“Is it so hard to envision a world inhabited by people, all destined to die someday, who all share a similar genetic code, who each are living together only for a short time, who depend on each other to survive, who all share one planet, who all enjoy similar pleasures and share similar fears, who all desire others to socialize with, could share a common brotherly love for each other regardless of physical differences and other preferences? I don’t see why this is hard to envision. It should be the natural state of affairs.” Marc J. Victor
A new paradigm
Earth can be a planet of peace and abundance, where humanity lives in harmony as one sisterhood and brotherhood.
Entering a Live and Let Live era would be an unimaginable improvement in freedom, peace, love, and prosperity.
While it is unrealistic to expect absolute peace on Earth, it is of course possible to improve significantly from today’s levels. To achieve this, each of us must elevate our interactions by aligning with the virtue of the ‘Golden Rule’, the ancient moral wisdom endorsed by all major religious, philosophical, and ethical traditions: treat others as you wish to be treated.
This is the essence of Live and Let Live (3L)’s Moral Principle, which encourages acting with high character, respecting others, and aspiring to contribute to the betterment of ourselves and others.
We will not all agree on exactly what constitutes optimal moral behavior - different cultures have varied and valid values, so adoption of 3L’s Aspirational Values must be voluntary.
Humans are heterotrophs, meaning they obtain nutrients by eating other organisms, which explains our proclivity for aggressing. Now that there are eight billion humans on the planet, we are being called to make a simple yet profound evolutionary step - a universal commitment that we will not aggress against each other under any circumstances. On the other side of that commitment is an unimaginable era of peace and prosperity.
No compromise on this one thing
However, there is one aspect of morality that all reasonable people do agree on, which must be mandatory, without exception: we must not aggress against each other - this is the essence of 3L’s Legal Principle.
We can only act according to our will, i.e., be free, if we are not prevented from doing so when aggressed against. Therefore, outlawing aggression is the prerequisite to freedom, and freedom is a prerequisite for peace.
By our everyday civilized and peaceful interactions, humans demonstrate our excellent capacity to adhere to the Golden Rule, and go way beyond the essential bare minimum of not aggressing.
Once aggressing is outlawed globally, all of humanity can be free to practice the Golden Rule and become experts in it. This is what we mean by summarizing the Moral Principle as ‘being an excellent human’. When morality is forced on people via coercive laws, people are denied the ability to practice voluntary good behavior.
3L allows humanity’s good nature to thrive, while constraining its worst. It is a societal agreement that lets people respond freely to life’s natural opportunities and challenges. It avoids authoritarianism but is not a utopia. It takes us from hard mode to easy mode.
A vision of peace and prosperity
Our vision is a world where enough people have accepted the Live and Let Live Philosophy into their hearts and minds - a world in which competent adults are free to exchange with each other in any way they choose, so long as it doesn’t harm others. A world where living standards increase such that even the least wealthy may afford a safe and healthy lifestyle. A world where there is no punishment for victimless crimes. A world where our environment is protected from pollution. A world where people can choose to live a simple life or pursue a grand legacy. A world that allows competition, but encourages collaboration. We envision that, wherever one is on planet Earth, the laws there reflect a reasonable construction of the Legal Principle, fairly enforced with due process for all.
Allowing communities to thrive
The gradual and reasonable removal of taxation (and the welfare state that it pays for) incentivizes a greater focus on community. Without property taxes, dwellers would no longer need to produce an excess; self-subsistence would be more feasible for anyone who chooses a homesteading life. Without taxes, workers would have much more time and money available to look after their families. This would make inter-generational living much easier, as the lack of a welfare state also makes it more critical. The end of community disintermediation by tax and welfare represents a significant change from the way society is structured today. This must be accomplished smartly, reasonably, and gradually to increase our shared prosperity and commitment to charity as we reduce taxation. We must never compromise our ability to have effective courts, law enforcement, and national defense.
International cooperation
The 3L Philosophy is conducive to peaceful cohabitation at the local and global scale. With many existential threats facing humanity, we must redirect our energy from fighting each other toward de-escalating these threats. While we do not support a global government regime, we do encourage voluntary cooperation between international groups.
The economies of free societies will naturally be stronger, with better technology and means to defend themselves, than those whose vitality is siphoned by aggressors. Peace through strength, along with international trade agreements and international courts, all operating within the bounds of the Legal Principle, will set the conditions for world peace. Those who do aggress will be excluded from the vast rewards of access to the free societies and will face their strength.