Politically active newsgroup readers might know I also contribute to a
newsgroup called seattle.politics. I have said so before. Today, I
learned that two contributors to that newsgroup, who, I assume, are
American, apparently don't hold the beliefs expressed in the first
paragraphs of the US Declaration of Independence. Here is that text:
" When in the Course of human events, it becomes necessary for one
people to dissolve the political bands which have connected them with
another, and to assume among the powers of the earth, the separate and
equal station to which the Laws of Nature and of Nature's God entitle
them, a decent respect to the opinions of mankind requires that they
should declare the causes which impel them to the separation.
We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created
equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable
Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of
Happiness. --That to secure these rights, Governments are instituted
among Men, deriving their just powers from the consent of the
governed, ..."
These lines express a philosophical view that is fundamental to my
own. These lines express beliefs that I hold. I don't hold these
beliefs because I was indoctrinated with them. I have examined them,
several times, and I have decided that I do believe them, because
their meaning resonates with me. That is all I can say about that.
So I asked those two other contributors to explain what they do
believe, given that they don't believe what is expressed above. Of
course they can believe whatever they believe. I just think it is
interesting, and important, to hear what other people hold as their
true foundational beliefs. One of the two has not responded yet. The
one who responded seems to be trying to avoid actually nailing down
what he does believe. I don't understand that. I think it is important
to know what you actually do believe.
So I thought I would ask the same question here and see what happens.
If you don't hold the philosophical view expressed in the US
Declaration of Independence, what philosophical view do you hold
instead? Note that one need not be American to hold the view expressed
in the DOI. There is nothing American about it, but the DOI is one of
the foundational documents about what America means. Well, that's what
it's supposed to be about anyway.
So, if you don't believe that bit about the self-evident truths, what
do you believe instead?