Hegel

My mind Wanders when Reading Hegel

“You only lose what you cling to.” Siddhartha Gautama Buddha

“Do not spoil what you have by desiring what you have not; remember that what you now have was once among the things you only hoped for.” Epicurus

“Death, therefore, the most awful of evils, is nothing to us, seeing that, when we are, death is not come, and, when death is come, we are not.”  Epicurus

“Of all the means to insure happiness throughout the whole life, by far the most important is the acquisition of friends.”  Epicurus

“It is not so much our friends' help that helps us as the confident knowledge that they will help us.”  Epicurus

“It is folly for a man to pray to the gods for that which he has the power to obtain by himself.”  Epicurus

“If the gods listened to the prayers of men, all humankind would quickly perish since they constantly pray for many evils to befall one another.”  Epicurus

“Thus, as far as he is a scientific man, as far as he knows anything, he is a materialist; outside his science, in spheres about which he knows nothing, he translates his ignorance into Greek and calls it agnosticism.”  Friedrich Engels

“The Communists disdain to conceal their views and aims”. Friedrich Engels

“Property is theft” Pierre-Joseph Proudhon

"The philosophers have only _interpreted_ the world, in various ways; the point, however, is to _change_ it." Karl Marx, Theses on Feuerbach

“The revolutionary petty bourgeoisie must be capable of committing suicide a class in order to be reborn as revolutionary workers, completely identified with the deepest aspiration of the people to which they belong”. Amilcar Cabral, The weapon of Theory

"Hegel remarks somewhere that all facts and personages of great importance in world history occur, as it were, twice. He forgot to add: the first time as tragedy, the second as farce." Marx

"Men make their own history, but they do not make it just as they please; they do not make it under circumstances chosen by themselves, but under circumstances directly encountered, given, and transmitted from the past. The tradition of all dead generations weights like a nightmare on the brain of the living. And just when they seem engaged in revolutionizing themselves and things, in creating something that has never yet existed, precisely in such periods of revolutionary crisis they anxiously conjure up the spirits of the past to their service and borrow from them names, battle cries, and costumes in order to present the new scene of world history in this time-honored disguise and this borrowed language." Marx

Liberty without socialism is privilege, injustice; socialism without liberty is slavery and brutality.  Michael Bakunin

“We are not enough for ourselves: we have more tears than our own sufferings can claim, more capacity for joy than our own existence can justify”.  Peter Kropotkin

“Equality in mutual relations with solidarity arising from it, this is the most powerful weapon of the animal world in the struggle for existence.  Equality is equity”. Peter Kropotkin

I

The Phenomenology of the Mind vs. Science of Logic

Hegel

Content and form are words used interchangeably to describe what something is. The differences are important only in the minds of specific philosophers and can easily be disregarded. External reality is understood through metaphor in which form and content are wrapped up in poetry and myth, making reality understandable in a cultural context. Then through culture people adapt to a real material environment. Nature is real and physical, but understood through the mind as molded through culture. Yet culture is cast by the interaction of thinking human beings interacting with Nature. Logic, math, science and knowledge are formed within this social environment.  This relationship is on going and always changing. Even with the best tools of objective science we can never and should never escape the necessity of interpretation.

Even as our understanding of the external reality and nature, which we are apart of, is always changing, we are constantly trying to discover continuity.  The closer our beliefs match this external reality. There is something existing prior and continuing after our life. Subject and Object is expressed as being the same as Thought and Being. Areas under discussion and its’ Purpose is then articulated as a way of understanding life similar to the Accepted Wisdom of Existence. People accept this as given as they grow into members of society. Yet interpretation and the need to improve on our understanding of reality are always leading us to a changed knowledge and explanation of reality. Thus, no matter how accurate our current set of understandings are at this time it never fits perfectly.  Both because reality is always changing, and our knowledge of reality are never totally complete.

Thus, while we act upon nature and interact with each other in order to achieve certain goals, we constantly are evolving along with the changing environment and our understanding of that environment. Cronus overthrew Uranus. Then Zeus over throws Cronus.  Jesus over threw Zeus.  Jesus was replaced by science and humanism.

