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Anton Pototschnik, born 1980, is chairman of the NGO teamfreedom (teamfreiheit.info).

For several years, he has been courageously and persistently involved with the preservation of European values and freedom. The plastics engineer lives in Graz, Austria. Thomas Pototschnik, born 1977, studied art history and German studies in Graz. Since then, his research was mainly focused on socio-political developments in Central Europe and was based on extensive insight into the occidental history of mind. He is the founder of the upcoming science magazine Causality, which aims to go beyond the limits of existing magazines that stop, wherever it finally begins to be really interesting. What unites the two brothers from Austria is their technical and pragmatic approach. Their general aim is to explore how things really work. A common quest, which made them discover the hidden blueprint that lies beneath the development of free societies.

Anton Pototschnik Thomas Pototschnik

The hidden BlueprinT of freedom


Free SocietieS dont appear out oF thin air

Bibliografische Information der Deutschen Nationalbibliothek Die Deutsche Nationalbibliothek verzeichnet diese Publikation in der Deutschen Nationalbibliografie; detaillierte bibliografische Daten sind im Internet ber http://dnb.d-nb.de abrufbar.

First Edition: October 2011 2011 by Thomas Pototschnik Cover design: Anton Pototschnik Translation from German: Andreas Kllensperger Printed and published by Books on Demand GmbH, Norderstedt ISBN: 9783839126776 All rights reserved!

Acknowledgment
This book would not have been possible without many helping hands. We want to thank especially: Brigitte for her invaluable help on many levels, Stefan, who thanks to his academic studies in history provided the historical background, Renate for helping us with the cover and layout and adding the female touch in general, Hannes our computer expert, Andreas, Karin, Eva, Bea and Oliver for the creating most of the graphics, Othmar for his support during the first steps of this project, Daniel, Dylan, Jen, Claudia, Johanna and Nina for the English translation, and all supporters and members of teamfreedom for the inspiration and energy.

Dedication
This book is dedicated to those who understand that free societies do not appear out of the blue, but that freedom cannot be achieved without actively fighting for it freedom is not for free. May those people with their critical minds verify the assumptions described with logic and build on historical facts on their own. This book is dedicated to all free, self-determined and independent people. And to the ones who want to achieve those qualities.

TaBle of ConTenTs
Foreword Different ways to see the world Our current situation The hidden blueprint of freedom The nature of the problem What is a value anyway? Short explaination of the basic European Values Explanation of the individual values Step 1 Humanistic thinking Step 2 Rationality Step 3 Secularity Step 4 Rule of law Step 5 Democracy Step 6 Human rights A gradual buildup History repeats itself Ancient democracy and the Middle Ages? 8 9 12 23 24 24 26 29 29 34 38 42 45 49 54 61 67 How can a change in world-view occur? Developmental steps from the Middle Ages until today Findings Relevant historical facts From Mythos to Logos From Logos back to Mythos Living conditions before the 6 fundamental European Values were re-established? From Mythos to Logos the long way back Security mechanisms of our contemporary free societies Europe at the crossroads The boxer The solution of the problem Citations Bibliography 70 72 76 81 82 90 94 96 113 125 129 135 141 148

Foreword
History teaches mankind that history does not teach mankind anything Mahatma Gandhi Already in school I liked the subject history and as a child I was thinking: People go through the same experience again and again, because they make the same mistakes again and again. Throughout the history of humankind a system of repression was established and this system was always built on the same structure. This understanding is actually nothing special. However, what is special here is the perception that systems of freedom are always designed in the same way as well. In the course of the centuries the manual for building up and establishing a system of repression was passed on exclusively amongst the royals as a so called rulers knowledge. The manual for building up and establishing a system for freedom is presented to you in this book for the first time.
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Different ways to see the world

differenT Ways To see The World

Different ways to see the world


Who am I? Where did I come from? Where do I go? Who or what is deciding my destiny? Do I have any influence on my destiny? The answers to these questions can be very different depending on the way we see the world. Let us explain the differences of these three world views by using a simple example:

How do I interpret the world?


Already people in ancient Greece explained the world in three different ways:

Why does the apple fall from the tree?

Mythos: The reason is divine fulfilment!

Chaos: It is coincidence!

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Different ways to see the world


Logos: There are laws of nature that make the apple fall from the tree. As time went on, humans started to understand the logic behind things. What had been divine magic, or inexplicable before was now interpreted as the causal interaction of gravity. The big differences in these three ways of interpreting the world becomes apparent with the following question: Who is responsible for my destiny? Extreme A: Mythos An outer power controls my destiny. I place the responsibility for my destiny in the hands of an outer power (god or gods). Extreme B: Chaos Everything happens by accident. It is not possible to control ones own destiny. I put the responsibility for my destiny in the hands of situations that occur simply by accident. The golden mean: Logos Everything happens by accident. It is not possible to control ones own destiny. I put the responsibility for my destiny in the hands of situations that occur simply by accident.

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Different ways to see the world


In the same way the difference explained above becomes apparent when looking at the way people are dealing with their own problems or the crisis in Europe. We expect that outer powers or authorities (god or politicians) solve the problems for us and lead us out of the crisis. Since the problem is too big and too complex, I as a single person, cannot do anything at all. And that is why I dont care. Every problem has a cause and when there is a cause, there is a solution as well! If we find the cause for the crisis, it often seems that an outer power or some authorities have led us into these crisis. Having understood this, we will find out easily that no one else will solve our problems if we hesitate to take care of it ourselves. 12

Our current situation Winter is coming


Analysing our own situation is not an easy task. It is much easier to see the situation of others. There, we immediately see that the cause of their problems is no coincidence. When someone brought him or herself into a difficult situation it is clear to us that he or she should try to get out of it as fast as possible on his or her own. It makes no sense to wait for Gods help or a miracle. When it comes to analyzing our own behaviour it seems much harder to see things as clearly. Why? Because we do not have the distance that is necessary to see things in a neutral way. And analyzing our own society is even more difficult for us. To make things easier for you we have chosen a figurative example to describe the current situation in Europe: WINTER IS COMING! In the cycle of seasons: spring, summer, autumn, and winter follow each other, one after the other.

Different ways to see the world Where do we stand today?

Our world is constantly changing! The transformation of summer into autumn is noticed by us only in small stages. Fear-mongering is not useful but, the same way a captain checks his ship for leaks and damages, we ourselves have to check our societies for its weak points. Comparing the levels of development of high cultures with the different seasons, the peak of a society with a variety of individual rights and freedom represents

the shiny summer in our analogy. In this zenith, human growth, arts, culture, education, technology, philosophy, justice, democracy, and freedom are highly developed, society is blossoming. The start of the decay can be compared to autumn, where freedom gets lost in the same way the leaves lose their colour and eventually fall down to the ground. Winter is the time of repression, ice-cold without any human growth a time that is highly uncomfortable. 13

Different ways to see the world


In order to put an end to such a situation brave women and men are needed to fight for freedom and improvement in the cold of the winter. Thus, change is set in motion, the first liberties and basic rights start to grow again like the small delicate flowers of spring.

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Different ways to see the world


Most of us grew up at the peak of our free democratic societies in Europe. Many are thinking that this summer will last forever. This is the reason why we see the upcoming autumn as a temporary time of bad weather, which sometimes also happens during summer. In contrast to the inevitability of seasons we ourselves can determine how long such a period will last and what its consequences are. In times of change (spring and autumn) there is always the possibility of a development in two different directions. How rare and precious free societies are:

How many periods of summer have there been during the history of humankind?
The homo sapiens, todays modern human, has existed for approximately 200,000 years. Only during 0.1 % of these 200,000 years have there been periods of summer, i.e., about 200 years. The first summer of humankind occurred in the ancient world, namely, democracy in Athens (462-322 BC). The second summer of humankind exists in western democracies from the 1960s until today.

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Different ways to see the world


For almost all of the remaining time, about 198.000 years, humans lived in repressive systems in incredibly long winter periods (approx. 99 %)! Spring and autumn as transitional phases can hardly be defined and all in all might amount to no more than 0,9 % of the time.

How can we avoid the descent?


By understanding three things: 1. Our actions led us to where we are today. Our actions today determine our destiny tomorrow! 2. Everything flows! There is no such thing as a standstill! If we dont advance in our development, we will go down. 3. But in order to advance, we need to know how the cycle and its processes work.

Why such long winter periods?


Winter has the capacity to defeat spring. Europes first democracies were extinguished by the Fascists after World War I. If summer is followed by a winter it is serious! In Antiquity, Athens and Rome used to be humanistic centers. After a long decline they became religious centers again with Rome as the center of the Catholic Church, and Athens as the center of Greek Orthodox Church, with corrupt politicians and mafia-like structures continuing to today.

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Different ways to see the world How can summer force back autumn?
Summer in turn can fend off autumn by repairing security mechanisms that have become brittle. The easiest way would be to not repeat the mistakes that were made in the first autumn of mankind in antiquity. The mistakes made then (as you can read in the chapter: Relevant historical facts) as well as today were these: 1. People do not know their history! They no longer know their own values that these free societies are built upon!

Antiquity

Today

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Different ways to see the world


2. Moral decline, decadence

Antiquity Today 3. Political disenchantment. Those entitled to vote no longer go to the elections! People give politicians a free pass to do whatever they want!

Antiquity 18

Today

Different ways to see the world


4. A threat from within or from outside

Antiquity: Germanic & Gallic tribes

Today: Terrorists

5. The call for a strong man who is expected to solve the problems for the people.

Antiquity: Julius Ceasar

Recent past: Adolf Hitler 19

Different ways to see the world


6. The emergence of a strong theocentric worldview from the Middle East, whose followers rapidly multiply in Europe.

Antiquity 7. Political issues become more religious again.

Today

We know the end of the Roman Republic: Caesar ends the threat to Rome by the Germans, but doesnt return his special powers and proclaims himself ruler for life. So he becomes the first in a long line of Caesars to come. Later emperors form an alliance with Christianity and together they create the social, religious and political model of the Middle Ages.

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Different ways to see the world


Today, just as in the first summer of mankind in Antiquity, people think: 1. The value system of our free society will never be lost! After such a summer there will never be winter again. The reality after ancient times: The Middle Ages with its totalitarian political, religious and economic system - never before had Europe been exposed to such a brutal winter. The reality today: If the monitoring capabilities against terrorists that are deployed nowadays are going to be used by the state to monitor its own citizens, an unprecedented totalitarian state would arise. Since the attacks of 9/11 people are already monitored preemptively and the beast State Security police is ready to burst out of its cage. 2. Since I think that our value system cant possibly disappear, I do not need to know it is Europes underlying values that are responsible for its exceptional position! As fighters for the preservation of our present freedoms and rights we are trying to draw your attention to the following: 1. The autumn has already begun. If you look around, you will see many signs of the transformation. But if we act wisely and quickly, we can win back the summer. 2. Read here how todays value system of our free society emerged! How the cycle of seasons and its processes work. And feel free to check what you read here in relevant history books.

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The hidden BlueprinT of freedom

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The nature of the problem


Every society looks back upon its own history and has consequently derived its own set of values from it. A common set of values unites the individuals, and therefore a society comes into being. If the individual members are no longer aware of the fundamental values of their society and the historical provenance of these values, the society loses its glue. Most people in Europe take history lessons in school, but only few could name the most basic European values. When a society loses a sense of their values, it will not be able to protect and preserve this foundation of the social structure. Due to a lack of knowledge, previously highlyesteemed institutions and achievements are no longer perceived as such. When someone cannot draw a comparison between now and then, he / she experiences the momentary status quo as a matter of course, as the obvious normal condition. As a result of lacking historical knowledge, many members of our European societies are no longer aware that the momentary normal condition concerning the social structure and civil liberties has developed over centuries, in many cases has been hard fought for 24

and relies on the foundation of certain well-defined values. If the knowledge about our values and their significance is lost, we will simultaneously lose the foundation of our free, modern and democratic European society.

What is a value anyway?


One could simply state: A value arises from a ranking. By undertaking such a ranking, a society for example decides which value is more important than another. But this kind of ranking is not a conscious, active decision that we make by desiring or rejecting something; it is rather an unconscious, passive affection due to a predefined, subconscious imprinting developed within ourselves mainly via our education, religion and culture. The accumulations of values are therefore not just superficial assessments or wishes that could be abandoned easily due to a logical objection; they are rather our deeprooted emotionally loaded imaginations about something valuable and desirable.

The hidden blueprint of freedom


All individual commitments to values define which values are respected within a society and which are proscribed. The commitments to values within our thoughts influence our actions, and our actions form our culture. In thought and action, European Culture is formed by European values. Values are the fundamental elements of the culture; they define the meaning and significance for the people within a social system (society.) The rules and norms of a society are derived from its values. From this point of view, it becomes clear that values have a deep significance for the respective social system due to the fact that they significantly influence, control and regulate this social system. Plainly said: values are the foundation of a society! It is quite possible that specific values of a certain culture may seem worthless, abominable, deserving of persecution or scorn or illogical to people from other cultures. As the values that are deemed important by someone and even what is considered of value at all, is initially predefined by the culture in which the concerned person has grown up. What does the term Basic European Values mean? The general term of European Values often also includes achievements of European arts like painting, architecture, literature, music and the like. The term Basic European Values however contains only the very essential and elementary values from which the fundament of our free, modern and democratic society has evolved.

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Short explaination of the basic European Values


The European high culture developed in six stages: The 6 most basic European Values. These six European values together add up to a fully developed Humanistic world-view. The humanistic world-view has its origin within the times of ancient Greece in antiquity and was resurrected during the Renaissance the rebirth of antiquity and the rebirth of humanistic thinking that followed. The fully developed humanistic world-view evolves on the basis of the six stages mentioned above. At the same time, these six stages are the Fundamental European Values building the foundation for our advanced European civilization that we live in today, and all other European values can be derived from them. The humanistic world-view starts with the thought of giving value to a human being (humanistic thinking) and ends with the thought of giving value to all people (human rights.) It is a world-view made by the people for the people. 26

The hidden blueprint of freedom

figure: These six european values together add up to a fully developed humanistic world-view

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Was this humanistic world-view of any benefit? Simply put: it fulfilled the wish for Liberty, Equality and Fraternity that Europeans had over thousand of years. History also shows that first a basis needed to be built, upon which this revived wish (during the French Revolution) could be fulfilled, step by step. As a result of humanistic, rational, and secular thinking, laws of freedom were established and could be implemented for the first time due to constitutional legality. Democracy transformed the two-tier society of rulers and subjects into one class of people with the same duties. Human rights turned all our fellow human beings into brothers united within one land who share the same rights.

figure: how liberty, equality and fraternity could be realized in europe.

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Explanation of the individual values


Step 1 Humanistic thinking
The Latin word humanus means humane, people-friendly, educated, cultured. The Latin word humanitas means humanity. Todays humanistic thinking is reintroduced by the age of humanism. Humanism indicates a way of thinking and acting that is based on the educational ideal of Greek and Roman antiquity. This ideal is characterized by an awareness of the dignity of the human being. During the age of Renaissance, this spirit was rediscovered and revived. The initial development of todays European values is represented by a turning away from the theocentric world-view (God being everythings center) of the Middle Ages. What follows is an orientation towards the anthropocentric world-view of the modern era. Anthropos comes from the Greek and means

man. This world-view therefore puts man in the center of everything. The well-being of individual people increasingly becomes the focus of thought and action.

figure from the theocentric world-view of the middle ages to the anthropocentric world-view of today.

