Libertarian, the metaphysical radical

 

Libertarianism is well known political philosophy promoting the high degree of freedom in both the economic scale and the social scale of the Political Compass. In another word, Libertarian is known to be the economic right wing and the social left wing. While Libertarian reveals a remarkably unique characteristic in terms of politics, it also takes a notable position in terms of the philosophical spectrum. Libertarian perspective of the subject of philosophy called metaphysics is in an extreme side of its spectrum.

Metaphysics focuses on how and why the world is constructed and structured as well as how human individuals' actions and minds take place, are influenced by, and affect the others and the world. The spectrum of the metaphysical perspectives is spread between the determinism and its opposition. 

The extreme side of the determinism regards that individuals' mind and their action derived from it are purely dependent on the outside influences. Therefore, there is only one world so that there is no such a thing as a parallel world while the fate determines how the world and individuals living there. In such a view, the free will of individuals is irrelevant to exist because their mind and actions derived from it are simply determined by means of the complex flow of the world and its fate. 

Most of the philosophical perspectives accept there is some degree of freedom from the determined factors, which allows to change the predetermined outcomes to a certain extend within restriction imposed by fates and inevitability. Despite many inevitable factors determining their minds and actions limiting individuals' free will over their life and surrounding environment, there are still non-determined factors available to change with their will. 

Even politically radical theories stand on somewhere between these two sides of the metaphysical perspective. The notable materialist political philosophy Marxism describes that individuals' minds and actions are predetermined by means of the historical inevitability even though it highlights the emerging will of the proletariat class individuals. Owing to this theory, individuals' minds and actions are not quite derived from individuals' free will. These individuals will of changing their living condition is derived from their material needs and wants, which have been suppressed through the history, rather than the proactive free will. 

On the other hand, Libertarianism defies this materialist view because it regards highly of the free will of autonomous individuals which stimulates individuals' minds and actions instead of their frustrated material needs and wants.  It also explains that their free will is detached from the influence of either their material conditions or the externally derived factors. By means of its theory (regardless of its feasibility in real), the will of all individuals is free and independent from their material as well as externally influences. Therefore, each individual has her/his own influencing power over their life, their surrounding environment, and their destiny.

Libertarians also challenges another materialist theory called Capitalism although they are often categorised into the identical political spectrum. The material Capitalism affirms that their self-proclaimed objective factors such as the market force derive individuals even though they are politically free. Under Capitalist philosophy, individuals are stimulated by the material profitability in the market force. 

By contrast, Libertarian claims for a freedom from such a materialist motive even if it may incur the loss for gaining something more than their instant materialist gain which they pursue for their own unique purpose. Libertarians cling to a freedom to live independently from not only the political cohesion but also from the market force if it does not deserve their will. 

Moreover, Libertarianism is radically spiritualistic despite its strong social and moral political principle. What Libertarians call the free will is nothing more than a spirit, the non-physical element forming individuals' characteristics, not highly dependent on their physical conditions or any outside materialistic influences. In an individual's mind is completely independent from the materialistic influence, there must be some non-physical element driving this individual. This is often called spirit in general.

As similar to religious/spiritual thinkers, Libertarians believe in and count on the power of  spirit which they call the free will, which may eventually enable them to alter the shape of their personal traits as well as their world environment.  However, there is a notable difference between Libertarianism and the majority religion/spiritualism. Libertarianism avoids agitating the mass individuals with a superstitious belief because it leaves a room for each individual to think of their own belief within their own mind. Furthermore, the distinctive spiritual thought of Libertarianism is that each individual spirit lives in each detached own spiritual universe so that it is totally different from a conformist type of spiritualism which many religions are based on. 

Libertarian word view describes that each parallel world universe exists per each autonomous individual's will so that the infinite number of the parallel worlds as the products of these free wills thus exists. Libertarian perspective insists on the extreme side opposed to the determinism. It explains that the world is the product of the complex interactions of actions and minds derived from the free wills of individuals.  In another word, the unlimited number of the parallel world exist due to the  complex entanglements of the multiple interactions of the free wills. 

All in all, considering the Libertarian perspective, Libertarian distinctively rejects any theory describing individuals will is reactive to the deterministic forces. In reality, majority of Libertarians tend to compromisingly admit that there are still various obstacles preventing individuals' will from fully controlling themselves and their surroundings such as their naturally limited capability and compatibility as well as unpredictable spontaneously occurring events. 

