The anti-royalist revolutionaries seated themselves to the presiding officer’s left, while the more conservative, aristocratic supporters of the monarchy gathered to the right.
This debate was more or less the endpoint of a long history. At the core of the debate is the belief, that man is free by nature and that man has natural rights because of that.
This theme has never been away, but the growing popularity of natural law thinking in the seventeenth century
must be understood as a reaction to the moral and political skepticism that arose as a result of the Reformation and the ensuing wars of religion.
Natural law became a more attractive legitimization of power than the reference to god and the Bible.
But also in this debate, you see a right-wing and a left-wing. On the one hand, you have for instance Hugo Grotius (1583 - 1645), a Dutch lawyer,
who emphasized that man was naturally free and that political submission was essentially voluntary.
But he also made it clear that it was perfectly legitimate for this submission to be absolute. If people wanted to give up their natural freedom
in exchange for the greater security that a strong royal authority could provide, it was rational and therefore legitimate.
On the other hand, you had Spinoza who wrote in 1670: In a democratic state, no one completely transfers his natural rights to another so that he does not have to be consulted afterward.
Instead, he hands it over to the majority of the entire community of which he is a part. In this way, all human beings remain equal, as they were before in their natural state.
Thus, in the wake of Petrarch's invention of humanism, the ancient cult of liberty was revived, first in Renaissance Italy and later in other parts of Europe.
While other important intellectual changes, notably the Reformation and the rise of natural law, complicated the debate on freedom,
they did not ultimately steer European thinking about freedom in a different direction.
By the end of the seventeenth century, the idea that people could only be free if they were not dependent on the will of another
was so entrenched that we find confirmation of it in dictionaries of the time. Thus, according to the dictionary definition of the time, individual freedom could only exist in the midst of collective freedom.
The final outcome of this ongoing debate was a series of revolutions in Europe and Amerika at the end of the 17th century.
Thank you for your attention....
TABLE OF CONTENT -----------------------------------------------------------------
1 - 100 Philosophers 9 May 2009 Start of
2 - 25+ Women Philosophers 10 May 2009 this blog
3 - 25 Adventures in Thinking 10 May 2009
4 - Modern Theories of Ethics 29 Oct 2009
5 - The Ideal State 24 Febr 2010 / 234
6 - The Mystery of the Brain 3 Sept 2010 / 266
7 - The Utopia of the Free Market 16 Febr 2012 / 383
8. - The Aftermath of Neo-liberalism 5 Sept 2012 / 413
9. - The Art Not to Be an Egoist 6 Nov 2012 / 426
10 - Non-Western Philosophy 29 May 2013 / 477
11 - Why Science is Right 2 Sept 2014 / 534
12 - A Philosopher looks at Atheism 1 Jan 2015 / 557
13 - EVIL, a philosophical investigation 17 Apr 2015 / 580
14 - Existentialism and Free Will 2 Sept 2015 / 586
15 - Spinoza 2 Sept 2016 / 615
16 - The Meaning of Life 13 Febr 2017 / 637
17 - In Search of of my Self 6 Sept 2017 / 670
18 - The 20th Century Revisited 3 Apr 2018 / 706
19 - The Pessimist 11 Jan 2020 / 819
20 - The Optimist 9 Febr 2020 / 824
21 - Awakening from a Neoliberal Dream 8 Oct 2020 / 872
22 - A World Full of Patterns 1 Apr 2021 / 912
23 - The Concept of Freedom 8 Jan 2022 / 965
The Discussion
[14:14] herman Bergson: I guess Beertje is on het way ^_^
[14:15] herman Bergson: Hello Beertje ^_^
[14:15] .: Beertje :. (beertje.beaumont): sorry ik kon niet eerder komen
[14:16] bergfrau Apfelbaum: huhuu Beertje:-)
[14:16] Particle Physicist Bejiita (bejiita.imako): hi Beertje
[14:16] .: Beertje :. (beertje.beaumont) shouts: hi
[14:16] herman Bergson: I just told that the words Left and Right in politics came from the French Revolution. The delegates were deeply divided over the issue of how much authority King Louis XVI should have, and as the debate raged, the two main factions each staked out territory in the assembly hall.