However, we are looking for a type of an arrangement of knowledge in a way that can transcend both the specific historical setting or the cultural background of the investigator. The problem with tradition or scripture is it only works for the believer. Different sets of believers have different sets of scripture.  The attempt of science is to use empirical investigation and careful and detailed notes on our observation to create testable hypothesis.  If successful, the hope of a scientist is to develop a theory that will generate a set of hypothesis that can be studied by anyone no matter her preferred scripture. Then with math, logic and science we can find a place to start.

II

The Phenomenology of the Mind vs. Philosophy of History

Hegel

All that really exists in a society is individuals. But, an individual is a social product. Society exists before an individual is born. Social groups and any interaction within and between groups’ mold what becomes an individual.  Thus, an individual continues living as part of a group of interacting individuals. The mind of an individual is based upon the experiences of that individual. Among the raw materials going into forming a mind is the physical neurology, an individual’s experience of a world outside the individual and the social interaction with in a group of interacting individuals. Language, math, logic, philosophy, art even self-reflection is the result of all of the above in its’ most essential raw form. Our most abstract concepts are on some level grounded on an individuals experiences of material reality, i.e. existing outside the individual and the mind.

Consciousness is formed and lives only in these relationships. The individual exists in the context of the “Other” and thus is a social product. Then ideas, even abstract ideas are formed within a consciousness that is itself a social product. Even our interpretations of a strictly personal experience are itself the product of a social individual. Simply existing does not lead to consciousness until it is interpreted by the mind of an individual.

Experience without interpretation is only potential. Once it is interpreted it is defined, even if the definition is only very rudimentary. Through discussion or interaction with others this definition becomes a shared concern. The “Other” is central to going beyond a strictly personal sensation to a culturally significant wide-ranging impression or a universal.

Through this interaction the concrete becomes abstract. Because of this communication the real turns into the summarized set of notions, feelings, attitudes and worldview. This abstract is still real. For example everything that can be defined has its’ boundaries. Beyond these boundaries it is no longer the thing we are looking at. Thus, secondary concepts like finite can now be assumed. What is “is” because something else is not. If there is a finite now we can talk about the infinite even though no one can see or touch the infinite except mystically.

As soon as you have an interpretation of a thing it can now become defined. With this definition I can share my experience with others. It can be discussed as a shared understanding. Now we have a history as we can talk about a thing’s past or present and we speculate about its’ future. Communication becomes possible.

Because individuals are involved the interpretations and definitions varies even among those who agree on its’ essence. Along with the continuing changing material and social reality our knowledge of reality is also changing. This association of like minds is further challenged when they meet an active opposition to this shared identity.

Characteristics, differentiation, disagreement will in part outline the intrinsic variations that becomes its’ elemental character this also can be called contradiction. This logic becomes a way to understand that not only is the external and social worlds are always changing but the individual interpretation of events is always changing.

III

The Phenomenology of the Mind

People from lived experience define essence. Lived experience can be reduced to stimulus response, but can only be understood through interpretation. One thing is not another because we see it that way. But, at times one thing becomes another, we then must define the boundaries separating something existing from what it will someday become. Larva and adult for example as one replaces the other. What exists is negated by what it becomes.

Once something is defined it also defines both the limits of that definition and its’ negation. This opposition is part of the quality being defined, as everything breaks down, to be replaced by something new. Every definition is situational and temporary. We impose identity on our perceived reality. To understand we look at something as if it was forever, this clearly is false. Change will require new definitions and new understandings. But, first it must be realized a thing is not first one thing then at a future date will become something else, this cannot be because to look at this way ignores how things change over time. Something is both itself and something else at every moment of time; otherwise we miss the defining motion.

Because birth, growth, maturity, decay, death and rebirth are concepts we create to understand life, they will work for everything that exists. The full range of origin, evolution, development, breakdown, conclusion and renaissance always exist at the same time in everything. It is only a matter of perception which stage gets our attention.

“Self “and “Other” stands opposed as opposites, but they are really the same. Each Self is the “Other” to someone and the “Other” is really a Self. Then purpose has before it an opposing force, each conflicting energy is part of the other conflicting identity, and each harmony is situational and life form is not antithetical but impassively essential to itself. Even if the observer is not aware of the changes taking place, this in no way changes the fact that change is taking place. Only by taking a longer view does change become obvious. At that time the total lack of permanence of everything in the Universe becomes understandable.  Decline, death and decay are a much a part of everything as birth, growth and vitality.  When the various conditions of a movement becomes the principal subject matter of contradiction with an entity do the parts become functioning and energetic in the direction of a mutually interaction on all parts of a larger whole.  Thus creating a paradox in the reversal of its’ inner activity of the rhythm of self-movement and impulsive movement has both forward motion and reverses, both being itself and its’ opponent. Time itself is a continual process of coming into being and passing out of existence in the same way at each moment. What we see is not really there, but it looks like it is as it passes by, becoming something new. When we see it, it is a set of connections that are always diverse; it is limited, and this will signify a conflicting existence.

