For most people, death is not the end. An immortal part of one's essence transcends to another plane. Belief in an afterlife is very widespread, and is central to the Abrahamic religions. Indeed, the early Christians had a complete disdain for anything to do with concern of this world: possessions, the keeping track of time and the bearing of children. They yearned for the end times which they believed to be right around the corner.
Another very frequent early Christian belief, one shared with Buddhists and a surprising number of people in the west today, is reincarnation. Although the early Christian factions that won out ruled the belief in reincarnation heretical, it is still a belief held by millions, including many Christians, non-affiliated spiritualists and agnostics. The belief in reincarnation is only slightly different to the belief in a permanent afterlife in another plane. The difference is that you return to this self same plane. This still requires an immortal life essence. It is complicated by the fact that this essence needs to enter another host at birth. Indeed, for some there is a fixed number of living souls in the universe, queuing up in the ether for empty bodies.
These beliefs and beliefs that the world or the universe itself is somehow permanent or rotating and eternal all have a common thread: they are irrational. That might sound harsh and even mean, but that is a word I picked deliberately. Following a reasonable and rational argument, one cannot find any evidence or purpose for an immortal living essence, a soul. If the universe did contain such extravagant complexities it would require a much more complex explanation of the physical universe around us. Latching on to a more complex and elaborate explanation to fit the same observations is irrational. Reason and truth are not compatible with such sentimental fancies.
Fine then, one might say, I don’t have reason on my side, I have faith. Faith is by definition an unexamined and therefore an irrational belief system. I don’t personally have a problem with people having irrational beliefs. This, believe it or not, is not an attempt to turn anyone atheist, but the foundation for my main argument: the importance of the pursuit of happiness. If indeed this life is all we have, then limiting someone’s life can be understood to be a terrible, even eternal, crime.
The ultimate limitation on life, is death. Death is a limitation that is built into life, hence its finite nature. Ending someone’s life and thus limiting even further the what is already so short, is the worst thing you can do. Short of that, limiting the parameters of someone’s life, by locking them in a cage or amputating one or more of their limbs would be runner-up in this sordid hierarchy. Indeed every limitation in the duration or quality imposed on someone’s life should be, and often is, regarded as a crime.
In this way, we can understand the basic immorality of preventing people from having the widest range of freedom possible when it comes to pursuing their own happiness. Happiness as they see it, not how it is seen by anyone else. And to pursue that happiness, not to have it given to them. Of course we must limit that pursuit of happiness in some important ways. To prevent us from impeding the short, precious lives of others is the most obvious. Other details and complications arise around minors, animals and the mentally challenged. There is a lot to work out on the margins. What is clearly outside the margins in my opinion, is the interference and perversion of the pursuit for the aims and perceived benefits of third parties. Taxes, wealth redistribution, licensing, censorship, subsidies and many other government actions change our behaviour, limit our options and confiscate the fruits of our labour.
This is the fundamental problem with using government force, rather than market exchange to solve our problems. Our free decisions are limited by government policy, our choices perverted by government incentives and a large percentage of our property is confiscated for uses other than those that are of our choosing. You might think that this is necessary, even essential. If essential, it is still tainted by our robbing people of their hours and their options. Understanding this, we can appreciate the wisdom and the kindness of using this crude force as little as possible, apologise for doing it and continually seek ways to reduce the impediments imposed on people enjoying the only rational purpose of life: to make of it what we can and what we want.
Mellieħa, March 25th 2019
TLDR: Incentive schemes and taxation are crimes against our limited lives
