Identity and Morality
Authority is inherent with identity. You have authority over your identity. You have authority over using your legs because they are yours — authority, or rights, are found in self-ownership. All social understandings of morality is based upon this, explicitely or implicitly, intentionally or accidental.
Mainstream Acceptance
Both conservative and progressive beliefs are based on this concept of authority.
Progressives believe that it is wrong to legislate morality, like banning pornography, homosexuality, etc. They believe that you have a right over your own body to do what you like, at least to a certain extent. Their standard for the limits of this right is fuzzy at best.
Conservatives believe it is wrong to violate what they call “individual rights”, though exactly what those rights are is never really understood, accept through the lens of tradition or, to paraphrase, “If’n it was a good nuff for my grandaddy, it’s a good nuff fer me.” Conservatives adhere closely to the authority-identity philosophy in terms of economics — especially in terms of individual property rights. You own your land, so no one has a right to it. Again, the extent of the self-authority is fuzzy at best.
Basically, both philosophies just kind of randomly make up utter philosophical crap and adhere to it for socio-cultural reasons.
Mainstream Rejection
Progressives dislike the self-ownership/identity-authority principle in regards to property. They support individual restrictions, often confiscations, and other ideas for the sake of the “common good”.
Conservatives love to attack progressives for being collectivists. The conservatives are hypocrites. Conservatives typically take a similar approach, only they reject the individual nature of moral principles, and conclude that because others are affected, use of force is justified. For the sake of national-well being (collectivism of sorts — not all collectivistic principles are unjustified, but I find this one to be philosophical suicide) it is justified to ban pornography, homosexuality, etc.
Non-Political Implications
I find that morality transcends politics. If it’s wrong for me to rape a girl, it’s wrong for the cop to do it. If it’s wrong for me to shoot first and ask questions later, it’s wrong for the government to do it. (read: yay due process!)
This means that what makes sense in terms of us finding self-authority in our identity in the political arena also means that this principle works for non-political issues. Church, business, etc. Just think about it.
This was … random and nerdy.
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Great post, Shaun! You’re so brilliant!
{what? you told me to comment on more blogs.}