As the old dies it begins to decay providing nutrients and sustenance for the new. This is true in both the natural world and the world of ideas. In culture this is the world of specific common belief. This will set up the tangible collective impressions. This is the awareness of humans in their everyday lives. This awareness is ripe with potential. But, the potential is not yet real, but in the process of becoming real. Logic is part of the process used with the potential becoming the actual. The objective logic is in the process by using a method of ideas that is built upon a propositions and set of relations that moves toward consciousness.

Now with the rational federation of Human Beings, Worldwide is a core of a large historical trend standing behind a social movement and the social organizations within that movement.   Specific lists of items on agenda continue existing systematically in the events of people’s lives. They are also understandable as "genuine ideas".  These are the ideas that people deal with as if they were things that are real, because they are.

Each individual has their own take on the events leading up to and continuing through the actions of the movement. Yet there are a enough similarities to call this collective sets of actions a movement. In turn all movements are set in a larger historical trend embedded in an even larger sets of historical developments. "The maximum conscientiousness leading to the principle phase of any movement means we have achieved all we can hope for at this time be it a success or failure.

These are brought together in a unifying ideology that describe and gives good reason for the movement. Completeness, idiosyncrasy, and distinctiveness are noted by having defined limits and Accepted Wisdom, with this shared ideology. Adapting into entirely remote and reciprocally homogeneous cause and effect relations between the ideologies, the people and the historical setting become understandable. The fact is that dissimilar Ideas are basically the same Notion.

The common element is the shared set of ideas among many distinct individuals, each with their own understanding shares enough in common to support understanding and agreement. When ideas motivate large numbers of peoples to take an action that is in some measure organized the subjective including both ideas and feelings, become apart of very real and objective social environment. Ideas change with action of individuals involved in the communication necessary for a coordinated effort of the people participating in this joint action. Disputes arise and are settled or they are not. The communication between individuals continues and the ideology evolves. All social or personal relationships require opinions that engage us in certain associations linking the Personality, the Collective and the Accepted Worldview. The reason that is reserved in common sense is the life form, which is the establishment of the Concept in the Ruling creating a recognized line of reasoning consisting of a main, and resulting principles founded on a set of assumptions is now revealed. The evolution of the Decision is one of succeeding concretization. The Constructive View and the Destructive reply to the Judgment stand opposed but mutually support each other. This contradiction becomes necessary for change and change is always happening. How this contradiction resolves itself determines the on going historical trend. This in turn affects all of the parts of that trend. On the individual level this determine both the environment we are working within and the options that are available. While choices for the individual are unavoidable, the options are always limited. This make obvious through the Individual Opinions, Exacting Verdicts about final decisions and actions taken, and Worldwide Common Sense taken as given becomes part of the leading philosophy governing a movement around which the diverse differences of opinion can agree. Some purposes of the leading Ideas on balance remain in opposition to the other parts of the leading Ideas and are as a result limited and should be gone beyond. This growth of the Careful View of Need thus becomes the resolve of an innovative and profound vision of the future. The Decision of Requirements and the Conclusion of Concepts used are further refined.

 

Culture is embedded in a material environment. Mind and the brain are inseparable unless brain dead. Actions are born for ideas even if unconscious. Energy and matter interact in such away as contradictions truly make sense. Death and birth are one movement everywhere in the Universe. Thus ideas held by the individual relate to social ideology and cultural worldviews even in protest. Ideas affect action and action changes the environment acted upon and thus culture, ideology and ideas in the future. The use of the idea that ultimate sources are real is an artificial construct serving to indicate a plan of the dialectical understanding of Processes and Conclusions. There is never a conclusion, but only a process leading to that conclusion. There is only means and never ends. Each ends is a means to a new ends. Each struggle for social justice leads to new struggles. This is importance because ethics requires ethical actions. When victorious new opportunities become available. If further action is not taken then all we can hope for is defensive moves not to lose what we have gained. At this point defeat is guaranteed.

