Jefferson declared open war, not on anarchy, but on all forms of tyranny over the human mind. In this sense, America's fathers were intellectual "anarchists" in that they dispensed with papal and monarchical authority in favor of Democracy and "the will of the people." They dispensed with all forms of external authority so the people might think for themselves. But, they were not anarchists at all in the sense that they worked for a common, agreed-upon cause, Democracy and freedom from religious tyranny and oppression.
To place the highest emphasis on human values and human knowledge, to place the highest value on the nourishment of human rights rather than law or ethics, is not to open the doors to anarchy, it is to close the doors to tyranny. It is to open the doors to Democracy, as a proud example of a collective anarchy, when the people take control of their own government.
Dr. Gerry Lower lives in Keystone, South Dakota in the shadow of Mount Rushmore. He is published in the areas of molecular pathology/oncology/epidemiology, medical theory/philosophy/ethics, and global philosophy and ethics. Gerry has recently returned from Ukraine where he presented several papers on the values of science and democracy at the Kiev Medical Academy. His primary concern is the development of a rigorously-definable global philosophy and ethics suitable for a global democracy. This article is originally published at opednews.com. Copyright Dr. Gerry Lower, but permission is granted for reprint in print, email, blog, or web media so long as this credit is attached.
