Which is most important to you? Freedom, Equality, or Order?

[IconBasser]

I started AP government this semester, and the 1st chapter dealt mainly with the concepts of

Social Order (The apex being akin to a police state, w/ zero crime)

Equality (The apex being communism)

Freedom (The apex being Anarchism)

and how these three are balanced within governments.


So which is most important to you, both individually and globally?



Freedom takes my vote, I think that freedom is the single most important essence of Humanity: That we all have the power of choice to carry out our lives in the ways that we as individuals deem appropriate. The deprivation of the cogency of free will is (IMO) the most monstrous crime any society can commit.

 

[mike_v_s]

As is the point in this kind of exercise, I'm not sure I could put one before the other.

Mike

 

[Nyarlathotep]

I prefer Carrotism

 

[Joe Gress]

One can not exist without the others. I would say all three are most important with none taking more importance over the others.




In other words, Carrots.

 

[jonathan_matos5]

I prefer Carrotism

One can not exist without the others. I would say all three are most important with none taking more importance over the others.




In other words, Carrots.

Carrotism the preferred government of Flying Spaghetti Monster.

 

[steve21]

Freedom.

 

[hbarcat]

I started AP government this semester, and the 1st chapter dealt mainly with the concepts of

Social Order (The apex being akin to a police state, w/ zero crime)

Equality (The apex being communism)

Freedom (The apex being Anarchism)

and how these three are balanced within governments.

I completely disagree with the premise, here, about these three systems representing the "apex" of their respective concepts. Did this come from your textbook?

I would say that these concepts would be more accurately described as Law and Order, Equal Opportunity and Liberty. They all exist as a package deal within any Constitutional Democracy and it makes no sense to separate them.

 

[Deluge Of Sound]

As is the point in this kind of exercise, I'm not sure I could put one before the other.

Mike

I agree with mike_v_s.

More importantly, social order totally undermines equality. If you've got a social order, you don't have equality, and vice versa.

 

[armywalaby]

I agree with mike_v_s.

More importantly, social order totally undermines equality. If you've got a social order, you don't have equality, and vice versa.

Took the words right out of my mouth.

 

[Beno]

Most definitely freedom.

 

[jugoziithouu]

Bacon power!


Nah freedom..

 

[rap138]

with all respect, how do you guys define freedom?

 

[GeneralElectric]

Given the options I'd rather have 4 boxes full of pr0n DVDs.

Actually... make that 4 boxes full of blu-ray pr0n.

 

[mike_v_s]

To those that are choosing one of the three: how are you deciding? What situations are you envisioning that make the choice possible?

Specifically, by putting freedom before equality, you are saying you're willing to give up some of one for the other. Now assume that, if your priorities of the system would implemented, you end up on the short end of the equality stick.....is freedom still the most important to you, especially considering that putting freedom before equality has resulted in you having less freedom?

And that's my point. This exercise is basic and there is no real answer. There's not even real choices. It's a discussion question you get in school designed to get people to think about all of the aspects of the subjects and how they relate to eachother.

Mike

 

[KrisH]

with all respect, how do you guys define freedom?

Freedom = opportunity

Equality = equal opportunity

Social Order = framework for restrictions on opportunity?

It's all a matter of perspective . . .

 

[bassrique]

Freedom = opportunity

Equality = equal opportunity

Social Order = framework for restrictions on opportunity?

It's all a matter of perspective . . .

Many see "equality" [an illusion anyway] as equal outcomes. Order and equality have been used [at the expense of liberty] to murder and enslave countless millions by authoritarian regimes.

 

[rap138]

and not in the name of freedom?

 

[mike_v_s]

The fact that freedom is blowing out the other two choices in a scenario where putting one option first necessarily limits that option for another group just goes to show how good our education system really is. I also find it laughable that "social order", a condition necessary for people to enjoy or even have the other two, has received one vote. ONE.

I'll tell you why. Because no one ever started a war claiming social order was the reason. No one ever got famous for saying "Give me social order or give me death". No one champions social order. It's not a good catchphrase. It's not romaticized in film or in print. It doesn't look good printed next to the American flag. Here's the truth, though. without social order, you can write "freedom" and "equality" on two pieces of toilet paer and wipe your *** with them, because that's all they will be worth.

Mike

 

[Joe Gress]

Yup. Good point mike.

 

[spencer]

"Not everyone in a society abides by a set of personal values or the group's norms all the time. For this reason it is necessary for a society to have authority."

and i don't vote for social order because social order means obeying authority wether there right or wrong because in who's eyes are they wrong? your so your essentially loosing freedom

just because you need all three doesn't mean you there arent different levels of each. There never completely balanced and I would take freedom over social order.