Some examples to illustrate the impact of this new way of thinking The view of the world changes: Before: Theocentric view of the world; that means God is the focus of thought and action. Afterward: Anthropocentric view of the world; that means the human being is the focus of 29

The hidden blueprint of freedom


thought and action. This means that the focus is directed more towards the individual, but the idea of a God still remains. The standard by which everything is measured changes: Before: God is the measure of all things! Afterward: The human being increasingly becomes the measure of all things! His/her actions and aspirations are no longer inferior in comparison to Gods glory. Individual development becomes possible: Before: The human being can only develop within his religious determination. Afterward: The human being can develop independently of God or his/her gods. This development emerges from education; education develops from experience and awareness gained by studying nature. This is the starting point for individual development, self responsibility, and universal education. Education becomes a human value: Before: education must be prevented otherwise godliness diminishes! Afterward: Humanistic education of antiquity becomes the ideal. The human being can elaborate through education and has the ability to cultivate and develop him/herself. If you wanted to know something about the world: Before: Studying the bible brought awareness and knowledge. Afterward: This knowledge should be developed by studying nature (natural sciences begin to form.)

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From a collective to a free individual: Before: every individual is insignificant personal living conditions are God-given. Afterward: happiness and wellbeing of the individual human being and society are the highest values, which now should become the benchmark for all actions. Human individuality should be able to develop freely. Every individual is to gain self-determination regarding his/her own living conditions. Personal responsibility begins: Before: In a collective (being a Kings subject or part of the flock of believers), the human being had no personal or individual responsibility. Without individual responsibility and self-dependent actions which also include the decision-making process no one is able assume responsibility for ones own actions. If misfortune befalls a collective, also the cause and guilt is therefore related to an outer enemy or power. The collective thinks that others must be plotting against it (conspiracy theory). Afterward: The individual is self-dependent and responsible for his or her own actions! Where happiness is found: Before: The transformation of everyday suffering into happiness and joy only begins in the afterlife. This means that this happiness and joy can only be expected in a heavenly paradise after ones death. Afterward: The transformation of everyday suffering into happiness and joy already begins in this world since the knowledge gained through education changes everyday suffering.

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Development from the Middle Ages until today

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Which changes regarding state and religion did humanistic thinking bring about? Changes due to humanistic thinking about the state: One leaves the collective of subjects and becomes an independent individual in relation to the state. Changes due to humanistic thinking about religion: One leaves the collective of believers and becomes an independent individual in relation to religion. One can evolve also outside of the borders in thought and action, that religion imposes, e.g. through the study of nature. How is the concept of humanistic thinking misused? It is misused by public institutions: Communism, which defined religion as the opium of the people, is based on Humanism. No, collective ideologies like communism are not humanistic systems, because communism relies on the 33 collective and not on well-instructed and developed free individuals. It is misused by religious institutions: The value of a human is based on the fact that s/he was created by God in his/her own likeness. No, every person gains the value of a human solely because of his/her existence as a human being. This means that every human is valuable, regardless of which god s/he believes in or whether s/he believes in a god at all.

The hidden blueprint of freedom Step 2 Rationality


The Latin word ratio means reason, intellect. A rationalist bases his/her philosophical explanation of the world primarily on reasonable reason and rationality. They applied reason to all areas of everyday life, exposing superstition and starting a scientific revolution. Some examples to illustrate the impact of this new way of thinking Reason stands above faith: Before: Gods omniscience stands infinitely far above human reason. Afterward: Human reason more and more refutes the conveyed omniscience of God. A new way of decision making becomes possible: Before: Faith must be chosen as the ultimate source of decision. A decision made on the basis of reason is not welcomed. Afterward: Reason becomes the ultimate source of decision. Century-old restrictions get suspended: Before: Human reasoning and acts are restricted by religious dogmas and totalitarian rules.

conclusions. Rationality denotes an attitude, which considers rational thinking, i.e. thinking determined by reason, as the sole source of insight. Rationality means that a statement can be judged by its value and not on the basis of the authority of the person or institution who made the statement, or on how many others agree with this statement, or on the fact that the statement is attributed to any kind of god. Rationality includes the ability to unmask arguments as being false even when they are said to be God-given. Linked with the Greek tradition of logical debate, the rationalistic principle is applied in many contexts and also forms the core of scientific work. In the Age of Enlightenment, Descartes and other philosophers and scientists based their thinking on 34

The hidden blueprint of freedom


Afterward: The use of reason overrules religious and absolutistic bans on free thought and acts. What is identified as good? Before: The Bible defines what is good. Afterward: Good is defined as reasonable. Basis of Evaluation Before: Evaluation occurs on the basis of the Bible and religious principles. Afterward: Evaluation occurs on the basis of a rational consideration of the situation. Development from the Middle Ages until today

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What changes concerning state and religion has reasonable thinking (rationality) brought about? Changes due to reasonable thinking about the state: It should be allowed to critically question the ruling system of the grace of God, in all of its aspects, via rationality. Changes due to reasonable thinking about religion: It should be allowed to critically question the Christian doctrine, all dogmas and even the existence of God, via rationality. It should also be possible to further question the historical context and the different weight each dogma had throughout church history. (What were the reasons that one dogma was especially important at a certain time and others more or less irrelevant, and why was it the other way around at other times?)

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How is the concept of rationality misused? It is misused by public institutions: Authority must be trusted blindly! No, since the meaning of this conclusion is more important than the person or institution who made this statement. It is misused by religious institutions: Human rationality is a gift of God No, since a human being possesses rationality regardless of which god s/he believes in or if s/he doesnt believe in one at all. Rationality is important as long as this does not cause a conflict with religion. In case of doubt, religion must be always rated higher than rationality. No, since in case of doubt, rationality must be basis of decision. Exemplification: Though the fact is well known that condoms can prevent one from being infected with AIDS, religious Catholics are not allowed to use this protective measure even in high-risk regions in Africa. In this case, rationality could save the life of 37 of human beings, but the religious dogma causes the exact opposite. A rationalist could never accept such a dogmatic rule.

The hidden blueprint of freedom Step 3 Secularity


Secularity = separation of religion and state affairs. Secularity means to separate public and religious bodies by law the separation of politics and religion, of state und state church. Development from the Middle Ages until today Compared to a religious human being, a secular human being can be characterized by the fact that s/he practices religion only in a private sphere and also knows how to discern Godly politics from worldly politics. Compared to a religious human being, a secular human being can be characterized by the fact that s/he respects human laws and defines religion only as a mean for personal and private development. Compared to a religious human being, a secular human being can be characterized by the fact that s/he does not have to follow religious laws made by God or men via the grace of God. S/he also must not fear any punishment from a religious authority. A secular human being is bound by the laws of his/her state that are made by humans. It is part of his/her personal freedom to conform to religious regulations or not. Religion no longer has to interfere with the reasoning and actions of individuals involved; it should not declare any bans on thinking and behavior. It is the personal choice of an individual whether s/he adheres to religious rules. Nobody can be forced to participate in religious activities or be punished if s/

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he doesnt do so. Religion is a private matter and has to be subordinated under all circumstances to the constitution and rule of law. The task to interpret the world and its phenomena lies solely with reason. Just the clear mind can always develop new ways to adapt to the constantly changing conditions around us and find the right solutions. Secularization could only emerge by using rationality, since rational thinking was the only way to expose religious dogmas. That was the reason why, later on, the wish arose to regulate social life by using reasonable instead of dogmatic rules. The separation of religious and worldly power was increasingly desired, thus making way for secularity to be implemented in Europe. This strict separation of religious and worldly power is exceedingly important for our society today due to many reasons: If religion possesses political and social power, it is a very human trait that those who possess such power will want to keep it. This ambition is of course problematic, since the structure of belief that legitimizes this power must be adhered to by all means. If religion possesses political and social power, science becomes a threat to this power: if science with its accumulated knowledge can reveal that a religious dogma is illogical, the religious rulers lose all legitimization for their regulations and laws. Only the strict separation of worldly and religious power can assure that science can work freely and become able to support the development of our society. This separation is exactly the reason for the economical, technical and social success story of Europe! Furthermore, this separation is the cause that the rules we developed for our society are made by human beings. Thus human beings can again change these laws and adapt them to new changes or developments. This also means that rules exist for humans, and humans do not exist for rules. When religious authorities determine laws and regulations for living together in a society, these laws are always refer to God. Since God is considered to be infallible, these laws and regulations are also usually not modifiable. These laws then become a large burden and limitation for a society, especially when they become obsolescent. Imagine the laws that have their roots in medieval times being carried out today, e.g 39

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the religious legislation of Sharia law in Iran: stoning for adultery and chopping off a hand for theft. Legitimization of worldly and religious power: Before: National church and national regime legitimate one another. Afterward: The rulers of a state have to be legitimized also by the people. The church is also legitimized by the community of believers. Religious interests and demands: Before: Christianity has both clerical and worldly interests and demands. Afterward: Christianity only follows clerical interests and demands.

figure: Coronation of the emperor by the pope. secularity is the divorce of the marriage between secular and religious power.

Some examples to illustrate the impact of this new way of thinking Influence of religious rules: Before: Religious rules and regulations affect both the public and the private sphere of peoples lives. Afterward: Religious rules and regulations affect only the private sphere of peoples lives. Influence of religious thinking: Before: Political and religious thinking are the same, i.e. they pull in the same direction. Afterward: Political and religious thinking are separated. 40

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What changes concerning state and religion has secular thinking (secularity) brought about? Changes due to secular thinking about the state: The ruling system and its leaders are legitimized not only by God but also have to seek for legitimization from the people. Before, a chosen one came into power as a ruler and was legitimized by a religious institution. Now the rulers or army commanders have to receive their legitimization also by the basis, e.g. by concessions of the people etc. Changes due to secular thinking about religion: Religion must not have any influence over politics and becomes solely a personal private affair. From now on religious institutions are not more than religious institutions, and they are not political institutions either. Religious leaders no longer play a political leading role. For a political leader, there is no need to be crowned by the church. Political decisions do not have to correspond with religious concepts or dogmas thus making it possible to respond to changing life conditions in a better way. How is the concept of secularity misused? It is misused by public institutions: Laicism is practiced secularity. No, since laicism just means that a state has stipulated the separation of state and religion in its constitution. But this does not necessarily result in a real change in the individual religious thinking of the population. Laicism is simply secularity enacted by the government. Whats missing is the necessary previous rational attitude adjustment of every individual. It is misused by religious institutions: Secular means that one can learn also about other religions during Christian religious education. No, since secularity would mean that society does not have any influence over individual religious activity. This means that any religious education is to be replaced by a non-denominational education that deals with ethics.

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The hidden blueprint of freedom Step 4 Rule of law


The modern rule of law has its origin within the philosophy of the times of enlightenment. The initial breakthrough was made during the French revolution in the 18th century. Rule of law primarily contains four principles: Basic rights (basic laws; constitutional laws) Separation of powers Calculability of governmental actions Security mechanisms Separation of powers: A constitutional state is a state that has its administration and jurisdiction linked with the legislation. The term separation of powers means the separation of authorities (legislation, administration, jurisdiction.) Along with that goes the separation of the state authorities in legislative (legislating body), executive (body executing state power), and judiciary (judging authorities). Calculability of governmental actions: A constitutional state has a defined legal system that is formulated in detail. This allows every single citizen to behave and live in conformity with the law and also to file his/her claims and titles. This means that governmental actions are predictable and calculable. Legality (governmental actions must not contravene any law) Proportionality (every action is to be appropriate, necessary and adequate.) Transitional and adaptive rules for changes due to traditional conditions

Basic rights: Rule of law is synonymous with freedom of state. Every individual possesses basic, freedom, and human rights. An independent authority watches over these exact rights and also over possible denials or violation. This also means that the individual can appeal to this legal authority to enforce his/her own rights. Rule of law does not discriminate or differentiate, and every citizen is equally entitled to make use of it. (Equality before the law) 42

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Security mechanisms: Checks and balances All three governmental bodies control and check one another at all times, thus preventing misuse and misfeasance of the respective power. If one of these bodies should try to extend its power or to interfere with the powers of the other bodies, these other governmental bodies are in possession of adequate security mechanisms to defend their own interests. Special attention must always be given to the legislative or the class of politicians since they appoint new public officers, judges, federal prosecutors and also decide over institution over legal proceedings etc. Some examples to illustrate the impact of this new way of thinking Jurisdiction: Before: In an absolutistic state, the jurisdiction is random and arbitrary. Afterward: In a constitutional state, every citizen is protected by an established, objective legal system. The status as a subject is replaced by the status as a citizen: Before: A subject basically does not have any rights at all that s/he could rely on, but s/he has every obligation. Afterward: A citizen has defined and written rights and obligations. Basis of legislation: Before: Laws were made and based upon the individual intention of the ruler. Afterward: Laws are made based on the underlying legal system that is anchored within the constitution. Before the law: Before: Treatment from a legal standpoint depends on the respective social class of the plaintiff and also the social class of the defendant. Afterward: All citizens are equal in the eyes of the law!

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What changes concerning state and religion has thinking in accordance with the rule of law brought about? Changes in thinking about the state: Rule of law based on rational and secular laws naturally concludes that every human has to be treated equally before the law. Changes in thinking about religion: Laws made by humans overrule laws written by the hand of a Prophet: worldly laws take precedence over religious laws. How is the concept of rule by law misused? It is misused by public institutions: A police state is based on rule of law No, since also the executive body being one of the three governmental powers is connected to the two other powers based on checks and balance.

It is misused by religious institutions: Non secular rule of law is also rule of law! No, since when it comes to constitutional principles, it is certainly not enough to declare or execute arbitrary or religious laws having no comprehensible legal basis. Comprehensible laws and regulations based on rationality are an essential basis for the rule of law, and mere religious-based laws do not correspond to that.

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The hidden blueprint of freedom Step 5 Democracy


Democracy consists of the Greek words demos for people and kratein for ruling. This characterizes a popular government or respectively a sovereignty of the Which basic standards does a democratic government have to meet? Free elections: In a democracy, the government is elected by the people via periodic, free, secret, unaltered and general elections. Furthermore the government can be voted out of office by the people or the representatives; also the government is checked and monitored by the people or its representatives. Democratic constitution: The government is also built on the rule of law (all its actions must correspond with the constitutions and the laws) and majority rule (all its actions must follow the will of the majority). Existence of an opposition: Another central characteristic of democracy is a high level of freedom of opinion and also the existence of an opposition. At least two parties, standing for two different positions getting along with each other while considering democratic rules.

people.

Democracy is the term for a political system where sovereignty is based and relies on the will of the people and where the government is accountable to the people. What basic standards does a democracy have to meet? A democracy is only a democracy if: the actual sovereignty lies in the hands of the people the rulers (the representatives elected by the people) are elected by the people during free elections.

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Which basic standards do democratic elections have to meet? Equality: Every eligible voter must be allowed to participate in elections and polls and has exactly one vote. Freedom: No coercion may be applied. To avoid this, elections are often held secretly or anonymously. Eligibility for office: Every eligible voter should also be allowed to run for office. Alternatives: A real decision can only be made if there is more than one alternative. Results: The winner is the one who receives the most democratic votes (majority rule) or the one who is declared to be the winner according to the democratic rules of the constitution. What is not to be considered a democracy? It is not a democracy, if dictatorship predominates; e.g. tyranny of a dictator, a political party or group. Military dictatorship: domination of the military Dictatorship of the proletariat (communism: dictatorial domination by one single party!) Theocracy (Greek theos = God): a state ruled by God, dominance of a person or a cast of priests chosen by God, literally Godly dominance with one worldly and also simultaneously spiritual ruler if a ruler decides who stays ruler. if there are no free and periodic elections. if the political opposition has no access to the media and therefore cannot gain attention. if the press cannot report freely. if people are arbitrarily excluded from their right to actively or passively participate in elections. if there is only one political party. if the state is not a constitutional state, e.g. without freedom of speech etc.

