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> and I think we agree that if the goal of everybody in a society is to live a quiet life, there will be no progress That's actually where it gets really inter
by _heimdall 2y ago
> and I think we agree that if the goal of everybody in a society is to live a quiet life, there will be no progress
That's actually where it gets really interesting though. Progress isn't absolute, it's relational and requires first defining the goal. If one's goal is to live a quiet life where they minimize their dependence on others, living in a cabin in the woods and finding their solution for food and water is progress. That obviously doesn't fit for a larger society where the goal is generally increasing dependence and trust on the larger society, but neither is right or wrong.
- pessimizer 2y agoIf one's goal is to live a quiet life where they minimize their dependence on others, it is incumbent on them to figure out how to keep anybody who wants what they have from just coming in and taking it. That requires a society. Your deed to your land is civilization. Part of societal progress is making it so that deed can be trusted to keep people from just taking your cabin in the woods and throwing you out. This has to be negotiated with the people who would want to take your cabin in the woods and throw you out.
- _heimdall 2y agoSure, living with greater self sufficiency requires taking responsibility for either protecting it or accepting if it is ever taken from you. Responsibility is a fundamental requirement of freedom though, there's no way around that.