Nevertheless, they still keep the radical metaphysical view, fundamentally regarding highly of the power of each individual free will, as their fundamental principle of their philosophical thought.   Their fundamentalist perspective is radically opposed to the metaphysically determinism so that Libertarianism certainly stands on the edge of the metaphysical perspective spectrum. 

Hence, Libertarians are perhaps the most metaphysically radical thinkers among all the philosophers when it comes to metaphysics.

 

Crypto currencies based on the Block-chain technology e.g., BItcoin and the P2P networking are like Stirnerism in economy and finance!

 

The crypto-currencies are recognised as a double-edged blade for economy; it will stimulate economy with its innovative force whereas it also disturbs economy by challenging the already established stable system.  A famous astrologist has warned that these crypto-currencies will face a huge catastrophic shock in their market. 

It might be called an anarchist revolution in the world economic and financial systems. In particular, Stirnerism can be explained as the blockchain P2P network like Bitcoin. 

 

Frankly speaking, Stirnerist socio-political structure can be compared to the network of the blockchain like the one used in the cryptocurrencies such as Bitcoin.  This network system does not have any central server monitoring the entire system as a control tower.  

Instead, each individual computer calculates and verifies the interactions and actions among the community utilising this network system.  This is called the peer to peer (P2P) network where their application architecture is distributed among these individual computers.  These individual computers participate in their tasks and workloads as the peers.  The privilege and the equipment are equally distributed among these peers, and there is no authorities overriding their rules of activities. 

Like this P2P network, Stirnerian socioeconomic model requires the high competency level of all individuals participating in its socioeconomics. Like the P2P computer network system, all the participants must have a reasonably high specification level to cooperatively sustain the entire network structure. Each individual must be knowledgeable about the fair judgement and aware of their self-responsibility of contributing to their public goods and services (I.e., the free ride must be prevented with the best effort).  

 

The P2P network system of both the blockchain and Stirnerism face the identical characteristics of their challenges. This P2P system still need to tackle issues of managing of data serving and access authentication.  Establishing an centralised system is efficient to store and serve the collectively used data, services, and public goods because maintenance can be concentrated on the limited places.  By contrast, the P2P network requires all agents to share the same responsibility of maintaining, managing, and updating their quality of what required to prop up this whole entire system.  

 

In the past when the information technology is not developed as much as nowadays, there has no civilisation having succeeded in establishing such an individualist mutualist anarchist society like Stirnerism even for a short time period.  This is simply because it was unimaginable.  By contrast, Stirnerism has become imaginable to establish to the certain extend by comparing the socio-politics with the hard scientific technology since the introduction of the blockchain and its P2P network. 

There is an expectation that engineers and scientists develop the current P2P network system to transform it to the more efficient and manageable alternative. This innovation expected in the future will be beneficial to continue this currently ongoing revolution of decentralising the structure of both the information technologies and political science.

Stirnerism: The most theoretically completed but the least feasible political philosophy

 

Max Stirner is a political philosopher who invented the idea and the logical construction of individualistic anarchism. This essay comprehensively refers to his political philosophy as Stirnerism. Stirnerism is a unique theory which challenges not only the other non-anarchist political theories but also all the existing anarchist theories. At the same time, Stirnerism seems to be the most theoretically completed but the least feasible political philosophy to implement in real.

In terms of the mainstream political analyses, the establishment of anarchist state falls into either the communism rejecting the private property right and the monetary economy or the survivalist capitalism where none provides the re-distribution of the wealth even when the monopoly oppresses the mass. By means of the feasible policy implementation, it is more likely to end up with resulting in such a state. Stirnerism attempting both protecting the private property right and preventing the wealth monopoly by few.

Stirnerism claims for relinquishing not only the hereditary monarchy and aristocracy but also the nation state itself as well as the entire legal system propping up it. This is the characteristics shared with the other forms of anarchism.  In contrast to other forms of anarchism, Stirnerism distinguishes itself from the contemporary anarchism by insisting on preserving the private property right for each individual and the market economy as a form of their freedom of exchange and choice. It appears each individual's own right to materially deserve her/himself and their own natural desire and own freedom of choice as one of its fundamental principles. Stirnerism regards that the existence of nation state government hinders individual freedom and right instead of protecting them.

 Stirnerism also claims for preventing the monopoly by few hijacking the pure free market economy to protect majority individuals' right to enjoy their freedom and right. In another word, it insists on discouraging another form of government, such as a monopolistic corporation and an organised criminal faction, monopolising both economy and society. This is what John Maynard Keynes thought of with the government positive intervention by reforming its governance instead of abolishing it. By means of economic and social policy, Stirnerism and Keynesian share the similar quality despite their complete characteristic difference. 

