So let us continue to understand this in other terms…
the Kantian idea and enlightenment idea of self-determination
that one frees themselves of dependence upon authority…
now think of authority as being “instincts”… self-determination
means rising above authority, instincts, to become more human.
Nihilism is the negation of human beings and their values.
By self-determination, we rediscover what it means to be
human and what our values is and ought to be.
Instead of following authority, which is the following the
lower instincts, we rise above those instincts and become
aware of our higher values. We rise above authority and nihilism
and become who we are by our knowing thyself and then
a reevaluation of values and then becoming who you are……
the process may be individual, but the gain is society’s gain,
we then become aware of the common good by our understanding
who we really are. We see how we benefit and gain by our
inclusion to society and the benefits of our social inclusion outweighs
any loss of freedom. From our new understanding of who we are, means
we can begin to pursue values that are the real values of being human,
not false security which can’t really be achieved but by the pursuit
of justice, which is equality and that can be achieved……
Our understanding of who we are means we can engage with the values
that aid in finding and understanding what it means to the “common good”.
To engage in the modern pursuit of our addiction of wealth and materialism,
means we go deep into ourselves, but to find the common good, we must
reach outward, we must become aware of and interested in what benefit
and helps the society at large… because without that society at large,
we individually cannot survive. we are dependent upon that society at large,
and so it is in our best interest to engage with and improve that society at large,
even when it cost us something, something like some of our freedoms.
but our sacrifice is not in vain when we aid and benefit the society at large.
Unlike when we sacrifice for the pursuit of wealth and the ism of ideology,
for there is no personal or society benefit when we sacrifice for the
the pursuit of wealth, we just are engaging in the negation and nihilism
of our self and our values………
Self-determination is the means by which we can understand
the real purpose and role of our individual self… we can
see what values are the values by which we can truly become
human… the higher values, the farther away from instinctual values
is the closer we become to becoming human, fully human…
What values are your values?
You can only find that out by no longer accepting
the words of authority. Engage in finding your values
by self-determination… and then become who you are…
Kropotkin