Leftist Philosophy - What is the ultimate reason?

[EarthRevolt]

I am a leftist politically and philisophically I am an existentialist. I feel we all have the right to shape our own lives in the way we choose - I know capitalists say the same thing but I mean that very differently and feel free socialism supports individuality much better than any other field of political theories. I know utilitarianism is a big part of leftist thoughts as well - but I don't feel individualism necessarily is denied.

I feel a natural inclination to leftism after studying all types of ideologies. But I often think and feel the need to justify my own reasoning to myself. My reason for posting this thread is so other leftists can review my 'ultimate reason' for leftism and either tell me why I'm wrong or help build it up if you agree. So here are my thoughts:

We all have sentience, and we evolved with a survival instinct that still remains, but the human instinct is not just to survive, but to experience life. To absorb as much of it as possible. We are learners, and we are creators - every culture in world history has had art and music and so many forms of expression. We naturally feel good about ourselves when we learn and when we create. We all have our own paths, our own choices, but our instincts drive us to the same things - expression and creation in one way or another - living a conscious life to its fullest. And our natural inclination is to evolve further. To give more and more meaning to our lives with our discoveries that we eventually pass on to our children, and they take everything we had and add a little bit more. And so on.

And this is where leftism comes in. Capitalism has destroyed and brought ruin to our potential. It claims that competition helps us, it motivates people to use their potential. But we're already motivated! And capitalism has twisted around. Instead of living to be creative and discover, we create and discover so we can live! And a select few benefit for the wrong reasons, and they sell everything they're worth, and for that, masses of innocent people are trampled. But we have billions of people, almost all of them can contribute something, but most can't because their lives are a constant struggle to live. An example - we obviously have the technology to produce infinitely renewable energy, but we stay with fossil fuels because what is finite can be more easily sold.

So I believe I am a leftist because leftism - building a society through unity where we all hold each other up and aid each other, rather than compete and destroy, best amplifies our human nature. This is why I am a leftist.

Now maybe you think my thoughts are compelling and interesting, or maybe you think I missed the point of leftism altogether. Either way, please share your thoughts.

[FreeFocus]

Some people on here are going to criticize you for being "idealist" because you did not sufficiently reference enough passages from the Bible of Marx and because you aren't self-interested enough ("the only reason to be a leftist is class interest"). I'm not in that group, and I'm a leftist for many of the same reasons you are: because capitalism is antithetical to a just and prosperous society, because capitalism is an outrage to human worth and dignity, and because anarchism (for me) is the best form of social organization to allow for the maximization of human potential and sustainable, ecologically respectful living.

[EarthRevolt]

Look I'll be upfront - I have not read the communist manifesto or any significant leftist literature of Lenin or Marx. Even when I do, I don't necessarily know if I'll agree with them in full. I don't even know fully how I identify - I am an anarchist in the sense that my morality and free will is 100% independent of law. That I realize laws are nothing but prescribed reactions for certain actions, and that they are only as meaningful as they are enforced, and that the rich and powerful are above them. In practice though I am not making bombs in my garage and planning a revolt - I try to live a responsible life, boycotting unethical business, avoiding sweat-shop made things, and so on. But I'm not very far off the grid. I'm sitting here on my laptop drinking a Mountain Dew, I paid money for my computer and guitar and other items that make my life a little happier. I'm an anarchist in my heart and a socialist in what I believe we can fight for now.

[revolution inaction]

Look I'll be upfront - I have not read the communist manifesto or any significant leftist literature of Lenin or Marx. Even when I do, I don't necessarily know if I'll agree with them in full.

You don't need to.



I don't even know fully how I identify - I am an anarchist in the sense that my morality and free will is 100% independent of law. That I realize laws are nothing but prescribed reactions for certain actions, and that they are only as meaningful as they are enforced, and that the rich and powerful are above them. In practice though I am not making bombs in my garage and planning a revolt -

Please don't perpetuate inaccurate anarchist stereotypes.
Read some of these http://www.revleft.com/vb/queries-theory-t83290/index.html
and these http://libcom.org/tags/anarchism
http://libcom.org/tags/anarchosyndicalism




I try to live a responsible life, boycotting unethical business, avoiding sweat-shop made things, and so on. But I'm not very far off the grid. I'm sitting here on my laptop drinking a Mountain Dew, I paid money for my computer and guitar and other items that make my life a little happier. I'm an anarchist in my heart and a socialist in what I believe we can fight for now.

The trouble is all businesses are unethical and we can't effect real change through modifying our lifestyles, there's nothing wrong with having computers and other things which make your life better either. Also all anarchists are socialist.

[Post-Something]

I am a leftist politically and philisophically I am an existentialist. I feel we all have the right to shape our own lives in the way we choose - I know capitalists say the same thing but I mean that very differently and feel free socialism supports individuality much better than any other field of political theories. I know utilitarianism is a big part of leftist thoughts as well - but I don't feel individualism necessarily is denied.

I feel a natural inclination to leftism after studying all types of ideologies. But I often think and feel the need to justify my own reasoning to myself. My reason for posting this thread is so other leftists can review my 'ultimate reason' for leftism and either tell me why I'm wrong or help build it up if you agree. So here are my thoughts:

We all have sentience, and we evolved with a survival instinct that still remains, but the human instinct is not just to survive, but to experience life. To absorb as much of it as possible. We are learners, and we are creators - every culture in world history has had art and music and so many forms of expression. We naturally feel good about ourselves when we learn and when we create. We all have our own paths, our own choices, but our instincts drive us to the same things - expression and creation in one way or another - living a conscious life to its fullest. And our natural inclination is to evolve further. To give more and more meaning to our lives with our discoveries that we eventually pass on to our children, and they take everything we had and add a little bit more. And so on.