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A democracy can only function properly if the previous political power system, which was in charge, is changed completely. It is rather difficult to establish a democratic form of government. Very easily it can be again lost and changed back into one of the mentioned forms of a pseudo democracy. Some examples to illustrate the impact of this new way of thinking Legitimation: Before: Dictatorship of a worldly ruler, legitimated by God (by the Grace of God). Afterward: Democratic representatives are elected and legitimated by the people. How does one get entrusted with running the government of a state? Before: A ruler upon succession or election within oligarchic structures. Afterward: The peoples representatives upon elections. Structures of the society: Before: Ruler, aristocracy and subjects. Afterward: Citizens and civil representatives. Who is allowed to rule? Before: The ruler must descend from a noble bloodline. Afterward: Anyone meeting certain criteria can become a civil representative. Time of government: Before: A ruler reigns until his/her own death. Afterward: Civil representatives get elected for a certain period of time and can be deselected or reelected by the people. Democratic constitution: Before: Every European national state has a constitution since the formation of the state. The rule of the state (separation of powers) has nearly functioned; the leadership still lies firmly in the hands of the nobility. Afterward: Only a democratic constitution allows a democratic government.

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Development from the Middle Ages until today What changes concerning state and religion has democratic thinking brought about? Changes due to democratic thinking about the state: The nation takes its destiny into its own hands. Changes due to democratic thinking about religion: Within a democracy, followers of recognized religions are treated equally. How is the concept of democracy misused? Asserted by public institutions: Democracy controlled by the state is also democracy. No, literally only a state controlled by the people is a democracy. For safety reasons a democracy fighting an outside enemy must be controlled solely by the ruling elite. This is the most common form of undermining or terminating democracy. Democracy can overcome an external enemy but not an enemy who comes from the inside. 48

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Asserted by public institutions: The election of a pope by cardinals or the election of a caliph (political and religious representative of Mohammed) by the people, who then rules absolutely, is democracy. No, this does not meet the criteria of a democratic election already described in the text above.

Step 6 Human rights


The Universal Declaration of Human Rights stands for the largest achievement of human development since, for the first time, equal rights should apply to all human beings in the world! All human beings are born free and equal in dignity and rights. They are endowed with reason and conscience and should act towards one another in a spirit of brotherhood. (Article 1 of the UNIVERSAL DECLARATION OF HUMAN RIGHTS) The three pillars of human rights: Freedom: All human beings have the freedom of thought, conscience, religion, press, and opinion that are all protected by the human rights. Equality: All human beings are equal before the law and are entitled to protection without distinction. This means that there must not be any discrimination regarding race, skin color, gender, language, 49

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religion, political or other opinion, national or social background, wealth, birth or position. Everyone can rely on the protection against any form of discrimination, also including full equality of man and woman. Solidarity: All human beings also have economical and social rights, e.g. the right to social security, fair remuneration, an adequate life standard, physical health and the right to access education, which is an integral element of the human-rights system. These rights can be specified in five categories: political, civil, economical, social, and cultural human rights. Human rights are only limited by the rights and the freedom of other individuals and by the requirements of morality, public order and general welfare in a democratic society. (Art. 29 UDHR.) The human rights of others must be respected, not just tolerated. Individual human rights must not be used to violate other human rights. (Art. 30 UDHR) The Universal Declaration of Human Rights (UDHR) is the international communitys most basic-corpus 50 of basic rights and as stated in the preamble a common standard of achievement for all people and all nations. With this declaration the circle, which began with humanistic thinking and was the first step on the way to a human-oriented international system, closes. Within this new system, a human being does not allow governmental or religious institutions to limit his or her actions.

The hidden blueprint of freedom


Development from the Middle Ages until today The democratic view of the world culminated in the Universal Declaration of Human Rights that should apply to all human beings on earth. The Universal Declaration of Human Rights is an ideal law made by human beings for human beings, which is the main difference when compared to God-given laws like the Torah, Bible or Koran where the laws always come from God. The concept of human rights is based on the fact that all humans have the same rights, solely because they are human beings, and that they are all entitled to these rights just because of their human nature; these rights are universal, imprescriptible and indivisible. Some examples to illustrate the impact of this new way of thinking Right to equality (Article 2): Before: Discrimination due to different religions, races, skin colors, genders, positions and political opinions. Afterward: No discrimination due to different religions, races, skin colors, genders, positions and political opinions.

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Right to free marriage (Article16): Before: A man and a woman with different religious beliefs and/or belonging to a different race were not allowed to marry. Divorce was all but impossible. Afterward: Marriageable women and men have the right to get married and start a family regardless their race, nationality or religion. They both have equal rights during the wedding, the marriage and also during a possible divorce. A marriage can only be entered into if both wife and husband agree by mutual consent and without reservations. Freedom of religion: (Article 18): Before: Changing ones own religion was nearly impossible and often resulted in the death penalty. Afterward: Freedom of religion means to be able to freely choose and change ones religious beliefs. Right to education (Article 26): Before: Education is met with reservation it diminishes godliness and makes it harder to dominate people. Afterward: Everyone hast the right to education. Basic education is obligatory and free of charge. Technical 52 colleges, vocational schools, and universities must be open to everybody according to their skills and abilities. Education must be geared toward the full development of the person and the strengthening of respecting human rights and fundamental freedoms. What changes has the acknowledgement of human rights brought about? Changes in thinking about the state: Implemented human rights exempt all citizens from the arbitrariness of governmental institutions. Changes in thinking about religion: Implemented human rights exempt all citizens from the arbitrariness of religious institutions. How are some parts of the human rights disregarded or misused? They are disregarded and misused by public institutions: Under the pretext of maintaining the states security, some human rights have to be overruled. (E.g. article 5 (article against torture) was overruled in

The hidden blueprint of freedom


Guantanamo during the war against terror) No, because even during times of war the Geneva Convention applies, specifically prohibiting torture. They are disregarded and misused by religious institutions: Freedom of religion means that it is not allowed to say anything bad about religion! No, constricting any other fundamental freedom under the pretext of freedom of religion must be avoided. One example would be to not criticize forced marriage or corporal punishment of women based on religious rules because of misinterpreting freedom of religion. Every single day the freedom of opinion regarding religious matters is restricted throughout the world a fact that violates the Universal Declaration of Human Rights.

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The hidden blueprint of freedom A gradual buildup


While the description of the individual values was our focus until this point, their gradual buildup will now be illustrated. individual steps are based upon each other no step could possibly have developed without the previous ones. According to the saga, the Kings daughter Europa was abducted and seduced by the Greek God Zeus who had taken on the shape of a bull. Since that time the roles have changed. Europa has turned into a knowledgeable, independent and free woman who has learned to tame the godly bull. Free, knowledgeable and independent human beings and especially free, knowledgeable and independent women are a visible sign of a humanistic culture.

Our modern humanistic world-view evolved over six steps, which at the same time represent the main values from which all the other European values can be derived. It is important to understand that the 54

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Explanation of how the individual steps causally build upon one another 1st step - Humanistic thinking: Humanistic thinking was the first step from the theocentric view of the world during the Middle Ages toward the humanistic world-view of the modern era.

All European values have their roots within the idea of the humanistic world-view coming from Greek and Roman antiquity. Humanistic thinking was the beginning of the countermovement against the theocentric world-view (all from one God, all for one God) during the Middle Ages. Part of this theocentric view was the nothingness of every human when compared to Gods perfection, since apparently it focused more on human inadequacy. Also, human abilities, such as critical thinking, were considered inadequate and arrogant in contrast to Gods omniscience.

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Humanistic thinking means to put the main focus on human beings and their actions. This includes a new intellectual attitude, which assumes that every human being (with all his/her abilities) gain an independent quality when compared to Gods almightiness. 2nd step - Rationality: For the first time, the ability of using human rationality for making decisions can be used in addition to religious belief. Rationality evolves as the second step, and reason applied by human beings is finally accepted as a mean within every decision-making process. Thus, reason and rationality supersede religious belief. Without humanism, human rationality could not have existed next to the endless and inscrutable wisdom of God that was the paramount principle for over a thousand years during the Middle Ages. It is important to understand that this concept was only made possible due to the appreciation of human abilities established in humanistic thinking. Until then, all human abilities had been despised, thus making it all but impossible to use human rationality as a mean for any decision-making process. This 56 explains why rationality could only develop on the basis of humanistic thinking. 3rd step - Secularity: In the past nearly all aspects of life had been controlled by religion. But since rational and logic thinking exceedingly disproved dogmatic religious thinking, the impact religion had on worldly maters continuously decreased until the authorities of religion and politics had again been separated. Secularity had been implemented as the third step. From then on, politics had to follow rationality and religion turned into a private affair. Only because of rational thinking could dogmatic religious rules be confronted by reasonable rules which arose from logic conclusions. This second possibility did not exist until the appreciation of human rationality. This possibility of using rational conclusions for the basis of decisions and laws was expressed by the principle of secularity. Secularity means to separate secularistic developments (politics) from otherworldly developments (religion) within any thinking. From now on, at least politics must follow rationality and reason. Religious dogmas must

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not interfere with political decisions serving the commonweal. Rationality brought about a process of decision making that involves reason for all matters in this world (politics, science.) After a time where religion controlled all aspects of peoples lives, here religion became a private matter. For all otherworldly matters, belief (religion) remained the basic principle for any decision making process. Secularity means that this very step was also implemented and adopted within the political system. 4th step Rule of law: Only implemented secularity lead to the fourth step: rule of law. The result was the recognition of basic laws and constitutions made by human beings and not made by God himself or initiated because of the grace of God. Without secularity, no significant laws would exist which were and not made by God or initiated because of the grace of God. Only when an individual can separate politics and religion in his/her mind will s/he be able to accept the secular principle of the rule of state. This is the fundament of secular legislation and constitution. Genuine rule of state as mentioned above can only evolve on the basis of secularity. In religious-political systems, the distinguishing features such as separation of powers can never be achieved. 5th step Democracy: The resulting basic rights of an individual and also the implementation of the separation of powers together form the basis for citizens who dare to demand rights of co-determination from his/her sovereign. The fifth step develops: democracy. Without the rule of state, there would be no basis for democratic principles. Democratic principles can only be allowed, demanded and implemented as long as secular and constitutional principles are accepted in general. On the basis of fundamental secular laws and constitutions, democracy develops. 6th step Human rights: The demand to implement this sixth and final step for universal human rights is only accommodated in a well functioning democracy. The Charter of Human Rights defined by the UNO only becomes an eligible good through human understanding for 57

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the reasonableness of democracy and the implementation of basic social values for the entire society. Hardly anyone living under any other form of government than democracy would follow universal human rights. Besides that, only citizens living in a well functioning democracy can even think about demanding an implementation of universal human rights. The fact that respect for and protection of human rights and well-functioning and efficient constitutional structures are interdependent often remains unnoticed. The democratic world-view culminated in the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, which would apply to all human beings on earth. Could any of these steps have possibly developed without the preceding one? No, each step evolved on the basis of the previous one! Every previous step was the cause or also the basis for the following one! By attentively reading and critically questioning the previous text, this will become apparent to every critical reader. 58 How did a humanistic conception of the world become possible at all? Each step on the way to todays Europe was accompanied and developed by innovative thinking, which apparently is a human quality. Modern brain research proves the following: Only if something is imaginable is it also feasible. These developments occurred only because they were imaginable for many beings. Europes history especially since 1945 is the evidence that a well functioning society, on the basis of European values, is not only possible, but desirable. The following dialogue is to illustrate how the new way of thinking changed the point of view of humans regarding their living environment. A holds the old and B holds the new way of thinking, which are (time lapsed) placed adjacently here. A: Everything is God given, controlled and defined by God! B: A human being can develop independently from his or her gods! Ones thinking and acting defines his/her own world. (humanistic thinking)

The hidden blueprint of freedom


A: Man and all animals were created during a unique act of creation by God. B: We can prove that humans and animals result from evolution over millions of years (rationality) A: Respect Gods Laws since his Godly power is omnipresent. B: Political and religious powers have to be clearly separated. A: God created the social classes! There are sovereigns with rights and servants with duties. B: Fair practice of duties and rights for all humans. (Rule of state) A: The sovereign and Pope define what is best for the people. B: The government elected by the people has the power to decide what is best for the voters! (Democracy) B: What all humans really need is the doctrine of the Holy Catholic Church! B: What all humans really need is universal rights for freedom and equality! What if a certain value disappears suddenly? Nowadays all six steps are being taken for granted. One is only able to realize the value of freedom, or of a close person, if he is not there anymore. Without human rights, we would solely have the right to vote and also natural rights (natural rights = right to life, personal freedom, physical inviolability etc.) Freedom of thought, conscience, religion, press and opinion as well as the protection against any form of discrimination, the right for education, etc. were achieved by a normal citizen only after the implementation of the universal human rights. Without democracy, we would all have natural rights but no right of codetermination. The control of our destiny would come from someone else. Without the rule of state, we would have no natural rights; the sovereign could arbitrarily decide about or life and death, our personal freedom, etc. Without secularity, we would also have to strictly follow religious laws 59

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in addition to the governmental laws. Without rationality, we would not have any means to shape our own lives in a self-dependent way. Without humanistic thinking, we would not exist as independent human individuals in the first place. We would still be in the theocentric world-view of the Middle Ages.

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History repeats itself


In the preceding chapters, the individual European values were defined and their gradual history development was explained. Now, they will be presented within a somewhat broader historical context. Important social developments and other relevant milestones are stated, so that the European values can be understood and arranged within the complex history of Europe. The following explanations and diagrams are based on the following time scale: Ancient history (3,500 B.C.E. - 500 C.E.) Antiquity (800 B.C.E. 500 C.E.) Middle Ages (500 C.E. 1500 C.E.) Modern Era (1500 C.E. today)

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Humanistic development in Europe

figure: This diagram illustrates the rise and fall of humanistic and/or european values on the basis of the existence or nonexistence of the 6 steps to a humanistic society.

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With special consideration of these developments and events: Greek Antiquity (800 146 B.C.E.) Roman Antiquity (509 B.C.E. 500 C.E.) Christianity becomes the state religion in the Roman Empire (380 C.E.) [13] Renaissance (1450 C.E. 1600 C.E.) Reformation (1517 C.E. 1600 C.E.) Enlightenment (1600 C.E. 1800 C.E.) French Revolution (1789 C.E.) Legend for the stars in the Ancient History area: The number of stars shows in which measure the humanistic principles found entrance into the society of the antiquity. The evaluation goes from six stars for the full implementation of the new way of thinking to one star for a very limited implementation.

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How did the development of a humanistic world-view in Europe take place twice historically?

The fall of the Roman Empire and thus the fall of the ancient civilization led to the following developments: (1): The first feeble attempts at human rights disintegrate with the Roman Republic.

