Enlightenment

When it comes to development of a liberal perspective, I believe there is a more profound discussion we need to take. 

It is about values. What do we really believe in. Virtue is at the heart of all political as well as personal development. According to Isocrates, virtue is the one thing you can never take away from a person. You can take away his health, money, friends, but you never take his good personality. So, in order to develop a liberal perspective, we need to understand what virtue really is in a modern world. Isocrates was, in btw. the philosopher who laid the groundwork for liberal arts, so we are at the core of liberalism. 

To me, it is quite simple. The one virtue that is the crowning virtue of all in a Democracy is freedom of speech. The first amendment. The very blood of free media, political discourse and power to the people. 

Free speech has basically two roots. One is the contemporary of Isocrates, Socrates, and his fight for free speech. Remember he chose to die rather than shut up. An idea reflected in the theatrical plays of Voltaire. 

The other root is the enlightenment philosophy of humanism. This is Egyptology, the lore of the ancient Egypt. You can also see this on the five dollar bills, with the pyramid, and the eye of Ra used by CBS. 

Each of these roots can tell us a bit about what Democracy should be today, and what we should do to develop the country.

Let us start with Socrates. Socrates was a simple man. He was not, like Isocrates, fond of making money, but was a bit of a wanderer. He had a keen intellect, and he challenged the taboos of society. He was ridiculed by many, as philosophers often are. But also accepted for his immense wisdom. What he did was to talk about the things people often did not like to talk about, because they were inconvenient. 

He is the father of media. 

With him we have investigational journalism, critics, thinkers, intellectual. We all look up to him as the ideal. 

Then there is the humanistic root. It is quite different in a way, but also has a bit of the same essence. 

Humanism is truly the lore of the temples of the city Heliopolis or On. Where the main G-d of ancient Egypt used to reside. The principal G-d of Egypt, the sun g-d Ra.

In essence, his power lie in the shining light of the sun, that is the truth. For New York, this is the hall mark of its creed. Symbolized by the Statue of Liberty. 

See, enlightenment gives freedom, especially freedom of speech. 

If we conform to these basic values, then we have a gateway to the other values. Because you can only live in the light, if you are honest, respectful, humble and live to serve. 

That is the point of Jesus Christ, he is the redeemer, because he is light. 

Let us start there. 

G-d bless the will to enlighten.

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