Philosophers have thunk on how to achieve the “Good Life” for an embarassingly long time. And yet it remains elusive for, I think it’s fair to say, the majority of the world’s population (Africa and India being as populous as they are).
How about these goals as the basis for the Good Life:
1. The self-reflexive human being;
2. The honourableness of work;
3. The equality of fortunes;
4. The identity of interests;
5. The end of antagonisms;
6. The universality of comfort;
7. The sovereignty of reason (one of my faves);
8. The absolute liberty of wo/man and of the citizen.
Sounds pretty amazing, no? Guess who wrote that? You never will, unless you know anarchist thought, and then you’ll say, but of course, my dear, that is Proudhon, the French political philosopher and original anarchist thinker, in his book, General Idea of the Revolution in the 19th Century.
In addition to the above goals, or principles of the new French society Proudhoun envisioned, he outlines the “forms of activity” this society will take:
a. Division of labour, through which classification of the People by INDUSTRIES replaces classification by caste;
b. collective power, the principle of WORKER’S ASSOCIATIONS, in place of armies;
c. Commerce, the concrete form of CONTRACT, which takes the place of Law;
d. Equality in exchnage;
e. Competition;
f. Credit, which turns upon INTERESTS, as the governmental hierarchy turns upon Obedience;
g. The equilibrium of values and of properties.
Hmmmm. An anarchist talking about commerce and competition? Who knew?
And how’s this for a truism: “God and King, Church and State; these have ever been the soul and body of conservatism” (247). Amen – ahem – right on.