(2): The former Republic turns into the Roman Empire and becomes a dictatorship. (3): Rule of law loses ground as the Republic gets cut down piece by piece. The laws become more arbitrary. (4): 380 C.E.: The Roman Empire and Christianity

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merge - Christianity becomes the Roman Catholic state church. The separation of politics and religion ends. (5): Faith is again raised above reason. (6): From 500 C.E.: The Christian theocentric world-view replaces the Humanist world-view of Antiquity. God (no longer the human being) becomes once again the focal point of all thought and action! (7): Human Rights: Where do we stand today? The Universal Declaration of Human Rights was created to ensure the rights of every human being when dealing with governmental and religious institutions. Still religious institutions curtail other basic human rights like the freedom of opinion, all under the cover of religious freedom. Every single day, the freedom of opinion gets curtailed, especially when it pertains to religious matters in Europe a fact clearly violating the Universal Declaration of Human Rights. Already the freedom of opinion has been undermined in a way, making it nearly impossible to say something humorous (harmless Mohammed cartoons) or critical (documentation) about Islam in Europe. Why did the humanistic conception of the world of the antiquity fall apart? During antiquity both education and science were not yet in a position to disprove the gods, therefore the expression of secularity was weak. The fact that secularity was not developed strongly enough, was the reason Christianity could become the religion of state in the Roman Empire. Secularity got assigned only two STARS, because it was the weak spot in the gradual path to a humanistic society. While rule of law, democracy and human rights shortly appeared for the first time, they fell aside with the fall of secularism! Shortly afterwards the 2nd step of development (rationality) and the 1st step of development (humanism) were quickly turned into their opposites! All 6 steps ended up turned upside down and gave way to the Christian-theocentric view of the world! Not until the rebirth of antiquity, i.e. the recent emergence of humanistic ideas and rationality, people in Europe were given a second chance in order to make it better this time!

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Humanistic development of Antiquity and the Modern Era by comparison
Table: historical evidence about the emergence of the 6 stages

Antiquity Human Rights Democracy Roots of the Human Rights in Athenia Democracy and in Roman Law [1] First democracies of the Antiquity: Athenian Democracy 461 322 B.C.E. Roman Republic 509 27 B.C.E. [3] First rule of law led to Athenian Democracy and then was further developed into Roman Law, from 450 B.C.E. [5]

Modern Era Universal Declaration of Human Rights 1948 [2] First democracies of the Modern Era: U.S.A. 1787 Poland, France 1791 [4]

Rule of law

Secularity

Rationality

Starting from 1689 (Bill Of Rights,) rule of law remained the principal demand of the French Revolution and led to the first constitutions: U.S.A. 1787, Poland 1791 [6] In Europe, secularization began with the The 5th and 4th centuries B.C.E. of ancient Enlightenment and became one of the Greece are considered as the classical period principal demands of the French Revolution[8] of first secularization (to 380 C.E) [7] Starting from 600 B.C.E. on: Thales of Miletus was Starting from 1640 on: classical rationalism is usually considered to have begun with considered as the first philosopher and as the Ren Descartes. [10] founder of philosophy and science in general. [9] Ancient humanism (Greeks, Romans) starting from 600 B.C.E. 500 C.E. The transition from theocentrism to anthropocentrism took place for the first time already in the Antiuity and was introduced by the Greek philospher Thales of Miletus in 600 B.C.E. [11] Renaissance-Humanism starting from 1450 until today. [12]

Humanistic thinking

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The hidden blueprint of freedom What one should know about ancient democracy and the Middle Ages?
What one should know about ancient democracy? The idea of democracy has its origin in ancient Greece. The first realization of a democracy in human history was the ancient Athenian Democracy. In Greek antiquity, democracy was defined as the direct participation of the people in the politics of their city states (polis.) Contrary systems were ruling systems like oligarchy (the ruling of a few), monarchy (ruling of single individual) and aristocracy (ruling of the elite.) There is still one important difference to how we see democracy today: In ancient times, people was understood as a very narrowly defined term, giving the right of political participation only to a certain group of citizens: only free male citizen were allowed to participate within a decision-making process; the majority of the inhabitants women, semislaves and slaves etc. where excluded from participation within these processes. This form of democracy, allowing only some adult male citizen to directly participate in politics, was considered the only possible form of democracy for a long time. Also the Roman republic implemented a political system with rudimentary democratic elements based on the idea of equality of the free during elections for republican positions. Even though the oligarchic principle was all-dominant (since the power was held by the aristocratic members of the Roman senate) there was still some sort of co-determination when it came to ruling, like the peoples tribunes defending the simple people within the senate. The implementation of an early form of a constitutional state by applying Roman law was of great historical significance. These laws where administered on the basis of a proceeding in written form and not by the powerful positions of the involved parties.

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What one should know about the Middle Ages? A society arranged in social classes and having a religious Christian mindset in literature, arts and science characterized the Middle Ages. This mindset led to a Europe where a One-God-Belief was established for the first time, implementing also a rather consistent theocentric world-view. Nothing (science,) and no one (subjects,) were allowed to deviate from this view. God was at the heart of all thought and action. Since no one had personal contact with this God, it was rather the secular and religious representatives of God on earth, which substituted for the self-responsibility of its citizens, already achieved by Greeks and Romans, with secular and religious submission. In the Middle Ages, all law and order was derived from God. God was everything and the human being was only his servant. This god-given order was preserved in disregard of all current human rights in Europe by an absolute ruler by the grace of God, and also by an absolutistic clergy, which embodied Gods representative on earth! Worldly & religious pyramids of power Medieval social structure (estates of the realm)

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Medieval social structure (Worldly and Christian order determined by God)

Christian order

The end of the Middle Ages was ushered by the Renaissance the rebirth of the antiquity; thus by the reconsideration of the values of the antiquity. 69

The hidden blueprint of freedom How can a change in world-view occur?


A shift from the humanistic world-view of Antiquity to the Christian-theocentric world-view of the Middle Ages The era shaped by the Greeks and Romans comes to and end the Middle Ages close in over Europe. Christianity first conquered the Roman Empire and then step by step also the rest of Europe. In 380 C.E. it becomes the roman state religion; in 391 C.E. heathen cults are banned (as a monotheistic religion, no other Gods can be tolerated.) Thus until 600 C.E., Europe was converted to Christianity mainly by Irish missionaries. Around the year 500 C.E., under King Chlodwig I who had converted to Christianity with his entire people the rise of the Frankish kingdom begins. This kingdom soon based its domination in western and central Europe on the vestiges of the Western Roman Empire and the empires of the Germanic clans. This development reached its peak with the coronation of King 70 Charlemagne. He was crowned roman emperor by the pope on Christmas day in 800 C.E. The Roman Empire separates into a Western and Eastern Roman Empire (395 C.E.) The Western Roman Empire fell apart in 476 C.E., whereas the Eastern Roman Empire continued to exist until 1453 C.E. The Migration period (375 568 C.E.) accelerated the fall of the Western Roman Empire and therefore the end of antiquity. After having guaranteed peace, law and order within the borders of the empire, the power of Rome vanishes as a result of the attacks of the Germanic clans and the feared Huns. During the 5th century C.E., Rome was pillaged several times and the last Roman emperor was deposed in 476 C.E. In the early 7th century a new power develops in the Orient breaking with the view of antiquity: Islam. Arabic expansion begins in 632 C.E. Christian belief puts strict limits to science and controls all aspects of life. The change from antiquity to the Middle Ages is marked by a philosophical paradigm shift replacing the antiquitys thinking with Christian thinking.

The hidden blueprint of freedom


In 529 C.E., the Platonic Academy in Athens is closed down and the first Christian monastery is founded. The Platonic time of antiquity was replaced with Christianity. Since education only applies to the social elites, the knowledge of antiquity gets lost rapidly. Over the centuries of the Middle Ages, it keeps a place in books but not in the minds of the people. Shift from the christian-theocentric worldview of the Middle Ages to the humanistic world-view of the Modern Era A modern era begins the Modern Era dawns! Columbus discovers America (1492 C.E.) The Ottomans conquer Constantinople (1453 C.E.) The Eastern Roman Empire falls, many Greek scholars flee to Western Europe and helped humanism to its height. Humanism counters medieval scholasticism. Scholasticism defines the totality of medieval theology and philosophy, meaning in a narrow sense all attempts to explain the churchs dogmas of Catholicism with rational philosophical means. During the Middle Ages, rational thinking was only tolerated by the church as long as it did not interfere with catholic dogmas. Now again there is space for individual and humanistic thinking based on rationality. Whereas Christian thinking during the Middle Ages replaced the thinking of antiquity, it now happened the other way around. The new humanistic way of thinking and the German Luther Bible spread rather fast because of the invention of the letterpress printing (1450 C.E.) Luthers Theses initiated a reform of Catholicism (1517 C.E.) The cultural-historical era of the Renaissance (rebirth of the ideals of antiquity) begins (from 1450 C.E.). The geocentric view (Ptolemy: Earth marks the center of the universe and everything turns around the Earth) is being replaced by the heliocentric view (Nikolaus Copernicus: Earth turns around the sun.) This change in the astronomical view of the world ushers the end of the ideological monopoly that the Church held during the Middle Ages. The monopoly of defining the world gets 71

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transferred step by step from the Church (churchly predetermined thinking and dogmatic domination of the Christian clergy) to the natural sciences. A shift within the general principle takes place: from the Christian thinking of the Middle Ages to the humanistic world-view. What are the most important differences between the above mentioned views? The main difference consists of whether a conception of the world is shaped by a God or by humans. A world-view in which God is the focal point of thought and action is handed down and shaped by this God. This same God also defines his worldly and spiritual representatives on earth. These are the ones to govern and change the world according to Gods will. A view of the world, which moves humans into center stage and was shaped by humans, is the humanistic world-view. It is humane, because changes in life in the public as well as in the private area are dealt with by the people, thanks to their reason.

Developmental steps from the Middle Ages until today


These 6 steps led to: a.) Change from an inhumane conception of the world to a human conception of the world

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Inhumane world-view Humane world-view

God is crucial! Humanistic thinking The well-being of God is at the center of human action and tought. Faith is the ultimate source of Rationality decision. Church and king reign together. Arbitrary laws by the king and inhumane laws by the terrestrial representatives of God Dictatorship by Pope and King The holy teachings of Catholicism must be valid for all humans. Secularity Rule of law

The human being is crucial! The well-being of humans is at the center of human action and thought. Reason becomes the ultimate source of decision. Separating the powers of everything divine (for the hereafter) from everything human (for the here and now) Justice through human-made, secular basic law and constitution Representatives of the people periodically elected by the people! One universal law by people for people! 73

Democracy

Human rights

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b.) Change in the relationship with national and religious institutions One the one hand, this means a shift from a me being a servant of the state to the state being my servant in public matters. On the other hand, it also means a shift from a me being a servant of the church to religion being my supporter in private aspects of life. History of mankind is a history of suppression by religious and governmental institutions, which prohibited the individual development of their inferiors. In previous times one was servant to the state and servant to religion. With the implementation of the European values, the state became the servant, and religion became a helper. Today, the state is a helper in public matters and religion is a helper in private matters. An agreement on equal terms was only achieved after the implementation of the six Fundamental European Values.

figure: state and religion with their limiting dogmas and totalitarian demands are the burden of the unfree subject.

figure: freedom describes a citizen being freed of governmental and religious institutions.

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Change in the relationship with governmental institutions Change in the relationship with religious institutions
Table: summarizing the development of the six stages: briefly and concisely brought to the point: Change in the relationship with governmental and religious institutions.

Emancipation in relation to the state Questioning the ruling system Separation of state and religion By secular constitution and basic law, the subject becomes a citizen Democracy replaces dictatorship Human rights become the ideal law for the state

Humanistic thinking Rationality

Emancipation in relation to religion Questioning religious dogmas Religion becomes a private matter Secular laws prevail over divine laws The respective religions within a state become equal before the law Religious activities may not contradict human rights

Secularity Rule of law Democracy

Human rights

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Findings
The history of Europe is shaped by constant change between two totally antithetic conceptions of the world: the theocentric conception of the world with a God as the focal point and the humanistic conception of the world with the human being as the focal point.

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The hidden blueprint of freedom Two utterly incompatible views of the world

figure: from the theocentric world-view of the middle ages to the humanistic worldview of today.

Theocentric world-view Exponents: Christian-theocentric conception of the world during the Middle Ages and Islamic-theocentric conception of the world of today (example: Iran) A God determined everything! He also determined who rules the community of believers and how he rules!

Humanistic world-view Exponents: conception of the world of western civilization and of Japan

A community of knowledgeable, autonomous and free people determines itself!

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Repression by governmental institutions Repression by religious institutions God as the focal point Faith takes precedence over reason Governmental and religious institutions work hand in hand Arbitrary national laws Dictatorship Human rights ignored by governmental institutions 78 Inhumane divine laws Theocracy Repression by religious institutions Human rights The six most basic European Values Humanistic thinking Freedom from governmental institutions Freedom from religious institutions The human being as the focal point Reason takes precedence over faith Separation of governmental and religious institutions Justice by secular constitution and basic law Democracy (western model) Governmental institutions ensure the observance of human rights

Rationality

Secularity

Rule of law

Democracy

The hidden blueprint of freedom What distinguishes a European of today and a supporter of European values?
Todays Europeans and supporters of European values accept and appreciate the following in their thoughts and actions: The universal human rights. Democratic principles. Principles of the rule of law. The separation of politics and religion. Judgment based on reason. The human being as a measure of all things.

Are these European values universal?


They absolutely can be called European values because they were realized first and foremost in Europe and America the new home of emigrated Europeans and they shape the European cultural society until today. Ultimately these values do not just belong to Europeans alone, but rather to all human beings who want to live in a humanistic world. European values are universal, i.e. they can be understood as an invitation to all higher cultures to build up a humanistic society via implementing these six fundamental steps. European values are universal humanistic values, whose goal are free, knowledgeable and independent human beings.

Todays Europeans think and act in a humanistic manner, rationally, secularly, by observing the rule of law, democratically & respectfully protecting the Human Rights.

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From Mythos to Logos


The six steps of the ancient history
Democracy and constitutional states were only able to be realized by liberating political systems from religious interference. One essential precondition for this to happen was the shift to reason and rationalism with the goal to explain the worlds meaning. In order for a single human being to be able to turn to rationalism, it was necessary to focus on the individual being, on the human as the measure of all things. This shift had occurred for the very first time in Antiquity. The first part of this work deals with the ancient world in Europe, with a focus on Greece and Rome. It will illustrate that democracy and constitutional states were already part of human history (though with different characteristics and not as developed as today). Moreover, it will show that the idea of human rights was born in this time and region. Notably, separation of powers and the participation of the people, as well as civil laws were only realized through the liberation of politics from myths and religious

institutions and by turning towards rationalism and reason. According to todays sources human rights were not legally anchored. The following excerpts will therefore show that it was at least considered to place human right above regular laws.