A person when born is born into a culture, with its own defined collection of feelings, attitudes, beliefs and worldview. Into this interpretive caldron of boiling stew a child is socialized. The replication is never perfect and rebellion is always possible if not unavoidable. Yet it is culture that molds the consciousness of the individual. Because it is through culture that any people adapt to their environment, and that environment is always changing, culture is always a misfit. This creates dissidence and a reinterpretation of the cultural meaning as a people readapt to the changes in their environment. The conclusive is never complete. There is no Hegelian Absolute, as in Nature a climax community is but a longer-term serial community. God evolves along with culture. Assumptions interpretation, speculation, explanation and understanding are central to life in any culture. Thus, children receive an incomplete roadmap to life as she grows up. The Absolute cannot avoid being redefined and thus never absolute this is the fatal flaw of Hegel. Yet reason in Hegelian logic comes close to reflecting real life in the mind, culture and nature. Marx was right in giving this logic a materialist orientation.

The raw material called “culture”, interacting in a historical and material environment by itself has no meaning until interpreted. This interpretation is the product of an individual’s interpretation of cultural interpretation. The teleology is not just self-contradictory and thus source of the internal contradictions that is the driving force of history, but seeks resolution in to make sense of this mess. This in turn creates another set of difficulties that needs to be resolved. Beginning with stimulus response, never ends there. Stimulus response remains meaningless provocation reaction until it is interpreted through matching the current with experiences of the past. Thus, the first defines the second and learning begins.

The mind is formed within a material environment. The mind is embedded in action that changes that material environment. We cannot understand this material environment without being able to interpret the experiences we have of that environment. The immediate perception become meaningful when interpreted.

Thinking may begin with stimulus response, but thinking itself is an action. Acting on the environment, the individual is a cultural creation that interacts, acts and changes that environment. Knowing, is part of thinking, is itself an action thus it is something we do in a historical, cultural and environmental context. Then culture is joint action in an ever-changing environment. The awareness, the wisdom, the reflecting of our individual existence generates our occurrence in current self-aware consciousness. In a cultural setting the movement of thought corresponds with the imagination of synchronization with “Persuasive-Understanding”, in the appearance of the wide-ranging awareness of our characteristic custody of our self-defined essence.

Thinking is also a process of defining. What is and what is not included in the definition of any entity allows us to process information without being overwhelmed by unconnected data. In this process “Is” and “Should” come into play. Not only do we define what exists before us, we also must decide if things could be better. Values become a part of the mental processes and the cultural field. From defining values an ethical code is developed.

The ethical code becomes both hypothetical and actual. In its’ abstract form an ethic is an ideal existing nowhere, but only offers an approximation of how we should behave. In its’ concrete framework an ethical is very real deeply root in our emotional and psychological moorings. Any violation fills us with visceral rage coming from deep within our subconscious.

The mind is now supplemented by emotion. Emotion is a part of the mind. Values become embedded in the very way we perceive the real world around us. Now we react as much to how we chose to observe reality as anything real. This reality then is the world we react to. What is real then depends on both an independent objective reality and a subjective interpretation of that reality. From this then good or bad, pain or pleasure requires both halves of the whole to be complete. Not only objective and subjective, but something and its opposite are required in order to make sense of the world around us.

Nature now becomes a cultural artifact. Every culture has its own meaning of nature or the natural. The very concept of culture is a historical product, born at attempt of self-reflection. Culture becomes a topic of study when Consecrated Scripture, is confronted by contact with others not sharing your beliefs. Then it is seen what is obvious is not obvious at all. The mind is a cultural product. But, culture exists only through the mind of many acting and interacting individuals. Culture defines the mind and the mind defines culture. Ethics is a mental construct born out of a historical and cultural context. Yet, ethics sets in place the worldview of that culture in its’ own historical setting. When this cultural hegemony begins to breakdown alternative ideologies develop that not only challenge the dominant ideology, but creates an entirely distinct frame of reference. The material world not only appears differently, but also because of actions of this dissent elemental reality itself is altered by the actions of the rebels.  This alternative soon becomes two worlds that collide and the conflict resolves itself in the formation of a new culture and the historical setting evolves in just that way.