To accomplish these Stirnerist attempts, the existence of the cooperative which is sustained by each individual's voluntary contribution to a public administration. The efficient and fair administration of public goods and services will be the key to accomplish Stirnerian deal which is identical to Keynesian policy. Stirnerism replaces nation state government with an alternative operatable form of governance without a nation state, which is the spontaneously established cooperative by the voluntary union of individuals.

This problem which this public sector model based on the cooperative faces is that it requires the high competency level of all individuals participating in its socioeconomics. Like the P2P computer network system, all the participants must have a reasonably high specification level to cooperatively sustain the entire network structure. Each individual must be knowledgeable about the fair judgement and aware of their self-responsibility of contributing to their public goods and services (I.e., the free ride must be prevented with the best effort).  

Instead of one or few authorities commanding the majority to do what they have got to do in their daily life, the majority mass have a lot of responsibilities as an exchange for their freedom and right.  These mass individual must be enlightened enough to look after themselves and be knowledgable and responsible about forming a contract with the other individuals.  In another word, individuals have to be aware of themselves as social beings who are responsible enough to accomplish their social duty as their exchange for living there with their autonomic freedom and right. 

Overall, having taken these issues into consideration, Stirnerism sounds really ideal whilst it also sounds a lot of works to implement in real. More than the other political philosophical theories, it requires almost all individuals participating together to be enlightened enough to understand  and fulfil the required specification necessary for Stirnerian P2P style social contacts.  Perhaps, some future technological advancements may provide individuals with the solution to enable it to be feasible. Hence, it is still challenging to put Stirnerism into practice in real world even though it is still a very attractive as well as interesting theory worth considering for its implementation.

ETH plunging

I have once though that the depreciation of ETH has been caused by the entire crypto market situation. But, as I suspected the faster depreciation rate of ETH, I had a quick research on the endogenous cause of ETH depreciation. 

I found out that the ICO (Initial Coin Offering) demand has substantially dropped this year so that Ethereum's demand itself is now experiencing a massive fall out. 

By referring to a certain YouTuber's advice in his channel, I switched the majority of my ETHs to BTCs as there is still a growth expectation of the blockchain business and the crypto currency technology. 

I left only a few ETHs in case Ethereum may recover to the certain extend. However, I suspect the entire alternative (crypto) coins including ETH and the other emerging crypto currencies will keep facing a plunge at least for a few days. 

 

Tolerating Uselessness

The article entitled "Useless" was posted last time. Its attempt was to prove the uselessness should not treated as a sin and it can actually be a virtue with reference to Taoist teaching. This is an emerging crisis labelling individuals to ostracise them with the useless label, which Prof. Yuval Harari has warned of in his book "21 lessons for the 21st century". Taoism is indeed innovative enough to appreciate the uselessness and the lack of the conformity required for industrial socioeconomic structures. This project is designed to be a salvation for individuals labelled as useless as well as non-conforming. 

The current socioeconomic structure has become more capital intensive than the past. Employees and clients tend to require individuals to be equipped with multiple high skill-sets demanding money and time as well as their talents including efforts, innate abilities, and fortune to be in a right environment to achieve it. It has become materially more convenient with remarkably rapid technological innovations deriving the microeconomic advantages for firms and fortunate talented individuals. By contrast, the rest majority individuals are less likely to enjoy their microeconomic advantages while losing the equality of the opportunity to increase their income, seek better employment, and drastically improve their lifestyle.

The emerging crisis of labelling individuals as useless does not only take place in Capitalism but also in Socialism which regards highly of bearing social responsibility for all individuals. As a matter of fact, Socialism insists on participating in increasing the productivity and individuals' conformity to achieve it more than Capitalism because its productivity is demanded for deserving the whole society. Therefore, the problem of the social exclusion can be intensive in Socialism where none can be free to isolate themselves from conforming to their society. 

Almost all the political and moral philosophies having existed in the world regard of uselessness as the negative characteristic of individuals. They also insist that individuals should bear their responsibility for being non-conformists themselves without seeking supports from other individuals and society. These philosophies affirm there is a socioeconomic model with its standard which individuals are ought to comply with to achieve what they regard highly of. 

