We are in bondage to the law in order that we may be free.
Cicero
It is an odd idea – being in “bondage” for the sake of being free – but this is thought underlies a lot of our current politics.
In many ways, this was the idea behind our Declaration of Independence: “That to secure these rights, Governments are instituted among Men, deriving their just powers from the consent of the governed.” In other words, people found government as a way to secure their rights and freedoms from harm. While we are “bound” to the laws of the government we institute, that government will, in turn, protect our rights and allow us to live freely.
Yet it seems as though this idea can be taken in many ways. Are we “more free” if we are bound to programs like Social Security, housing loans, health care legislation, and credit regulations? At what point does “bondage to the law” stop making us more free?
It is a hard question! Share your thoughts with us!