Greece before the beginning of humanism


Despite the first seeds of reason and rational thought, Homers Greece was not a place in which an individual could freely develop. Instead, ones origin, lineage and living up to ones (aristocratic) birthright were of primary importance. Farmers and the simple people didnt play a big role and authority over others was considered natural and therefore not subject to discussion. Thus, in the late archaic times, Greece was still in a period in which politics as understood by the Hellenes was yet to be developed. [14] A large part of the Greeks, however, were merchants who had a great openness towards outer influences. It was not their main aim to overcome and suppress other peoples although they may have considered

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them barbarians. First and foremost, they wanted to engage in business and make profits. Therefore they needed to be interested and open to their potential customers, at least more than those whose goals were to simply to conquer and exploit.[15] The Greeks lived in a culture of competition, be it in an economic, artistic, athletic or architectural sense. Their cities and particularly their colonies were mostly located at sea. Both facts contributed to their high level of curiosity and interest towards the outer world. [16] in Egypt or Babylon, however, it was not just the reserve of priests and imperial scribes. In Greece it was especially useful for merchants conducting business. Together with groups of aspiring craftsmen they became increasingly wealthy and with their newly acquired wealth, their ambition for power increased, power which had been exclusively held by aristocratic landowners. The increasing wealth of an ever-growing strata of society was mainly spent on leisure. As they had much time, open minds and were simply free to do so, they started to think, wonder and question; moreover, they were searching for answers to these questions not out of necessity but simply because they were interested in knowledge for its own sake. The development of Greek philosophy began in this favourable environment. Philosophy was therefore an activity of free men who did not expect solutions for all their problems; no life solace was sought by them, as was the case later on in history. Their only aim was to find explanations for phenomena they were amazed by but unable to understand.[19] History, its developments and influences were no longer seen as defined by a gods will, but as influenced and controlled by humans. [20] 83

From myth to the logos in ancient high cultures


FIRST STEP: Humanistic thinking Antiquity, the source and inspiration of the European Renaissance, marked the first time humanistic thinking appeared in Europe, particularly in the Greek city-states and their colonies. [17] As the Greek gods failed to deliver an explanation for the origin of the world, the Greeks had to come up with one themselves. [18] After the decline of the Cretan high culture around 1200 B.C. it was not until approximately 800 B.C. that the ability to write was developed again. Unlike

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According to Plato, the famous sophist Protagoras put it like this, Man is the measure of all things. [21] SECOND STEP: Rationality Success based upon smart ideas and intelligence tested in Homer, realised from 600 B.C. The epics of Homer (ca. 800 B.C.) show that even the gods were vulnerable. They criticised each other and were criticised by humans. In no way were they untouchable. People trusted their intelligence which is clearly illustrated by Odysseus in an episode from the Odyssey where he protects himself against the chants of the sirens. He does not pray to any god, he uses his brain and stuffs wax into his ears. Homer mirrors the values of late-archaic Greece. Deeds, diligence and common sense, as exemplified in the Odyssey were admired and whoever applied it well would receive fame, rewards and riches. [22] Under these favourable preconditions lived Thales of Miletus (625 547 B.C.) who was considered the founder of science and philosophy by later Greek philosophers. [23] His fields of interest were mathematics, especially geometry and astronomy, as well as natural philosophy which sought to explain 84 the basis of all existence. [24] Thales importance is due particularly to his system for explanation and his methodical approach. In order to explain natural phenomena he refused to use myths. Instead he applied empirical generalisation and put different phenomena in relation to each other in universal, causal relations. [25] Hence, he could establish laws, which explained outer phenomena on the basis of reason, the logos and on the basis of observation and rationalism. [26] As Thales based his work exclusively on reason, while other important personalities of his time, like Solon, still used morality and virtue as the theoretical foundation for their work. Therefore he and other Ionic natural philosophers can be seen as the ones who made the crucial step from the myth to the logos. This revolutionary step had great impact on future analyses of society and politics. [27] Thus, both philosophy and science were basically developed, or even actually invented around 600 B.C.in Greece when humans had the outer and inner freedom to base their decisions on reason, which was the last step in the long evolution from a theocentric to an anthropocentric conception about the world. [28]

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When they made new findings they tried to further develop their theses and abandoned the use of mythological explanations. Thus, they invented science. Since early on, the element of competition pervaded all fields of life with the competition of ideas supporting the development of the individual. [29] THIRD STEP: Secularization Until the early millenium before Christ all the Greek city-states were still reigned by kings, who still had to be accepted by Zeus. [30] It is necessary to keep in mind that the Greek pantheon did not offer any explanation for the ongoings in the world. The very confident way of dealing with myths and the selftrust in ones inherent skills, which seems to have existed already in Homeric times, was, alongside the absence of a religious caste to legitimize the power of worldly sovereigns, the basis for the adaptations to the (pre)political system of Greece that were mostly based upon social changes. [31] Systems of governance and administration had to adapt to these, or rather were adapted accordingly. [32] There had been earlier written texts about legislation but they had always been influenced by mythology and were thus subject to divine will. At a certain point however, there was a crucial mass of people who had gained a certain prosperity in trade and discontent with their situation, decided to take responsibility into their own hands by forgoing divine assistance. They chose the most appropriate of their group to find rules for social life and organization of the citizens. [33] Solon in Athens and other wise men in the colonies, none of whom were sent by some god, were establishing rules for the inner organization of the Polis. [34] It were the Greeks who invented reason, simply out of a lack of other possibilities to create a sound political system which would correspond to the social conditions. [35] Greek Polytheism In the era of kingdoms, the monarch had been seen as legitimated by Zeus himself. However, this traditional belief was easily discarded in the course of social upheavals caused by the new prosperity of a particular social stratum that claimed power for themselves. This was made easier by the special way in which Greek mythology works, which is void of any attempt 85

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to explain the origin of the world, nor intervenes in any other way with the course of the world. The gods displayed rather human traits, were not always sure of their power and were only worshiped on certain occasions such as during harvest, war, or when good weather was needed. At the same time they were subject to criticisms, which even led to changes in their heaven. [36] And so it was, that in the course of secularization, no clergy was left in Greece to legitimize governance. [37] In Rome the clergy had much more influence on worldly powers, since judiciary lay in its hands since the early days of the Republic. Before 300 B.C., the higher ranks of priesthood, and therefore access to social knowledge, were only accessible to patricians. This changed in 300 B.C.E. with the acceptance of plebeians to the clergy. It was then that the concentration of knowledge limited to a small group of people was disseminated. [38] FOURTH STEP: Rule of Law Solon- a pioneer of the constitutional state Solons ideas were used by Cleisthenes to create a basis for democracy. 86 In 594 B.C. Athens, Solon was given the specific authority to conceive a new legal system and new power structures that were adapted to the new social situation. He was chosen to do so free of any mythological influence but simply because he seemed to be the most suitable for the task.[39] He decreed farmers to be exempt of their debts and their correlating bondage. The power of the aristocracy was limited and replaced by a system in which the amount of income determined the amount of power in the state (Timocracy). [40] Moreover the reformed legislation stated that every citizen could openly make a legal complaint. Thus trade and crafts increased and since higher prosperity meant more power and independence from the aristocracy, political opportunities were also on the rise. All citizens took part in the peoples assembly, even the poorest. The highest political posts, however, were only open to the upper class. In the beginning these laws did not ensure political stability. [41] After turmoil followed by 50 years of tyranny, it was Cleisthenes who managed to overthrow the despots and building upon the progress made by Solon, created a balanced system that was a crucial step in the direction of democracy. His model was based on a separation of powers, which

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guaranteed a limitation of power for individuals, similar to the ideas of those philosophers who created the theoretical foundation for the modern constitutional state of the early modern era. [42] In the system of Cleisthenes, equality in freedom of speech and before the law were crucial and still more relevant than democracy. [43] Rome A milestone in the history of the Roman Republic was the so called Twelve Tables, which were set around 450 B.C.. For the first time the idea that the state is more important than ones class was put in writing. At the same time, the right to participate in political processes was also guaranteed to plebeians. [44] Thus, like Greece, (Isonomia = equality of rights), Rome became a constitutional state in which the law (lex) replaced the king (rex). [45] The laws of the Twelve Tables, which were influenced by Solon and the struggling that ensued helped the plebeians to finally achieve political power. At the same time, an intelligent system whereby two office holders always held each other in check was established. In addition, every tenure was limited. Thus, this first constitution already granted separation of powers due to the subordination under the law, built-in controls and changing character due to fixed tenure for the politicians. [46] FIFTH STEP: Democracy If the suppression of local aristocrats became too constraining, emigration was a practical opportunity as there were numerous overseas colonies from which the Greeks could choose. If a critical mass of dissatisfied people was reached they quite commonly changed the system. At the same time, an evergrowing number of Greeks achieved notable wealth. As they became richer they also wanted to participate politically and gain more political influence. In order to create a fair and safe system for these fragile societies, investigation of empirical conditions were needed. Therefore, a balance between the different elements of society was created. [47] Hence, the transition between mythos and logos is closely connected with the development of democratic structures. Historians are still discussing why the Greeks in particular had such talent for reasoning and philosophy. Not only did they dare to overthrow 87

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rulers as happened in every ancient society but what made the Greeks special was their attempt to create a system without a monarch or a ruling class of aristocrats. Instead they created democracy based on a previous invention of their own: reason. [48] Democracy in Athens was fully achieved in 461 B.C. when Perikles suggested transferring all political power and rights to the Council, the committees of the juries and the peoples assembly. Nobility was disempowered and all political responsibility in all fields and councils was given to the people if they were deemed citizens according to the civil rights. Therefore, one had to be a free man with both parents coming from Attika. [49] Women and slaves had no political rights. Thus the political situation was changed; while aristocrats had claimed that human beings could only develop and be educated if they are of noble blood, as can be seen in the epics of Homer and Hesiod, in democracy, blood and family background no longer exclusively conferred privileges and power. Now power and wealth could be acquired through knowledge and ability. With this, the traditional understanding of human beings and 88 their social context was fundamentally changed. [50] Roman Republic In 367 B.C., nearly a century after the first major step towards a republican order, plebeians were allowed to become consuls. At the same time, they were relieved of their debts and decades later debt bondage was prohibited. Thus, the structures of the Roman Republic became increasingly similar to those of the constitution of Perikles in Athens. The class of bureaucrats which developed afterwards was comprised of both patricians and plebeians. The plebeians achieved access to all political areas and finally, around 300 B.C., the last patrician bastion fell and they were allowed to become priests. Thus, the struggle between the orders was over and equality in Rome reached its temporary apex, though it never reached the level of Athens. [51] SIxTH STEP: Human rights However, near-total equality, as realised in modern Western societies with their constitutionally enshrined human rights, was never achieved in any of the ancient societies. Civil rights were at all times reserved only

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for free male citizens, while slaves and women had far fewer or no rights. Still, antiquity is characterised by the continuous debate over inherent basic rights, which found its expression in various philosophical schools in both Greece and Rome. However, only in Stoicism, which was developed at the end of the Attic democracy phase (330 B.C.), was the idea of the inherent equality of all human beings expressed. This may have been due to the changing political structures when the securities which had been previously granted by the democratic system of Athens were diminished.[52] Therefore, Stoics changed their focus from the collective to the individual and created a theory that became fundamental to the development of human rights, as they claimed that the inherent equality of all human beings is based upon reason, which is then a part of an all-pervading universal reason, the logos. These fundamental teachings never were enshrined in Roman law. However, they had great impact on several emperors and were practically applied by famous politicians and influential personalities. [53]

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From Logos back to Mythos


The demise of democracy in Athens and of the rule of law in Rome In the wake of the Macedonian expansion and the hegemony of the Diadochi Empires in the eastern Mediterranean, the ancient democracy disappeared. The Roman Republic, which in no way would be considered a democracy today, but nonetheless a state of law, broke up by 27 B.C. when Octavian became the Princeps. It is worth noting that in both the later period of the Attic democracy as well as during the crisis of the Roman Republic, the support for these forms of government among the population had waned. Faith in the political system and the will to actively participate in politics was no longer a given. Rome - the crisis of the Republic During the crisis of the second and especially first century B.C., the Roman Republic came to its end. In particular, moral decline, a general lack of interest in politics and waning participation in the state by the citzens were seen as the reasons behind the crisis.[54] With the decline of morals among the political elites, the quest for personal glory and 90

power spread. The publics weariness with politics seriously undermined the Republic, which resulted in the emergence of the Principate. However, since structures and controls for de facto political power in the imperial period no longer existed, it was only a matter of time until the first among equals became an absolute ruler and the citizens became subjects. Rule of law structures based on extensive public participation did not survive the end of Roman Republic in 27 B.C. and the last remains had been finally removed under Diocletian. [55] At the same time, moral decay which expressed itself as greed and ambition, was rampant among the ruling classes. In an ideal state it is not about offices and titles, but about the deeds of those who hold them. [56] This was replaced with the striving for personal power and the egotistical quest for fame during the crisis of the Republic. As a result, in the first century B.C., the floodgates for dictators were opened and these developments resulted in the complete erosion of the Res Publica under Augustus. The offices and the Senate remained untouched, but in reality had lost all their relevance. [57]

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Athens - the crisis of democracy Crisis arose as the gap between the lower and upper classes again widened and it was almost impossible to get enough interested citizens to fill the quorum for the peoples assembly. Thus a general disenchantment with politics and a lack of faith in democracy eroded that same democracy. This general disillusion with politics spread and in Rome the crisis and the disappearance of the Republic, similar to Athens, was characterized by a rejection of politics by its citizens. This expressed itself as a lack of interest in participation in the peoples assembly, but also in the arts, culture and especially in philosophy until Athens finally fell under the rule of the Macedonian kingdom. This meant the end of the Athenian Democracy (322 B.C.). The decline of secularity (and, hence the decline of rationalism and humanistic thinking) A main difference between Rome and Greece was the fact that the political system in Rome was never free of a priestly class. Octavian used this hole in secularism to legitimate his claim to power, as he stated that Caesar was divine and thus, his own blood was divine. During the era of the Principate an imperial cult with varying degrees was continued by Diocletian, who declared himself imperator and god (dominus et deus) at the end of the third century C.E. Thus, after the rule of law had diminished in late republican times and during the Principate, myth, religion and politics became increasingly interwoven. Finally, the Roman citizens became subjects to their ruler and all equality was erased. In the century after Diocletian, Christianity became the state religion and all other cults were prohibited. This marked the beginning of an all-powerful dualistic system striving for world domination consisting of a worldly domain with the emperor and a religious domain with the pope at their respective helms. The logos of antiquity was totally replaced by the myth 91

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of Christianity. Reason, as the basis to explain the world and to organize social systems, was replaced by revelation theology. The individual was no longer the measure of all things. It was subordinated to a collective consisting of a mass of subjects with few rights and no possibilities to develop and advance since all of the power was held by a few. As their reign was by Gods grace it was untouchable and unchangeable. Diocletian had erased the rest of the rule of law and became god emperor (285 C.E.). The Roman populus became his subjects without any basic civil rights.[58] Around 50 years later emperor Constantine was baptised and in 380 C.E., Christianity became the state religion. In 391 C.E., under the reign of Theodosius, all other cults were prohibited. [59] An almighty religious power was created which spread over the entire Roman Empire and which was tightly connected to the worldly governance of the emperors. In Athenian democracy myth played no role in creating political systems and the institutions were free of influence from any religious caste. In Rome however, cults were never fully banned from the field of politics. At the end of republican times Octavian 92 made use of this fact and put himself, as heir of Caesar, on the top of an ancient divine lineage. The fact that Roman politics had always been influenced by different cults along with the principles of Christianity that would never accept any truth besides their own Revelation lead to the defining twofold system of late antiquity and the Middle Ages. This system was under the dominion of the pope and the emperor, with reason as the fundamental element of social and political systems replaced by Gods Revelation, which was exclusively interpreted by the Roman church. When the Western Roman Empire declined and Germanic tribes conquered its various parts during the 5th and 6th century, the new rulers took advantage of this opportunity to legitimize their power. [60] They saw themselves as heirs of the Roman emperors until Charlemagne was crowned as the Roman emperor and protector of the holy church in 800 C.E. [61] Thus, he became a direct heir of the Roman emperors. The Holy Roman Empire persisted until the beginning of the 19th century. [62] Based upon their interpretations of the gospels it became the divine right of the Germanic kings and

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emperors to rule over their peoples. Old Germanic rights had stated that common people also had certain rights which were granted by the nobility. From now one, these rights were in any case and to a wide extent, non-existent anymore. The commoner was not allowed to question his place in an opaque hierarchy, but had to endure his inferior role his entire life, only to find access to a paradise after death. [63] Moreover, the Germanic kings no longer received their power from their people. [65] They received it directly from God. [66] Therefore their decisions and their entitlement could no longer be questioned. If it still occured, it was considered a sin and the gates of heaven were closed to sinners. And similar to ancient Babylon or Egypt, all knowledge was now concentrated in the hands of the religious caste. It took a thousand years until the knowledge and values of the Greek and Roman high culture was rediscovered in the 14th and especially in the 15th century C.E. Then again, humans started to focus on their possibilities to develop and create beauty within this world. Reason and rationalism once again became the basis to discover the laws of nature and to create political systems whose main aim was to guarantee freedom and happiness for the people and not just for the small minority with god-given privileges. [67] Finally, it became possible in the Modern Age to separate state from religious institutions and create democratic constitutional states. The pinnacle of this evolution was the Declaration of Universal Human Rights in 1948, which was enshrined in the European convention and which found its way into the constitutions of most of the European states. [68] What is particularly notable is the fact that it took nearly two thousand years from the beginning of the decline of democratic and republican values in ancient Greece and Rome until the rule of law and democracy were re-established in the modern era.

