What Is Important?
Under the heading of "What is Important", Eric has a quote from John Steinbeck wherein he states that he believes "that the free exploring mind of the individual human is the most valuable thing in the world" and that he must fight against "any idea, religion, or government which limits or destroys the individual." The quote is very stirring, and on first reading seems unassailable, but the more I think about it, the more it bothers me.
This is a radically American vision. While I do enjoy "the freedom of the mind to take any direction it wishes, undirected," I don't think things are as clear as Steinbeck portrays them. When evaluating such a proposition, it helps to start from the presuppositions and follow it through to the implications. The presupposition that the individual human mind is the most valuable thing in the world draws a significant (and perhaps imaginary) distinction between the human mind and the rest of human existence and risks undervaluing non-human life. And like any presupposition, the dogma upon which it is based must be made clear. I can only guess in this case (as Steinbeck's justification of his beliefs is not included in the quote) that it has something to do with the uniqueness of human sentience or its creation in God's image, but that is only speculation.
I would never suggest that the destruction of an inidividual is a good idea, but the limiting of individuals (by religion, law, manners, etc.) is both necessary and advisable. We cannot just do whatever we want. While individual humans are indeed priceless, they only achieve their full potential together, as a family, a community, a church, a city, a nation. And the individual must be limited in some ways to make that community possible.
Either humanity was created (directly and indirectly) by God or it wasn't. If humanity was created by God, then that is the basis of its value and, incidentally, a responsibility to that God. If humanity wasn't created by God, then there is no basis to say that humanity, the individual, or its mind has any value. In either case, humility is the appropriate implication to draw from this proposition.
4:26:05 PM 
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