By contrast, Taoism is extremely unique as a political and moral philosophy adapting a tolerant perspective in its political and moral philosophy. The element of these academic subjects is intensively the Yang 陽 (light) kind claming for consistency, good-will, order, and perfection. When individuals and their society too much cling to accomplishing what these academic subjects insist on, it disturbs the balanced harmony of the natural world because the Yang 陽 element becomes excess. In order to maintain the balance, it requires to accept the Ying 陰 (shadow) element representing ambiguity, necessary-evil, passiveness, and, most importantly, tolerance. 

Perhaps, the socioeconomics had better focus more than usefulness for achieving their material prosperity and the philosophical and moral perfection. It had better re-evaluating the importance of slowing down the unbalanced growth among individuals and their living environments as well as tolerating the imperfection of how individuals and their society shape themselves. Instead of expecting all individuals to comply with their standard, the socioeconomic should rather take account of the factor that there are individuals unable to either be useful for the society standard or conforming to the social structure. 

All individuals are endowed with something necessary to be born in this terrestrial world by birth although nobody can be sure what it really is. It is extremely arrogant to judge an individual as no worth to live in the world as though someone were pretending to be the creator often called God pleaching. Uselessness in the terrestrial world has the use which is unable to be known by means of the mainstream terrestrial human standard. There are still several matters in this terrestrial world nature which human individuals do not yet know. 

On the other hand, there is an advantage for individuals to be useless. It means that they are less likely to be exploited than those who are treated as useful. Taoism refers to a tree with a distorted shape having survived without being chipped off as a resource. The existence of a tree is already helping to supply oxygen by its photosynthesis and taking a part of the dynamic natural environment. Furthermore, as explained in Taoism, this distorted shape can be comfortable to lean onto to be relaxed with. Judging from this story, an individual labelled as useless and/or non-conforming should be proud of her/himself instead of feeling miserable or giving up her/his life.

Having considered these matters, the tolerance seems to be the key to accept individuals labelled as useless. Instead of either abandoning them being excluded from the society mainstream or forcing them to conform to the socioeconomic standard, it might be feasible not to artificially fix the problem so promptly. As Taoism teaches, individuals had better lean how to be passive to the freely flowing spontaneous natural flow of how their surrounding environment changes. Moreover, everyone should be proud of themselves without being either arrogant or miserable. All in all, useless is just one shape existing in the natural world so that it has its own freedom to exist.

Light Opposition: Buddha was born on the full moon day

Buddha was born on a day of the full Moon which means Moon forms the opposition to Sun according to the astrological aspect. Whereas people usually have some romantic soft mood of the full Moon, it is the hard aspect by means of the astrology. Well, the story of individuals born on the day of the full Moon explains the hard life of Buddha.

In terms of the astrological aspect characteristics, Sun and Moon are so called "Lights" which indicate the core personality of an individual through their life. Sun represents the  entire life plans and values of an individual and their surrounding world social environments. Moon represents various internal characteristics and qualities of an individual such as mentality and innate personality originally endowed by birth. When these Lights from the soft aspect together, what the world environments and society and their own mind are in the harmony. By contrast, when these Lights from he hard aspect together, their mind faces the challenges from the world environments and society. 

In particular, one of the major hard aspects, the opposition, enhances this challenging life situation because it is literally opposing to their mind and innate personality. This challenge works as a good element training and improving this individual with this aspect if s/he is well-aware of her/himself. Furthermore, this aspect, the opposition, is in fact the best aspect to clearly and intensively pointing out the quality of the opposing sign from another. When Lights from the opposition together, it enables this individual's mind to become sensitive to feel something questioning and needing to change in their life and terrestrial world clearly and intensively. In another word, it is the best at enlightening their mind in the world.

These individuals with their natal Lights opposition tend to have a dynamic lifestyle with various challenges coming from both their internal mindset as well as their surrounding external factors. Many of them tend to relocate their place of living and seek challenges drastically reforming their life. It is really convincing that Buddha was born with this hard aspect of his natal Lights, and this is indeed an encouraging story for those endowed with this Lights' opposition aspect including myself.

In conclusion, the natal hard aspect especially of Lights (Sun and Moon) seems to enable these saints to realise something deep in their own life as well as their terrestrial world they have been dispatched to. This indicates that those individuals endowed with the hard natal aspect by birth are capable to challenge and overcome from various hardships and enlighten not only themselves but also the others with a brand-new innovative perspective. Hence, we should feel positive about our life facing hardships explained by the astrological hard aspect.