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People had to suffer which conditions before the 6 fundamental European Values were re-established?
Here are some examples of the conditions under which people in different eras lived before the advent of democratic constitutional states: The majority of people in the Middle Ages were serf peasants! Farmers, meaning almost the entire population until the emergence of the working class during the Industrial Revolution, were serfs of their landlords until 1800. Subject to his jurisdiction, the landlord dictated all aspects of their lives including who could marry and it was his right to bring the farmers back with physical violence in case of escape. During the revolution in 1848 was serfdom finally abolished. From the Middle Ages until modern times, people lived in a corporate state system. It was impossible to escape the Estate into which one was born. If you were born into a peasant family, you remained a 94

peasant for your entire life - basically with no rights and at the mercy of those who ruled by the grace of God. As the peasants in early modern times fought for more rights and justice and rebelled against authority, the course taken by these Peasants Wars looked entirely similar. Through negotiations, the sovereign bought himself enough time to set up a mercenary army, against which the farmers barely stood a chance. Survivors often had their noses, ears or tongues cut off, or were hung by the dozens on trees, where they often had to roll the dice one against one. The one with the higher score was allowed to go home, while the one with the lower score was hung. Around 1848, when people gathered on the streets to demand more freedom and more rights, soldiers marched against them, guns were fired and fatalities ensued. Today it is a constitutionally stipulated basic right to be able to assemble and to demonstrate. Landless peasants become homeless workers. In the 19th century, before the stipulation of social human rights in the constitutions of European countries, the emerging working class without

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exception had to cope with a 14-hour workday, 6 to 7 days a week, and yet a worker could hardly support himself and his family. The workers lived under miserable conditions, many as night lodgers (renting a bed for a few hours a day), because they were unable to afford a home. In addition, they had no protection against dismissal, no vacation entitlement, no health insurance, and of course no statutory minimum wages or unemployment insurance. Until the implementation of the rule of law between the end of the 18th century and early to mid 20th century (after 1918 /after 1945) no statutory protection of the home existed. State officials, which means executives of the ruling aristocracy or of the kings and emperors, could at any time, without breaking any law, enter the homes of the subjects (they werent free citizens with equal rights) and do what ever they wanted. Until the 19th and part the 20th century, people had no freedom of expression, no freedom of assembly or freedom of the Press. Not until an over 100-year struggle for constitutions, for rule of law and later for democratic participation were these basic rights realized. It took fighting in bloody revolutions (The French Revolution, The Revolution of 1848) and only after two World Wars mankind was ready to permanently and on a broad basis, speak out in favor of rule of law, democracy and human rights and to finally realize them. It is unimaginable for us today not to be able to choose from umpteen television channels, radio stations, newspapers and magazines at any time in order to inform or entertain ourselves or that police can enter our house or apartment at any time, or to have to fear being jailed or even killed if we express our opinion publicly. In order for our rights and freedoms to persist in Europe, and to make sure that no one ever again has to live in the circumstances just described, these, our 6 values must be protected and preserved for our children and future generations.

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From Mythos to Logos the long way back


FIRST STEP: Humanistic Thinking
Definition, origin, historical development Humanistic thinking originates from Greek and Roman antiquity. It was rediscovered in the late Middle Ages and became one of the defining aspects of the European Renaissance in the 15th and 16th centuries. Basically, Humanism meant a revival of interest in classic Greek and Roman authors, their rhetoric, world-view and philosophy. At the same time it focused on the opportunity to develop, mainly through education, as citizens of the world in order to reach their potential and to create beauty. Thus, the renaissance of humanism defines a change in history as it renounces the theocentric system of the European Middle Ages and instead, focuses on the potential of the individual. [69] The human being was no longer a part of an unchangeable hierarchy of a collective. Rather than waiting and hoping for happiness in an uncertain afterlife in an unknown paradise, people realised that it is their destiny to be happy as an individual within their lifetime. 96

The epicenter of this development from the medieval theocentric to a modern anthropocentric conception was in the Italian city-states. [71] Since the 15th century the access to antique scriptures was considerably broadened when the Ottoman conquest of Constantinople caused an influx of educated refugees from the Byzantine empire to Italy. Some brought with them entire libraries and together with several discoveries of ancient scriptures in other parts of Europe, the foundation was built for a new humanistic culture in Europe. [72] Centres of this development were the new Universities which were founded all over the continent and particularly in the free Italian city-states, with Florence as the most important. It was considered the new Athens and there the Platonic Academy opened its doors again in 1452. [73] Thus, the church lost its monopoly on education, which it had desperately tried to maintain in the previous centuries. It was in their interest that the majority of the people remain uneducated thereby pacified. Without education, the poor majority had to suffer their destiny as sinners, living by the hand of God and the God-given ruling class consisting of clerics and nobility. There was no possibility to

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free oneself from, or rise above the class in which one was born. The feudal system consisted of a few who were in power, namely, clerics and nobility, and the many uneducated who had little or no rights; this perpetuated because of the churchs exclusive monopoly on the exegesis of Gods will. As modern science with its reason and rationality had yet to exist in the Middle Ages, there was no possibility to fight the system from the bottom or question those in power. [74] Accomplishments Humanism made the human being the measure of all things (Protagoras) [75], who, with the help of science, became ruler over nature. [76] Copernicus proof of a heliocentric world displaced the earth and its inhabitants as the centre of the universe. Thus humans rediscovered their ability to think rationally and to position themselves as central in importance. In the age of reason, God was no longer considered to reign supreme over the world. He became an abstract principle, freeing humans to take responsibility for the discovery of the world and the development of political and social systems. [77]

SECOND STEP: Rationalism


In the 17th century the autonomy of rationalism had yet to be established. The debate between Reason and Revelation had been finished, but not yet secured. [78] An example is the conviction of Galilei (1564 1642) in 1633 for heresy by the Catholic church. The penalty included a ban on both his books and teachings. The main exponent of Rationalism, Rene Descartes (1596 1650), further developed Francis Baconss [79] idea of tabula rasa by posing the possibility of questioning each and every established truth, or simply declaring it a falsehood. He established methods of philosophical thinking based on the use of plain intellect, reason, and an analytical approach to ascertaining the truth. [80] Previously the search for truth had been part of the theology of Revelation, defined by members of the clergy. Now it turned completely towards reason as being inherent in every human being. In the field of philosophy we can thus speak of secularization, which prefigures secularization as the separation of Church and State. Science, in the modern sense of 97

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the word, was finally made possible by this development. [81] instead of the theology of revelation to find the truth is not to be differentiated from the idea of Enlightenment. Kants famous definition of the term shall be quoted here: Enlightenment is mans leaving his self-caused immaturity. Immaturity is the incapacity to use ones intelligence without the guidance of another. Such immaturity is self-caused if it is not caused by lack of intelligence, but by lack of determination and courage to use ones intelligence without being guided by another. Sapere Aude! Have the courage to use your own intelligence! This therefore, is the motto of the enlightenment. [82] Basically, Enlightenment stands for the division of Church and State, the belief in science, progress, freedom, sovereignty of the individual, human rights, equality before the law, as well as the sovereignty of the people - this being an overview of the major topics of the Age of Enlightenment. Yet, the proponents of Enlightenment not only wanted to explain the world, but also to change it. Even if their respective views on the topic may have been different in detail, they all shared the wish to build a society that would ascertain the selfdetermination of the individual. [83] The basis for

THIRD STEP: Secularization


Here we attempt a further explanation of the separation of Church and State as the next stage on the way to a democratic constitutional state. After freeing scientific and political discussion from religious dogma, the development of this separation was the next logical step towards a system of constitutional legality and ultimately, towards democracy. Terminology The term secularization is a complex one which in our context means first and foremost the separation of Church and state, when public institutions were liberated from religious power structures. The basis for this separation was the change of the position of the individual in the course of the development of Humanism and Enlightenment. While man began to be more and more the center of the world and was no longer subject to God, truth had to be explicable by science and was no longer subject only to the indisputable decision of God. The use of reason 98

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this was the concept of a general morality that was recognizable to all reasonable individuals. This would lead them to becoming better members of society, which would then lead to the betterment of society as a whole. The idea was that only preconceptions and unquestioned dogma would hinder the development of a society guided by reason.[84] The necessary basis for this kind of society was the late 17th, 18th centurys concept of Liberty, Equality, Fraternity, ideals which could be realized by Enlightenment. [85] The philosophers of this period did not want to start a revolution, and every form of fanaticism including the violence of the French revolution went against their principles.[86] Neither was militant atheism, also found in the French Revolution, part of the program of Enlightenment. Their criticisms were directed against religiously motivated intolerance, fanaticism, superstition and the belief in miracles. It did not go against religion itself, but against abuse, which was especially prevalent in the Catholic church. [87] Historical development It took centuries for the original ideas from all the developments described so far to actually be implemented. This of course happened at different times in different states. The Constitution of the United States of America (1787) contains, after long negotiations over content, the separation of Church and State. A few years later, this step was also taken in France, and by the end of World War I in all of the European and Anglo-American world. The developments, degree of adaption and regressions being very different and dependant upon varying spheres of influence. With Absolutism, which in the time of enlightenment was Europes main form of governance, all power belonged to the king by the grace of God, while the people were considered subjects without any rights and entirely controlled by the sovereigns power.[88] The alternative models of the 17th and 18th centuries no longer had God as the basis of governance, but were superceded by rationally and empirically comprehensible theories. No longer a monarch was supposed to be sovereign, but a group of members of the people should hold the power, which was 99

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also restricted by various measures. This is why the separation of Church and State had become necessary in the United States and in France, since power structures had to be freed of religious dogmatic laws that could not be questioned.[89] Conclusion Thus, democratic constitutional states could only develop after the modern state, as an outcome of civil and religious wars, had realized the institutional separation from religion and established a secular power structure. Therefore, Thomas Jefferson called for the strict division in the U.S, as this Wall of Separation became part of the constitution.[91] Through science, the clerical monopoly of exegesis was destroyed by rationalism, in favor of explaining natural processes by observation and rational logic. At the same time, theories and models for systems of governance were developed which were to grant sovereignty, freedom, equality, the right to live of ones physical integrity, as well as the integrity of ones possessions (that no one can arbitrarily take away your possessions). The Renaissance world view stating the individual as the designer of their political environment, was faced with an absolutist state, where power was nothing other than the exercise of unlimited power by the sovereign in the Age of Enlightenment.[94] If the absolute sovereign had simply been replaced by the people in the course of a democratic revolution, the problem of restricting power would not have been eliminated, since every form of unlimited sovereignty is dangerous to freedom, as was posited by Montesquieu. So it happened that the idea of a state based upon a constitution and its accordance to the individuals living therein was gaining political relevance. This was linked with the idea of natural individual rights, as with the ideas of John Locke. [95] The individual as sovereign was to limit his own power with a treaty,

FOURTH STEP: Rule of Law


The convention adopts the first basic law of modern democracy in September 1787: the Constitution of the United States of America. Essential features: separation of powers and checks and balances. [92] The French constitution of 1791: Guarantee of human rights and civil rights by separation of powers in legislative, executive and judiciary branches. [93] 100

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which was to replace divine right as the legitimation for governance. Lockes and Montesquieus models of separating power, alongside Rousseaus idea of establishing a treaty, were the basis for the 17th and 18th centuries revolutions in France and the AngloAmerican world. These necessitated discussion about changed social preconditions, which shall be discussed later. The monarch as sovereign was now in question. Theories were developed to separate powers and to share power with a broader spectrum of people. The monarch as sovereign in absolutism had, in fact duties to do so which can be seen as a basis for constitutional legality), but whether the natural rights of the individual where actually transformed into concrete rights was up to him entirely. At the same time, absolutism was not able to guarantee legal certainty. This established the need for a social contract, a separation of powers and a limitation of the state as was postulated by Locke, Montesquieu and Rousseau. [96] Historically, Roman right was very important for constitutional legality up to the 20th century and even partially, today. [97] John Locke, by reasoning for a Separation of Power in Great Britain (meaning the separation of the Crown and Parliament, as laid down in the Bill of Rights) and so limiting the states power through its own laws, had great influence on the (prae-) constitutional states then to be established, especially in Britain, but also in the U.S. and France. [98] Of central importance was the emancipation of a tradition of immaturity. Based on this, the founders of the U.S. and its Constitution created a system of Checks and Balances[99], where executive and legislative on the one hand and central and regional administration on the other should control and limit each others power. [100] Nearly at the same time, in 1791, the guarantee of human and civil rights through separation of powers into executive, legislative and jurisdictional branches was put forth in the French constitution.[101] Prior to that in France, Montesquieu (1689 1755) refined the British System that was his ideal model through historical and sociological experiments to agitate for this strict separation in his most important work De LEsprit des Lois (1748) ,becoming, with Locke, major influences on the development of modern constitutions in France and the US. [102] 101

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By law, the state should guarantee individual freedom and at the same time be itself subject to this law. Likewise the states power had to be limited in order to protect this freedom from the state. [103] This does not, however, eliminate the problem of statehood itself which formulates and executes the laws and exerts power. Thus, a strong social participation was needed to protect the state from totalitarian tendencies. Only with this it was possible for the state to fulfill its original purpose to guarantee individual rights and freedom. limited, with barely ten percent of the population allowed to take part in elections. In modern democracies the exercise of political power is initially limited by the principle of constitutional legality, by which basic human rights, as well as the political organization and the distribution of political competences are guaranteed. Political exercise of power is limited by the horizontal separation of power (legislative, executive, jurisdiction) within modern democracies, which leads to a reciprocal dependence and control of governmental organs, as well as a multi-leveled constitution of state (e.g. in federal states). Further limitations of power are established by media and the freedom of political commitment.[106] After Baruch de Spinoza (1632 1677), Jean-Jacques Rousseau (1712 1778) was the major influence on the theories of the modern democratic movement. He claimed all government power to be dependent upon the will of the people. Thus, the state was not to follow the will of God, but to serve the good of the people, which was its only basis for its legitimacy. The peoples sovereignty was seen by Rousseau as inalienable and