And this is where leftism comes in. Capitalism has destroyed and brought ruin to our potential. It claims that competition helps us, it motivates people to use their potential. But we're already motivated! And capitalism has twisted around. Instead of living to be creative and discover, we create and discover so we can live! And a select few benefit for the wrong reasons, and they sell everything they're worth, and for that, masses of innocent people are trampled. But we have billions of people, almost all of them can contribute something, but most can't because their lives are a constant struggle to live. An example - we obviously have the technology to produce infinitely renewable energy, but we stay with fossil fuels because what is finite can be more easily sold.

So I believe I am a leftist because leftism - building a society through unity where we all hold each other up and aid each other, rather than compete and destroy, best amplifies our human nature. This is why I am a leftist.

Now maybe you think my thoughts are compelling and interesting, or maybe you think I missed the point of leftism altogether. Either way, please share your thoughts.

Egalitarianism. (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Egalitarianism)

[Black Sheep]

I completely agree with the OP's thoughts.

[gilhyle]

Some people on here are going to criticize you for being "idealist" because you did not sufficiently reference enough passages from the Bible of Marx and because you aren't self-interested enough

My criticisms would be along those lines - but not quite. Be a socialist for whatever reason you want. If it works for you, thats fine. But dont for a minute think that there is anything logically, rationally or even emotionally compelling in the way you have become a socialist. Dont for a minute think that your personal insight constitutes a public 'philosophy' on the basis of which socialism can be built.......avoid that error and I say ....shine on !

[EarthRevolt]

Well I certainly don't want to isolate fellow leftists. If someone has a completely opposite philosophy but is still a leftist, then they're still an ally to the cause.

[Mike666]

We all have sentience, and we evolved with a survival instinct that still remains, but the human instinct is not just to survive, but to experience life. To absorb as much of it as possible. We are learners, and we are creators - every culture in world history has had art and music and so many forms of expression. We naturally feel good about ourselves when we learn and when we create. We all have our own paths, our own choices, but our instincts drive us to the same things - expression and creation in one way or another - living a conscious life to its fullest. And our natural inclination is to evolve further. To give more and more meaning to our lives with our discoveries that we eventually pass on to our children, and they take everything we had and add a little bit more. And so on.

I find it interesting you put so much stress on learning/expression/creation rather than happiness/fulfilling of needs in general. Or do you think creativity is a vital part of our happiness? Are you talking about scientific discovery as well?

[Mike666]

Also all anarchists are socialist.

What about Anarcho-capitalists??

[Lord Testicles]

What about Anarcho-capitalists??

Anarcho-capitalists are not anarchist in any traditional sense.

[MarxSchmarx]

The problem with your "potential" argument can be readily seen by the following contradiction.

Suppose, unbenounced to you (until now), you were actually bred in the Matrix so that your "true potential" lied in eating as much bacon grease over your life, so that when you turn 50, you are taken to a slaughter house and made into chorritzo for robots.

Now, does this mean that dying prematurely, and not being recycled into the system, prevents you from fulfilling your true potential, and hence is a problem? I don't think so. So the hell with whatever "objective potential" we may have.

As far as a "logically, rationally or even emotionally compelling ... way you have become a socialist", I think the golden rule + self-determination "constitutes a public 'philosophy' on the basis of which socialism can be built."

[Decolonize The Left]

I am a leftist politically and philisophically I am an existentialist. I feel we all have the right to shape our own lives in the way we choose - I know capitalists say the same thing but I mean that very differently and feel free socialism supports individuality much better than any other field of political theories. I know utilitarianism is a big part of leftist thoughts as well - but I don't feel individualism necessarily is denied.

Perhaps you are not clear on what it means to be an 'existentialist.' For, from your second sentence, I can infer that you believe it to mean a philosophy which is characterized by self-determination. This is not the case. Here (http://plato.stanford.edu/entries/existentialism/)is an excellent article on existentialism which may help clear up any confusion over the idea.

Furthermore, many thinkers were both "leftists" and existentialists - the most famous perhaps being Jean-Paul Sartre.


We all have sentience, and we evolved with a survival instinct that still remains, but the human instinct is not just to survive, but to experience life.

Incorrect and baseless. What is a/the 'human instinct?' Why is there only one? How did you determine this instinct? Furthermore, is it not the case that having sensory organs and a properly functioning nervous system necessitate experience? Why would this be instinctual?


To absorb as much of it as possible. We are learners, and we are creators - every culture in world history has had art and music and so many forms of expression. We naturally feel good about ourselves when we learn and when we create. We all have our own paths, our own choices, but our instincts drive us to the same things - expression and creation in one way or another - living a conscious life to its fullest. And our natural inclination is to evolve further.

Actually, evolution is a constant process, it is not a "natural inclination."


To give more and more meaning to our lives with our discoveries that we eventually pass on to our children, and they take everything we had and add a little bit more. And so on.

I see what you are trying to say here, that meaning creation is essential to a being a healthy human being. Is this correct?



So I believe I am a leftist because leftism - building a society through unity where we all hold each other up and aid each other, rather than compete and destroy, best amplifies our human nature. This is why I am a leftist.

Now maybe you think my thoughts are compelling and interesting, or maybe you think I missed the point of leftism altogether. Either way, please share your thoughts.

I don't mean to be rude, but your 'reason' is simply terrible. Why? 1) It's not a reason as it has no justification (all talk of 'human nature' is speculation); 2) It is impossible to "amplify" the nature of anything; 3) Your reason completely and entirely ignores the material basis of leftism - which is it's most compelling reason as it's highly justified.

I am very pleased that you show such energy towards leftism and against capitalism, though I would seriously urge you to rethink your reasoning entirely. It might also help to think about the material basis for existentialism, and relate that back to leftism.

Please keep posting and discussing - your interest is appreciated.

- August