Liberalism rests on a trinity of liberty, life and property — there is no freedom for those who own nothing. By property, I mean here the means and sources of production that were held by the feudal order, or what is known as the movement of emancipation from Western theocratic feudalism.
On the other side, Marxist communism was concerned with exactly the same factor — property — when it theorised that ownership should be held by the state or the community and shared among individuals, so that wealth would not circulate only among the rich, the bourgeoisie and the landowners, but would rest with the proletariat, the working class.
It may sound like a simple proposition, but it is a bitter truth: in the history of European philosophy, liberalism and communism are two sides of the same coin — a struggle over resources and ownership, or what we call materialism.
In this tangible world, on this land that rose on the ruins of its indigenous peoples, everything ends where materialism ends: nothing exists that is not material, and nothing exists beyond existence itself.
From Columbus — the unlettered privateer — to Locke, Marx and Nietzsche, all of them, my friend, are drowning in materialism and its consequences.
Materialism has not failed to prove its own failure; it is human beings who have failed to understand it.
Everything is fast, everything changes, and everything is bound to pass away. Everything is telling us: enough, you fool.
No one denies the blessing of products and inventions — thank God for them:
- The refrigerator, which keeps food fresh for days and months!
- The phone, which lets you reach other continents instantly and effortlessly.
But how close does this bring us to the truth?
1. Before the refrigerator
Families used to divide their food and share it out over most meals — nothing could keep your delicious lamb for days after it was roasted! This is how bonds between neighbours and communities were strengthened. This is where real connection came from, and where generosity, solidarity and brotherhood showed their true worth. Meat was a familiar guest that visited everyone whenever someone decided to hold a feast for a visitor.
Now individualism rules. The refrigerator can keep food for months — so why share it with my neighbour? And then things went further, until meat became a rare guest even for the individual, refrigerator or not. Fill it with soft drinks, my friend — enjoy.
2. Before the phone
Between carrier pigeons and telegrams that took months, communication was always more than the ink of letters. Communication was the bond between hearts waiting months for a letter from a distant relative or a lost loved one — or a visit after a hard journey to keep family ties and check on relatives and friends.
Now the most distant person in the world is a single tap away, and yet you do not reach out. The same self that once drove you to ride camels and horses for months to reach a faraway relative now stops you from pressing a button to reach the people you love.
Welcome to the world of the refrigerator.