IV

Karl Max: Critique of Hegel’s Philosophy of Right

The Economic and Philosophical Manuscripts of 1844

“Religious suffering is, at one and the same time, the expression of real suffering and a protest against real suffering. Religion is the sigh of the oppressed creature, the heart of a heartless world, and the soul of soulless conditions. It is the opium of the people”. Marx

Humans struggle and survive, only to struggle again. What is important is how to incorporate the concept the Pursuit of Happiness as our calling card. If pleasure is the highest virtue, it must be a non-exploitive, non-oppressive happiness that is easily shared. It must be judicious, practical and sustainable in a way others are not harmed. This can come about only when democracy becomes an on going life style and not an achievable goal. To learn to accept contentment is founded on peace of mind and equanimity comes from harmony based upon sympathetic understanding. Empathy, Sympathy, Understanding comes from friendship founded upon comradeship among companions.

“The idea of God implies the abdication of human reason and justice; it is the most decisive negation of human liberty, and necessarily ends in the enslavement of mankind, both in theory and practice.  If God is, man is a slave; now, man can and must be free; then God does not exist”.  Michael Bakunin

Religion has often supported a status quo of hierarchy and domination. This existing state of affairs of class structure of power and despotism often led to either an ant-clerical movement or an open rejection of theism. The replacement doctrine places human concerns as being the primary issue facing liberation. Science replaces revelation as being the center of knowing.

“Men of courage, not satisfied with words, but ever searching for the means to transform them into action, --men of integrity for whom the act is one with the idea, for whom prison, exile, and death are preferable to a life contrary to their principles, --intrepid souls who know that it is necessary to dare in order to succeed, --these lonely sentinels who enter the battle long before the masses are sufficiently roused to raise openly the banner of insurrection and to march, arms in hand, to the conquest of their rights”.  Peter Kropotkin

This new philosophy becomes the motivation to take action against what once was revealed truth and are now seen as crimes against humanity. Now new heroes replace older ones. Revolutionaries that lead the insurrection replace martyrs for the faith. These rival ideologies are not reflected in the group identities but also reveal the competing substantial awareness of any substance experience people in the everyday environment.  Everyday lives are determined by the any core knowledge of individuals in their ordinary situations. 

“We are so perverted by an education which from infancy seeks to kill in us the spirit of revolt, and to develop that submission to authority; we are so perverted by this existence under the ferrule of a law, which regulates every event in life -- our births, our education, our development, our love, our friendship - that, if this state of things continues, we shall lose all initiative, all habit of thinking for ourselves”.  Peter Kropotkin Revolutionary Pamplets.

Anarchism, socialism, communism, humanism are just words until they are seen as a direct challenge to religion, government, property, privilege, rank, and wealth. The old and the new cannot co-exist without major changes. Either the old is replaced by the new, or the old adjusts by incorporating enough of the new to buy time to create a mid-way point. Always the new evolves through its’ struggle with the old.

Humans struggle against established institutions that are historical and cultural constructs that were created at an earlier time as one group gains dominance over another division. As this happens new sets of clashing replies acquire distinction. New conventional and public concepts replace previous traditional and national perceptions.

“The abolition of religion as the illusory happiness of the people is the demand for their real happiness. To call on them to give up their illusions about their condition is to call on them to give up a condition that requires illusions. The criticism of religion is, therefore, in embryo, the criticism of that vale of tears of which religion is the halo”. Marx

Only when real people come to see that there is a real possibility of changing their lives foe the better will these same folks embrace a new culture.  Until then most cling to whatever helps get through lives. A philosophy is not enough, what is needed is a game plan. Until people see hope they would be foolish not to clean to whatever gives them meaning in the here and now.

“We have considered the act of estranging practical human activity, labor, in two of its aspects. (1) The relation of the worker to the product of labor as an alien object exercising power over him. This relation is at the same time the relation to the sensuous external world, to the objects of nature, as an alien world inimically opposed to him. (2) The relation of labor to the act of production within the labor process. This relation is the relation of the worker to his own activity as an alien activity not belonging to him; it is activity as suffering, strength as weakness, begetting as emasculating, the worker’s own physical and mental energy, his personal life – for what is life but activity? – as an activity which is turned against him, independent of him and not belonging to him. Here we have self-estrangement, as previously we had the estrangement of the thing.” Marx

“Estranged labor turns thus:

(3) Man’s species-being, both nature and his spiritual species-property, into a being alien to him, into a means of his individual existence. It estranges from man his own body, as well as external nature and his spiritual aspect, his human aspect.