FIFTH STEP: Democracy


The convention adopts the first basic law of modern democracy in September 1787: the Constitution of the United States of America. [104] Sept. 1792 France becomes a republic [105] The term democracy is derived from Greek, meaning governance of the people. Also first forms of civil participation in public power, taking form as elections of representatives to an assembly, were found in Europe in the Greek city-states. However, it must be noted that the right to vote was extremely 102

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untransferable. [107] As a result of the French and American Revolutions, the US Federal Convention declared the Constitution of the United States of America on September 17, 1787 and thus the first constitutional law in a modern democracy [108] and in September 1792 France is declared a Republic. [109] Conclusion Democracy can only be established on a secular and constitutional basis. For the constitutional state as guarantor for each individuals rights[110] to actually be realized, the participation of its citizens is necessary. Otherwise the majority will be subject to the whims of only those with the privilege and right to vote. Human rights, as defined by the Declaration of Human Rights of 1948, can only be established in states which fulfill these preconditions, and can only be seen as fully established if they are under the control of a functioning civil society, so that these rights wont be lost despite their official designation.
[111]

SIXTH STEP: Human rights


The idea of human rights started in antiquity and was a recurrent theme in many philosophic and religious traditions throughout history, taking on different shapes up to its formal realization with the United Nations Universal Declaration of Human Rights of 1948 and its practical regulation by the European Convention for the Protection of Human Rights and Basic Freedoms. A central point in the development of human rights is the term natural law meaning the right which every individual is entitled to by nature, and, therefore, is not dependent on structures or norms yet to be established. [112] Thus, natural law stands above every form of positive right and is independent of gender, age, location, state citizenship, or the individuals view of the political system of his respective state. This kind of primordial right is also called anterior to the state and means especially the inalienable right to live, of ones physical integrity, and personal freedom. Since antiquity the term natural justice has developed in different directions, achieving its greatest influence in the Age of Enlightenment in the context of the political emancipation of the people. [113] 103

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Historical development The idea of inherent basic rights was born in the 2nd half of the 4th century B.C. in a time of crisis for the Attic democracy within the context of the Stoics. This may have been brought forth in order to establish an inner, psychological security in face of the danger of losing the actual positive rights. The Sophists had already defined natural justice to be above positive rights and thus influenced the philosophers of Enlightenment.[114] In the course of Enlightenment the idea of natural justice lost more and more of its religious aspect. Instead, it was now mainly based upon human Rationalism and Reason. Natural justice was to secure the happiness and freedom of the individual as rediscovered by Renaissance humanism. The main responsibility lay within the state. In this process, the establishment of democratic and constitutional ideals, especially citizens participation in legislation, government and administration became the most important precondition for basic rights.[115] The emphasis on the individual, the anthropocentric world view conveyed by humanism, the following 104 centuries rationalism and the process of secularization were thus the most important factors for the birth of political theories and systems, in which human rights were established. At the same time these factors defined the formation of human rights and made possible a fully developed humanist world view and the idea of the individual.[116] In 1948 the Universal Declaration of Human Rights was adopted by the United Nations (UNO), which was codified by the European Council in the European Human Rights Convention in 1953 and is enforceable before the European Court of Human Rights. In the following, the Declaration of Human Rights, together with its introduction and preamble shall be quoted.

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PREAMBLE Whereas recognition of the inherent dignity and of the equal and inalienable rights of all members of the human family is the foundation of freedom, justice and peace in the world, Whereas disregard and contempt for human rights have resulted in barbarous acts which have outraged the conscience of mankind, and the advent of a world in which human beings shall enjoy freedom of speech and belief and freedom from fear and want has been proclaimed as the highest aspiration of the common people, Whereas it is essential, if man is not to be compelled to have recourse, as a last resort, to rebellion against tyranny and oppression, that human rights should be protected by the rule of law, Whereas it is essential to promote the development of friendly relations between nations, Whereas the peoples of the United Nations have in the Charter reaffirmed their faith in fundamental human rights, in the dignity and worth of the human person and in the equal rights of men and women and have determined to promote social progress and better standards of life in larger freedom, Whereas Member States have pledged themselves to achieve, in co-operation with the United Nations, the promotion of universal respect for and observance of human rights and fundamental freedoms, Whereas a common understanding of these rights and freedoms is of the greatest importance for the full realization of this pledge, Now, Therefore THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY proclaims THIS UNIVERSAL DECLARATION OF HUMAN RIGHTS as a common standard of achievement for all peoples and all nations, to the end that every individual and every organ of society, keeping this Declaration constantly in mind, shall strive by teaching and education to promote respect for these rights and freedoms and by progressive measures, national and international, to secure their universal and effective recognition and observance, both among the peoples of Member States themselves and among the peoples of territories under their jurisdiction.

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Article 1. All human beings are born free and equal in dignity and rights.They are endowed with reason and conscience and should act towards one another in a spirit of brotherhood. Article 2. Everyone is entitled to all the rights and freedoms set forth in this Declaration, without distinction of any kind, such as race, colour, sex, language, religion, political or other opinion, national or social origin, property, birth or other status. Furthermore, no distinction shall be made on the basis of the political, jurisdictional or international status of the country or territory to which a person belongs, whether it be independent, trust, non-self-governing or under any other limitation of sovereignty. Article 3. Everyone has the right to life, liberty and security of person. Article 4. No one shall be held in slavery or servitude; slavery and the slave trade shall be prohibited in all their forms. 106 Article 5. No one shall be subjected to torture or to cruel, inhuman or degrading treatment or punishment. Article 6. Everyone has the right to recognition everywhere as a person before the law. Article 7. All are equal before the law and are entitled without any discrimination to equal protection of the law. All are entitled to equal protection against any discrimination in violation of this Declaration and against any incitement to such discrimination. Article 8. Everyone has the right to an effective remedy by the competent national tribunals for acts violating the fundamental rights granted him by the constitution or by law. Article 9. No one shall be subjected to arbitrary arrest, detention or exile.

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Article 10. Everyone is entitled in full equality to a fair and public hearing by an independent and impartial tribunal, in the determination of his rights and obligations and of any criminal charge against him. Article 11. (1) Everyone charged with a penal offence has the right to be presumed innocent until proved guilty according to law in a public trial at which he has had all the guarantees necessary for his defence. (2) No one shall be held guilty of any penal offence on account of any act or omission which did not constitute a penal offence, under national or international law, at the time when it was committed. Nor shall a heavier penalty be imposed than the one that was applicable at the time the penal offence was committed. Article 12. No one shall be subjected to arbitrary interference with his privacy, family, home or correspondence, nor to attacks upon his honour and reputation. Everyone has the right to the protection of the law against such interference or attacks. Article 13. (1) Everyone has the right to freedom of movement and residence within the borders of each state. (2) Everyone has the right to leave any country, including his own, and to return to his country. Article 14. (1) Everyone has the right to seek and to enjoy in other countries asylum from persecution. (2) This right may not be invoked in the case of prosecutions genuinely arising from non-political crimes or from acts contrary to the purposes and principles of the United Nations. Article 15. (1) Everyone has the right to a nationality. (2) No one shall be arbitrarily deprived of his nationality nor denied the right to change his nationality.

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Article 16. (1) Men and women of full age, without any limitation due to race, nationality or religion, have the right to marry and to found a family. They are entitled to equal rights as to marriage, during marriage and at its dissolution. (2) Marriage shall be entered into only with the free and full consent of the intending spouses. (3) The family is the natural and fundamental group unit of society and is entitled to protection by society and the State. Article 17. (1) Everyone has the right to own property alone as well as in association with others. (2) No one shall be arbitrarily deprived of his property. Article 18. Everyone has the right to freedom of thought, conscience and religion; this right includes freedom to change his religion or belief, and freedom, either alone or in community with others and in public or private, to manifest his religion or belief in teaching, practice, worship and observance. 108 Article 19. Everyone has the right to freedom of opinion and expression; this right includes freedom to hold opinions without interference and to seek, receive and impart information and ideas through any media and regardless of frontiers. Article 20. (1) Everyone has the right to freedom of peaceful assembly and association. (2) No one may be compelled to belong to an association. Article 21. (1) Everyone has the right to take part in the government of his country, directly or through freely chosen representatives. (2) Everyone has the right of equal access to public service in his country. (3) The will of the people shall be the basis of the authority of government; this will shall be expressed in periodic and genuine elections which shall be by universal and equal suffrage and shall be held by secret vote or by equivalent free voting procedures.

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Article 22. Everyone, as a member of society, has the right to social security and is entitled to realization, through national effort and international co-operation and in accordance with the organization and resources of each State, of the economic, social and cultural rights indispensable for his dignity and the free development of his personality. Article 23. (1) Everyone has the right to work, to free choice of employment, to just and favourable conditions of work and to protection against unemployment. (2) Everyone, without any discrimination, has the right to equal pay for equal work. (3) Everyone who works has the right to just and favourable remuneration ensuring for himself and his family an existence worthy of human dignity, and supplemented, if necessary, by other means of social protection. (4) Everyone has the right to form and to join trade unions for the protection of his interests. Article 24. Everyone has the right to rest and leisure, including reasonable limitation of working hours and periodic holidays with pay. Article 25. (1) Everyone has the right to a standard of living adequate for the health and well-being of himself and of his family, including food, clothing, housing and medical care and necessary social services, and the right to security in the event of unemployment, sickness, disability, widowhood, old age or other lack of livelihood in circumstances beyond his control. (2) Motherhood and childhood are entitled to special care and assistance. All children, whether born in or out of wedlock, shall enjoy the same social protection. Article 26. (1) Everyone has the right to education. Education shall be free, at least in the elementary and fundamental stages. Elementary education shall be compulsory. Technical and professional education shall be made generally available and higher education shall be equally accessible to all on the basis of merit. 109

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(2) Education shall be directed to the full development of the human personality and to the strengthening of respect for human rights and fundamental freedoms. It shall promote understanding, tolerance and friendship among all nations, racial or religious groups, and shall further the activities of the United Nations for the maintenance of peace. (3) Parents have a prior right to choose the kind of education that shall be given to their children. Article 27. (1) Everyone has the right freely to participate in the cultural life of the community, to enjoy the arts and to share in scientific advancement and its benefits. (2) Everyone has the right to the protection of the moral and material interests resulting from any scientific, literary or artistic production of which he is the author. Article 28. Everyone is entitled to a social and international order in which the rights and freedoms set forth in this Declaration can be fully realized. Article 29. (1) Everyone has duties to the community in which alone the free and full development of his personality is possible. (2) In the exercise of his rights and freedoms, everyone shall be subject only to such limitations as are determined by law solely for the purpose of securing due recognition and respect for the rights and freedoms of others and of meeting the just requirements of morality, public order and the general welfare in a democratic society. (3) These rights and freedoms may in no case be exercised contrary to the purposes and principles of the United Nations. Article 30. Nothing in this Declaration may be interpreted as implying for any State, group or person any right to engage in any activity or to perform any act aimed at the destruction of any of the rights and freedoms set forth herein. Resolution 217 A (III) by the UN General Assembly on 10 December 1948 [117]

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Conclusion
The aim of this paper is to show the historically unique conditions of the European population living in democratic constitutional states based upon human rights codified by a constitution and enforceable by law. This freedom is based on six central achievements and values. Each of these values had to be theoretically conceived and practically established under preconditions, which made their realization seem improbable. Over centuries these values were to be established through violence and war. Each of them is based on the one that preceded, thus they presuppose each other. Without the turning towards the individual in humanism, the individual would not have been able to use his rationality to explore the world in a scientific way, or to theoretically conceive of new political systems and to effect their realization. As a result, science and politics were freed of religious domination and tyranny. The newly established nation-state was to guarantee freedom and legal security to the individual. Thus, power had to be divided and controlled reciprocally. It therefore needed to be legitimated by understandable scientific

theories based upon human intellect. Irrational religious ideas were no longer used as the legitimation of governance, since they are not ruled by intellect. Religion had to withdraw to the private sphere, with its right to practice freely protected by human rights. Secular constitutional states were established, becoming democracies by the victories in the enduring fight for the participation of the people. These democracies guaranteed and were based upon the general, equal and secret right to vote for all women and men of age. Human rights were made part of the basic constitutions of these constitutional states and finally were supranationally and universally declared in 1948 by the European Human Rights Convention. They guarantee the all-embracing protection of freedom and equality for all and goes against any form of intolerance, especially that against human rights itself.

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Security mechanisms of our contemporary free societies

seCuriTy meChanisms of our ConTemporary free soCieTies

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Security mechanisms of our contemporary free societies How the current security mechanisms were created?
The authorities (worldly, religious and economic leaders) caused one crisis after another for the commoners. Countless scandals made it clear that they are total opportunists. Before: medieval pyramid of power

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Security mechanisms of our contemporary free societies


FIRST STEP: Humanistic thinking: Emancipation from the authorities leads to individual responsibility. SECOND STEP: Rationality: Critical questioning of the authorities

The halo and inviolability of the system are excluded.

Security mechanism: As long as people act responsibly and independently from authorities, our free humanist societies will be preserved.

Security mechanism: As long as people critically question the authorities, they will continue to act responsibly.

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Security mechanisms of our contemporary free societies


THIRD STEP: Secularity: Separation of the authorities

Security mechanism: As long as religion and politics are separated, living in a rational and humanist way will be allowed without retribution.

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Security mechanisms of our contemporary free societies


FOURTH STEP: Rule of law: Restraining the authorities Four classes become only two: The King loses most privileges as he descends into the class of the nobility. From the estate of the serfs and the estate of the free peasants, merchants, and craftsmen arises the class of citizens.

Security mechanisms: Separation of powers and mutual checks and balances, constitution and law books, etc. There are countless built-in security mechanisms that ensure that there are equitable laws instead of arbitrary ones.

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Security mechanisms of our contemporary free societies


FIFTH STEP: Democracy: Participation in the decisions of the authorities Democracy: Two classes become a single-class society.

Security mechanism: Periodic elections, where people can vote the existing rulers out of office by electing the opposition. There are countless security mechanisms to ensure that the rulers are held accountable for their deeds.

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and citizens. (In the war on terror, however, some human rights against terrorists were abrogated, so now there are 3 subclasses: the class of the citizens, above it the class of the guardians of the people, below it the terrorist suspects. The number of terrorist suspects among the critics of government has increased a hundredfold worldwide because the guardians of the people have the faculty to suddenly move someone innocent from the class of the citizens into the class of the terrorist suspects.)

SIxTH STEP: Human rights: Total enforcement of all of our present rights against the authorities

Women, children and minorities have the same rights! Security mechanisms: Article 30 of the Declaration of Human Rights states that no human right must be used to restrict another. As long as this security mechanism is enforced, there will be no more subclasses other than the subclasses of rulers 119

Security mechanisms of our contemporary free societies


Each level is of course a security mechanism for the one above it: If there is no individual responsibility for participation in the government, then everything collapses. If the critical questioning of the authorities declines or stops, there is no containment of the power of the authorities. Without containment of the authorities, citizens participation would not be allowed. And without participation in the decisions of the authorities, all of our human rights would cease to exist.

What exactly are security mechanisms?