[14:16] .: Beertje :. (beertje.beaumont): oops
[14:23] oola Neruda: again...... A wing that is only one is not a wing.... Vallejo
[14:23] Particle Physicist Bejiita (bejiita.imako): aaa there i got the story finally where right and left actually come from
[14:23] herman Bergson: Yes Bejiita...it was fun to find out :-)
[14:24] Particle Physicist Bejiita (bejiita.imako): Here in Sweden Right is indeed represented with blue (The moderats) and Left with Red (Social democrats)
[14:24] Particle Physicist Bejiita (bejiita.imako): then we also have "Vänsterpartiet" (the Left party)
[14:24] herman Bergson: In the Netherlands the liberals are also associated with Blue and the socialists with Red
[14:24] Particle Physicist Bejiita (bejiita.imako): also red
[14:24] Particle Physicist Bejiita (bejiita.imako): h
[14:24] Particle Physicist Bejiita (bejiita.imako): ah
[14:25] oola Neruda: it is dangerous to "fly" with only one wing
[14:26] Particle Physicist Bejiita (bejiita.imako): well thats true
[14:26] herman Bergson: won't work oola :-))
[14:26] oola Neruda: poetry.... symbolism...
[14:26] Particle Physicist Bejiita (bejiita.imako): im more on the red side though, the bue wants increased privatization and are mostly supporting the already wealthy
[14:27] Particle Physicist Bejiita (bejiita.imako): but thats the general category of the blue side everywhere
[14:27] herman Bergson: indeed
[14:27] Particle Physicist Bejiita (bejiita.imako): the extreme case being Trump
[14:28] herman Bergson: it is the dichotomy between IT IS MINE.....and SHALL WE SHARE
[14:28] Particle Physicist Bejiita (bejiita.imako): exactly
[14:28] Particle Physicist Bejiita (bejiita.imako): first is blue and second red
[14:29] herman Bergson: and this dichotomy runs through all history since the Greeks
[14:29] Particle Physicist Bejiita (bejiita.imako): ah
[14:29] herman Bergson: They invented the situation that sharing is more profitable than selfishness
[14:30] herman Bergson: In that context I was thinking about love today...
[14:31] herman Bergson: Love is in fact the ultimate balance between left and right in a person
[14:31] herman Bergson: the right-wing is filled with the dopamine caused by the admiration for you by the other
[14:32] herman Bergson: the left-wing is filled with the dopamine caused by your absolute willingness to do everything for the other
[14:32] herman Bergson: the magic of hormones :-)
[14:32] Particle Physicist Bejiita (bejiita.imako): hm
[14:33] herman Bergson: of course this mixture comes in many flavours :-)
[14:33] Particle Physicist Bejiita (bejiita.imako): i see
[14:33] .: Beertje :. (beertje.beaumont): ツ
[14:33] herman Bergson: Only perfect love is when the balance is perfect :-))
[14:34] Particle Physicist Bejiita (bejiita.imako): aa
[14:34] Alejandra Loza 24c (kotori24c) is offline.
[14:35] Particle Physicist Bejiita (bejiita.imako): issue today in poitics is its all binary, u are either 100 % blue or 100 % red and otherwise ur a traitor
[14:35] herman Bergson: Interesting...noone is commenting on this :-)
[14:35] herman Bergson: indeed Bejiita..there the balance is gone
[14:35] Particle Physicist Bejiita (bejiita.imako): yes
[14:35] herman Bergson: Even becoming dangerous
[14:36] Particle Physicist Bejiita (bejiita.imako): something is wrong with your head of not 100 % to either side seems to be the view and vision today
[14:36] herman Bergson: Maybe you know that bizar republican congress member Marjory Tailor Green...
[14:36] Particle Physicist Bejiita (bejiita.imako): if
[14:36] oola Neruda: priweo[pq0ptuio[pgteoir]e
[14:36] Alejandra Loza 24c (kotori24c) is online.
[14:36] herman Bergson: She publish an ad to promote herself as republican
[14:37] herman Bergson: the ad goes as follows...
[14:37] herman Bergson: you see her with a high powered sniper rifle and she is aiming at a car on which the word SOCIALISm is written...
[14:38] herman Bergson: then she says...This is what we do with socialism...and she fires the rifle and the car explodes
[14:38] Particle Physicist Bejiita (bejiita.imako): red and blue are bitter enemies
[14:38] Particle Physicist Bejiita (bejiita.imako): esp in US
[14:38] herman Bergson: This is a direct call for violence against Democrates some people concluded
[14:39] herman Bergson: really scary stuff!
[14:39] Particle Physicist Bejiita (bejiita.imako): thats why many say there will be a new civil war there soon between left and right.
[14:39] Particle Physicist Bejiita (bejiita.imako): (shudders)
[14:39] oola Neruda: not the first such "suggestion" that has been thrown out there.... re: guns and democrats
[14:39] Particle Physicist Bejiita (bejiita.imako): hmm
[14:40] herman Bergson: Liek the debate on natural tights against tyranny ended in revolutions in the 17th century. the US seems to head for a real civil war too again....
[14:40] .: Beertje :. (beertje.beaumont): Marjory Tailor Green.....she is green...not blue or red
[14:41] Particle Physicist Bejiita (bejiita.imako): with the republicans leading it with mr T and his maniac supporters in the frontline yelling CHAAAAAAARRRRGE!