(4) An immediate consequence of the fact that man is estranged from the product of his labor, from his life activity, from his species-being, is the estrangement of man from man. When man confronts himself, he confronts the other man. What applies to a man’s relation to his work, to the product of his labor and to himself, also holds of a man’s relation to the other man, and to the other man’s labor and object of labor.

In fact, the proposition that man’s species-nature is estranged from him means that one man is estranged from the other, as each of them is from man’s essential nature.

The estrangement of man, and in fact every relationship in which man [stands] to himself, is realized and expressed only in the relationship in which a man stands to other men.

Hence within the relationship of estranged labor each man views the other in accordance with the standard and the relationship in which he finds himself as a worker”.  Marx

Humans are both natural animal and social beings. But we are always a part of nature. As a part of nature human activity is needed in order to live. Action becomes what we do. Action is both labor and art, enjoyable in its own right. The challenge of creative problem solving and providing for ourselves, and those that we care about is twice as rewarding. However, when humans become exploited by work for another who controls the access to the resources we need the produce for ourselves then work becomes toil. This drudgery is painful the resources and tools belong to another who is in a position to tell us what to do. The product we make then also belongs to another, which provides this other with wealth at our expense. Our own labor now enslaves rather than frees us. My body is no longer mine. My creative abilities are used against me. I am a stranger unto myself.

My labor, my own life, my friends and coworkers also stand against me. I work not the for joy of it, but to survive. Other workers compete for a limited number of jobs. My joy is on my own time and becomes an escape from the pain of my real life. Nature is alien to me as private property cuts me off from my own life and the environment that sustains that life. My coworkers, the environment, my creativity, my labor are all stolen and all I get is what the dominant culture will allow until I embrace a new and revolutionary ideology.

That which stands in the way of our full emancipation, at some point becomes the chains that hold us down.  You only squander what you keep hold of the slave owner in our heads. The insurrection is the way to happiness. The slave becomes fully alive in rebellion. Try not to ruin what you should attained in insurgence by demanding what you have yet to accomplish. Without losing sight of the ultimate set of goals celebrate the day-to-day accomplishments. But keep in mind what you have was achieved already was only a hope in the recent past.

We all are more human than we can imagine the single greatest talent is our imagination. Our most vital and supreme strength is our empathy born from imagination. Our joy and our sorrow when shared make us human. We have justice and fairness in our reciprocal dealings with companionship resulting from from our commonly shared humanity. Our inspiration born from solidarity keeps us strong.

The tragedy often oppression is either backed by love of one’s country or one’s god. Either terrible action is justified by claims to the highest virtue. But there is hope in a commonly shared humanity. Today the rebellion is global. The universal shifts from a tribal god to the scientific method. The connection is what can be shared across language barriers, cultural divides, and social histories. Tribal gods are now private affairs.

We can now see people always had choices however limited. Until there was hope this remained hidden from view. Fate it was believed by most people to be ordained by God. Now all that is changing. Hope means thing do not have be as they are. We were born into a world not of our making. But, past struggle are like beacons in the moonless midnight.

Time is to stop ideal philosophical conjecture and to start a real movement for change. The radical intellectual is not free from obligation. They too give themselves over to a social movement leading to change. Their live of comfort at the university is no excuse. The movement cannot fall into a trap of pop culture or radical chic. We cannot hide what we are. We must openly acknowledge being radical socialists, democrats, communists, syndicalists, anarchists, and humanists working together for common goals.

Life is to be enjoyed and anything that prevents that is wrong. Each day is a new day, to be met with celebration. When we are not free we cannot enjoy life. But, in rebellion against our enslavement we become free while under the yoke of enslavement. At the end of life we have fought the good fight. We welcome death not as a terrifying evil, but as an old friend. When we die no one can hurt us, and we die free.  Our life was good our friends, comrades, family, loves, supporters and entertainers brought contentment and enjoyment while alive. We help others and they help us. We are our sisters and brothers keepers and they are ours as well. We chose to live the good life by fighting for world of freedom, equality, uniqueness, fairness, and the pursuit of happiness.