Today, as in former times, there are rulers and the ones who are being ruled. The current contracts of a country determine how the rulers have to deal with their people. These contracts are based on clauses, socalled laws, which are constantly renewed and revised. Fortunately there were wise people who have stipulated contracts between rulers and people, which today, ensure our freedoms and rights. In concrete terms the rulers authority was considerably reduced and limited, a framework was assigned to them in which they were allowed to act, and everything outside of this framework was forbidden and protected by security mechanisms. Therefore security mechanisms are restrictions of the authorities in our favour: Examples: Political leaders are elected only for a few years; they have to prove themselves worthy in order to be reelected. The opposition has to be admitted to the ballot. Everyone is allowed to run for office. Everyone

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has just one vote, etc. And there are institutions that control the politicians: Constitutional Court judges, Audit Court, etc. The three powers of the State control each other and keep the balance of power intact, etc. support them. The common people thought: This has nothing to do with my life, therefore i dont care. Today we would like to have these security mechanisms reinstalled to end the crisis, but the same people who have led us into this crisis are currently in charge of solving it.

Which security mechanisms have already been bypassed?


Recent example: economic crisis After the economic crisis of 1929 strict security mechanisms were imposed on the financial system, so that such an economic crisis may not recur. Banking and investment businesses were strictly separated, the banks were not allowed to exceed a certain size, not to become too big to fail, etc. All of these security mechanisms were removed step by step in the last 20 years. Result: In the financial and banking crisis of 2008 the states could survive only by enormously increasing their public debts. Result: public debt crisis of 2011 in the western states. And when a small group of concerned people all over the world were fighting against the removal of these security mechanisms, the majority refused to

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Security mechanisms of our contemporary free societies


Recent example: erosion of democratic security mechanisms in the EU On a national level democracy still works. However, many democratic security mechanisms have been eroded through the backdoor called the EU. Democratically elected leaders need to periodically test the support or rejection of their decisions in an election. The only thing we may determine in the EU elections is who gets rewarded or punished with our vote in the EU Parliament, a small cog in the wheel of the big EU decision-making bodies. This lack of essential democratic security mechanisms is obvious from our own impotence against the decisions of the EU. The majority of EU citizens were against the rescue package for Greece and yet, what could we do?

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Security mechanisms of our contemporary free societies


Recent example: The erosion of human rights through religious institutions There is a built-in safety mechanism in the Declaration of Human Rights: One human right must not be used to restrict another. Islamic and Christian institutions have been quite successful in their battle to restrict other human rights such as gender equality, freedom of speech on religious issues, etc. under the guise of religious freedom.

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Europe at the crossroads

europe aT The Crossroads

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Europe at the crossroads


Modern day Europeans are torn between mythos and logos. The pendulum of human development The average European stands here today.

They are divided between a Christian world view which was instilled during childhood, and a scientific world view, which they discovered by themselves in their adolescence. 126

At this moment, development clearly points in the direction of myth. Myth stands for the trust in authorities to solve our problems. It is the belief in a positive force of fate paired with the hope of being delivered by others.

Europe at the crossroads Which indicators are there, showing that myth is playing an ever greater role in our thinking?
1. The worse the economic circumstances, the greater the hope for deliverance. Strong political leaders or religious saviors promise to solve all problems. 2. Politics start to rely on obedience to and belief in authority. Politicians are pleased by the voters accepting guidance from above without taking any regulative actions. 3. Along with the rapid demographic growth of Islam in our countries everything culminates in the cultural confrontation: Who are you? Are you Muslim or Christian? This will result in the fact that even moderately religious people are increasingly turning to their religious roots. 4. The strongest resistance at nearly every stage of development towards a free society in Europe came from the Christian Churches. Despite this, our children are taught by the Clergy that they have been the origin of our modern day humanist society! These institution are taking advantage of the ignorance of children to explain to them during religious education, that the church itself is actually the origin of todays humanistic society. No one who has ever read a history book about the Middle Ages and Modern Times could possibly agree, but this belief is nonetheless widespread in our society. 5. Vatican and Islam are fighting side by side against their main enemy secularism. (The more secular a society is, the less power can be claimed by religious leaders).

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6. Political topics are again acquiring a religious bias, emphasized by discussions about religious symbols in schools, on the burqa in the workplace and on whether the violation of religious feelings should be considered a crime (...). 7. In America more and more schools teach creationism (= the origin of the world as a divine act of creation) as an alternative to the theory of evolution. the first western nation to introduce Sharia law. But resistance in the English population is stirring. The active citizens of the campaign One Law for All fight against the demolition of constitutional legality. We thank these courageous people for their commitment. Today we live in a time of great changes, a time of great decisions.

8. A prominent example for the weakening of constitutional legality are the courts of Sharia in Britain, where suddenly in some fields of jurisdiction, there are two measures for justice. Alongside our modern jurisdiction there is a medieval, religious Muslim law, which on no account corresponds to modern European law. Britain, which in history has always been a pioneer for constitutional legality, as shown by the Magna Carta 1215 and the Bill of Rights 1689, is now 128

The moment for decision is here, now!


The decision is to either take fate in ones own hands or to let higher powers and their authorities decide.

Europe at the crossroads

The boxer who did not follow the advice of his coach anymore, although he helped him to become world champion
In the following chapter we will show how it came to be that Europe is today at a crucial point of development by pointing at the actions of individuals. To simplify this complex procedure we decided to use a boxer as a metaphor. In our example Europe still represents the boxing world champion. Europe is still a symbol for free societies except that its defence is predictable and its offence barely has any punch left. However, the next title bout was fixed and the weakening of his previously successful boxing style was known to every challenger. High-cultures cant come to a fall Unfortunately, every high culture has proclaimed this; however all of them, without exception, came to a fall. So, why do even high-cultures fall? High-cultures do not come to a fall because of pressure from the outside, they are much too developed as to be threatened by outer influences.

Instead they are always weakened from within. Only after some sort of inner debilitation do they succumb to pressure from the outside. What causes this inner debilitation? Actions which are contradictory to those that the free high-culture were built upon are logically a cause for such inner-debilitation. Just imagine, many years ago a wise man installed a grid on top of a water-spring in order to prevent children from falling into the deep hole. Fetching water might be a bit more difficult but it is working well and all the children are well protected. Generations later the people have forgotten why this grid was installed and put it away for the simplicity of fetching water. On that day no children fell into the spring but what will happen in the near future? Why do we do such things? The main cause is always ignorance. Just like those people at the spring, we are not aware of the functions of our security mechanisms and without knowing or realizing it; we took these mechanisms out of action.

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What kind of ignorance? We are talking of the same ignorance as that of a boxer who, by training hard and being taught constantly how to avoid mistakes, became the world champion. He was able to defend his title several times but slowly the belief that he can do everything already grew and he became over-confident that no one could win over the title from him. Therefore, he decided that he didnt need such hard training anymore and shortened his training sessions. Naturally, his boxing style weakened with every day he didnt train properly. And with every debilitation of his so far successful boxing style, the amount of serious opponents increased. Same as with our champion who saw his opportunity arise when the previous champion became weaker and thus won, todays opponents saw their chance and started training harder. So far we are still holding the title. So far Europe continues to be the symbol for free societies, but we are at a crossroad. Many people sense a kind of discomfort, something in our society seems to be out of order. Do you know this feeling? Most people who are brave enough to take the effort and dare to look 130 at things come to the conclusion that a boxing world champion is not invincible. Neither is Europe and all it stands for. Naturally, the training opponents are not giving away their idea about a weakened champion and their intentions may stir the champion to wake up from dreaming and move him to train hard again. In the same way, the opponents of free societies assure us day in and day out that there is absolutely nothing to worry about. Nonetheless, if we are honest to ourselves, our defence became weak and our offence became less and less powerful. And of course it may be that there is no reason to worry yet, but in any case, it would make sense to keep protective measures in action to ensure the perpetuation of our championtitle, of all our values and our freedoms. We are still able to defend our title, but we have to ask our old and wise trainer for further support to work hard on maintaining our successful boxing style. What does it mean that our defence has become weak? Our free societies are threatened on an inner as well as on an outer level (e.g. through economic and political powers, Islam and terrorism). We, the

Europe at the crossroads


citizens, dont know the security mechanisms which protect our society from outer and inner threats any more. Most of us simply lack the knowledge about the security mechanisms which were installed by intelligent masterminds of freedom in our political system. This nescience makes it easy for political and economic powers as well as Islamic fundamentalists to overcome our security measures step by step for their own benefit. Making use of seemingly plausible arguments, this gradual dismantling is sold to us every day. We cannot recognize the connection and interrelation of such betrayals as they are well covered up, so we have to accept this decline of our securities and watch our defence weaken with time. humanistic world-view. It is time that we become aware of this again and find our way back to this fine and efficient style. Those who fight with a clear fighting style always win. A clear style is always superior to a mixed style. When we became unclear, our style became mixed. The different elements drive us into different directions and thereby block us from acting properly. However, its an old boxing rule that only the one whose basis, methods and goals are in agreement with the same abstract objectives can win. Considering all this, we came to the conclusion that it is meaningful to advise you to use your critical intelligence; check actions and consider all possible consequences of these actions. It is advisable to work with todays scientific historiography, because they contain the recordings of human actions and their consequences. Moreover, it is advisable to watch current incidents in the various societies, because all events, whether they lead to more freedom or more suppression of a society, are taking place right now all over the world. And it is of utmost importance to be aware of what happens where and to observe the consequences. 131

So what would our old and wise trainer of free societies tell us?
1.) You didnt fight with your original boxing style, the one that made you the champion in the first place. You mixed different styles which actually weakened you. We became champion with the boxing style

Europe at the crossroads


2.) There are two totally contrasting boxing styles (worldviews) on earth! They differ by an opposing motivation, which consequently leads to opposing actions and consequences. There is a certain amount of freedom and rights in the world. When speaking of its distribution, there are two different motivations: Motivation for boxing style 1: (Applies in dictatorships and theocracies) I keep all the rights and liberties for myself. I will only share them with those who help me to establish or preserve my dictatorship. Impact for the people: The people do not have the same rights. There are rulers and those who are ruled. Everyone is born into her or his class and has no right to change it. Motivation for boxing style 2: (Applies in free societies) Everyone should have an equal share of rights and liberties. Impact for the people: Every person has the same inherent rights and obligations. We all determine our place in society ourselves through our actions.

3.) Know the security mechanisms of your free society! Humans have always lived in groups and collectives. In every group there are always leaders. This means that there are rulers and the ruled! Even in a democracy we have them; we call the rulers political, religious and economic leaders and the ruled are referred to as citizens, believers and employees.

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A leader elected in a democracy is now considered First among equals. There are however numerous security mechanisms, so that he or she remains among equals because unfortunately, it is often the case that somebody who has tasted power clings to it - or even strives to increase it! Our national safety mechanisms are unhinged by means of more global levels, where these security mechanisms dont exist: The EU, which developed from a great idea to a huge apparatus with notable democratic deficits, leaves few possibilities for the participation of European citizens. At this stage more than half of the new state laws are based on a requirement coming from the EU! European citizens standby and watch how rescue packages for the bailout of bankrupt states are put together from tax revenues despite the fact that the majority does not believe that these countries can be rescued; Still they can do nothing about it. There is always a kind of struggle between the rulers and the ruled. Those in power would like to retain or expand their power. In democratic societies this struggle takes place in a non-violent way. Still, we must ensure that this struggle takes place each and every day, as it is our task to fight for it, by democratic means. We must be vigilant, because with small changes in law and loopholes, those in power can extend their territory almost unnoticed.

The summary of our trainers lessons:


1: Find the way back to your successful boxing style! (Clear understanding of deeds and their consequences) 2: Train harder again! (Set the right actions for the preservation of freedom) 3: Smart behaviour! Know your enemy as well as you know yourself! (Know and protect the security mechanisms)

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134

The solution of the problem

The soluTion of The proBlem

135

The solution of the problem The solution: Back to reason and selfresponsibility!
Philosophical, humanist ideal: the Logos The aim would be this: This book would like to encourage our readers to emphasise rational connections and to awaken something that everyone has to develop for themselves: self-responsibility. Responsibility towards oneself, towards society, towards the future, and towards coming generations.

How to develop self-responsibility?


Through the understanding of actions and their consequences, one starts to act responsibly. In his categorical imperative, Immanuel Kant phrased it this way: Act as if the maxim of your will could at any time also be a principle of universal law. A modern formulation would be: Act in a way that the most people will benefit for the longest possible time. Nowadays we usually act in such a short-sighted way that it hurts. For the sake of some personal, short-term happiness we push aside any kind of logical, obvious consequence.

The pendulum moves as long as it stabilizes itself in the golden middle and then stops. If one tries to explain things with the law of cause and effect, one will discover causal principles behind everything usually attributed to the will of God or simple coincidence. 136

The solution of the problem


Examples for short-sighted, meaningless actions in politics: 1.) Im not voting for an honest politician, since he or she talks of economizing and debt reduction. I would rather vote for the seductive one, who bribes me with campaign goodies financed on the fly. One ignores the warning of the inner voice, that someone has to pay for these vote-catchers and that they will cause a great deal of problems due to our high national deficit. 2.) I dont bother going to the elections on my only day off, nor will I write my disapproval to a newspaper. I dont write to the politician I voted for in the last election, telling him that he will lose my vote if he wont change at least some of his policies (Every politician wants to gain votes and hates to lose them.). 3.) In a modern democratic society, we, the voters are responsible for the government, simply because we elected them! Without the headwind of an active civil society with critical citizens, i.e. informed voters, we hand over our control. Thats just as if we would harness horses to our carriage without taking the reins. Politicians exploit this passivity of the voting public to follow their own interests and not those of the electorate. Without opposition by the voters we give them unofficial permission to do so!

What is the outcome of this headwind caused by self-responsibility?


Vocal groups have agitated for and achieved rights and freedoms for themselves in a way that people who are not part of these groups should acknowledge with envy. For example: Retirees: They have time and experience. They are the biggest group of voters and they know how to make themselves heard. Retirees in Austria barely give anything of their pension to the social system, even if they are the ones who benefit the most. Students: They have time and know how to get active. Students in Austria do not pay any fees, have a lot of benefits and many free services at their disposal. Homosexuals: Even though theyre only a small group compared to the total population, theyve achieved a lot in a short span of time. In Austria, homosexual 137

The solution of the problem


and heterosexual cohabitation have the same status, many anti-discrimination laws have been passed. Womens movement: Only few active participants, but very successful. New gender laws are being passed, gender balance is being guaranteed, and so forth. The opposing groups described above are meant to illustrate: Enough headwind can change everything. It was this headwind that changed the medieval pyramid of power into our modern day one-class model. expanding demographically in Europe. Humanistic, informed Europeans on average have only one child and thus halve their number with each generation. Only a modern, liberal Islam, that unfortunately still doesnt exist, could be integrated into our humanistic social system. The problems caused by irresponsible authorities are just triggering a long winter if the Europeans do not wake up soon!

Prospect
The prospect of Europes near future is bleak because of the disabling of multiple security mechanisms. An end to the economical debt and Euro crisis is not in sight. The voters faith in politics decreases more and more. The unenlightened, theocentric Islam is rapidly 138

Those who are sleeping in a democracy, will wake up under dictatorship.

The solution of the problem


We would never call others to take responsibility and get active, if we had not done it ourselves when we created teamfreedom (teamfreiheit.info).

All thats necessary for the forces of evil to win in the world is for enough good men to do nothing. Edmund Burke If this book succeeds in intensifying opposing wind, winning new members and subsidiary associations and strengthening our network of partner associations, it has totally served its purpose! This book began with a quote from Gandhi and so it ends with his quote: Be the change you want to see in the world. Mahatma Gandhi We would like to thank all people who take a stand for freedom!

If you would like to speak up for the preservation of our free humanist societies, get informed on our webpage: www.teamfreiheit.info If you have any questions or would like to contact the authors, please send an e-mail to: contact@teamfreiheit.info

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