[14:41] oola Neruda: not green either... that would mean she cared about the climate
[14:41] Particle Physicist Bejiita (bejiita.imako): (shudders)
[14:41] herman Bergson: No oola...Boebart with her Xmas wishes ...the whole family with assault guns in the picture..Merry Xmas
[14:41] oola Neruda: she only cares about herself
[14:41] herman Bergson: she does indeed
[14:41] .: Beertje :. (beertje.beaumont): strange person
[14:41] herman Bergson: oh yes
[14:41] Particle Physicist Bejiita (bejiita.imako): well if she is blue its no wonder, same type as trump, ego
[14:41] oola Neruda: ohhh she also cares about money and power
[14:41] herman Bergson: but so American Beertje
[14:42] Particle Physicist Bejiita (bejiita.imako): hmm
[14:42] herman Bergson: as long it is hers, yes :-)
[14:42] oola Neruda: me!me!me!
[14:42] herman Bergson: right...
[14:43] herman Bergson: there you see what the balance between left and right means....and what it means when it is out of balance
[14:43] oola Neruda: one wing does not fly
[14:44] oola Neruda: nor does the body it should be carrying
[14:44] Particle Physicist Bejiita (bejiita.imako): problem is there can never be balance between blue and red in US, thats like sticking a wire in an electrical outlet, TJOFF short circuit and a BIG fire when the poles meet
[14:44] herman Bergson: One of the strategies of Putin is/was to influence this balance in favor of blue in Europe by financing all kinds of right-wing groups here
[14:44] Particle Physicist Bejiita (bejiita.imako): red plus blue = war cause they hate each other
[14:44] Particle Physicist Bejiita (bejiita.imako): or idk
[14:45] Particle Physicist Bejiita (bejiita.imako): ar least there need to be more red then blue
[14:45] oola Neruda: so neither can work
[14:45] Particle Physicist Bejiita (bejiita.imako): hmm
[14:45] oola Neruda: wrong...
[14:45] bergfrau Apfelbaum is offline.
[14:45] herman Bergson: It has worked for some time until the whites in the US began to notice that they had to share more and more with other ethnicities
[14:46] oola Neruda: the ones caught in the middle are the ones who suffer
[14:46] Particle Physicist Bejiita (bejiita.imako): hmm
[14:46] Particle Physicist Bejiita (bejiita.imako): in the crossfire
[14:47] herman Bergson: This was all too much for Bergie, it seems
[14:47] .: Beertje :. (beertje.beaumont): ye she crashed
[14:47] Particle Physicist Bejiita (bejiita.imako): like a one winged plane
[14:47] Particle Physicist Bejiita (bejiita.imako): ㋡
[14:47] Particle Physicist Bejiita (bejiita.imako): hope back soon
[14:47] herman Bergson: ^_^
[14:47] Particle Physicist Bejiita (bejiita.imako): hehe
[14:49] herman Bergson: Well...at this moment we have reached the point in history that individual freedom in relation to the government becomes the core of the political theater
[14:49] bergfrau Apfelbaum is online.
[14:49] Particle Physicist Bejiita (bejiita.imako): wb Bergie
[14:49] oola Neruda: wedcome back Begie
[14:50] herman Bergson: But that will take some revolutions first in France and in America
[14:50] .: Beertje :. (beertje.beaumont): Wilkommen Apfelchen
[14:50] herman Bergson: There she is....\o/
[14:51] bergfrau Apfelbaum: pfff :-) difficult birth
[14:51] herman Bergson: more or less it seems ^_^
[14:52] Particle Physicist Bejiita (bejiita.imako): aaa
[14:52] herman Bergson: ok...on to the French Revolution...let's chop off some heads in the next lecture ^_^
[14:52] .: Beertje :. (beertje.beaumont): ieuw
[14:52] Particle Physicist Bejiita (bejiita.imako): (gets my angle grinder ready)
[14:52] Particle Physicist Bejiita (bejiita.imako): hehehe
[14:52] bergfrau Apfelbaum: grins
[14:52] herman Bergson: Ok...
[14:53] herman Bergson: thank you all again...time to enjoy a sunny weekend (At least at my place in RL :-)
[14:53] herman Bergson: Class dismissed....
[14:53] .: Beertje :. (beertje.beaumont): at my place too ツ
[14:53] Particle Physicist Bejiita (bejiita.imako): ㋡
[14:53] Particle Physicist Bejiita (bejiita.imako): nice
[14:53] oola Neruda: it's dark here
[14:53] herman Bergson: yeah Beertje
[14:53] bergfrau Apfelbaum: Thank you Herman and class:-) happy weekend!
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