Re: General advice beyond Org

[edgar@openmail.cc]

On 2018-05-27 17:19, Stefan Monnier wrote:
>> >    If you add "freedom to do X" you inevitably remove the
>> >    "freedom from having others do X".
>> X is Free Software.
>> i write some, share it widely.
>> this stops your X how?
> 
> Of course, like all tradeoffs, some are trivial because the downside
> is negligible.  Still, which part of what I wrote do you dispute?
> 
> 
>         Stefan

I guess that this got lost in the mailbox (because--I just noticed--I 
did not edit the subject):



-------- Original Message --------
Subject: Re: help-gnu-emacs Digest, Vol 186, Issue 39
Date: 2018-05-26 07:24
 From: edgar@openmail.cc
To: help-gnu-emacs@gnu.org

> Date: Wed, 23 May 2018 15:19:29 -0400
> From: Stefan Monnier <monnier@iro.umontreal.ca>
> To: help-gnu-emacs@gnu.org
> Subject: Re: General advice beyond Org
> 
>> We are talking about people's freedom.
> 
> "Freedom" is a vague concept, applied in very subjective ways.

Yep. That's what I meant before (a very human concept). Still, does not 
prevent us from trying to understand or define it.

> It's not like you can increase freedom in some respect without reducing
> it elsewhere.

This sounded like a scratching blackboard. These are not my words:

      “once a {person} has seen that values depend upon {her or himself, 
(s)}he can
       will only one thing, and that is freedom as the foundation
       of all values.” Sartre is clear that freedom underpins every
       choice we make, and so (as our values are nothing more than
       our choices) freedom underpins every value we create. So
       when I choose I am not only choosing a particular action, I
       am also willing the freedom which enables me to make that
       choice in the first place. We can add in here Sartre’s view
       that whatever I choose myself I am also choosing as an image
       or ideal for the whole of humanity. Therefore, whenever I
       make any free choice of my own I am also willing freedom for
       the whole of humanity; I am universalising freedom.

I am not a philosopher, but the guy who wrote it was. Now, we could ask 
Nietzsche or Hume what they think about this, and see the sparks from 
afar. :P

> So "rational" doesn't have much to do with it.

If trying to understand it or define it is not an option, I agree :) .

>         Stefan

Thank you, Stefan. May be we could get together one of these days to 
discuss more about the subject. In the mean time, I want to express my 
appreciation to all of your comments.

---- End forwarded message ----

I came here asking for your help on a particular issue that I need to 
solve. Although the discussion about freedom is a very needed one, I 
wish not to take responsibility on its development on this forum (it 
seems like hijacking). I would suggest the readers and writers to go 
through the history of philosophy (or some sort of monograph) to find 
the answers which others have already produced on the topic. It is not 
by chance that there is still a discussion on whether one should produce 
software with GPL (and adherents) or not. This discussion seems to be 
drifting towards closed v.s. proprietary v.s. non-free v.s. free 
software. To me, there needs to be a real discussion which remains 
recorded, but I don't know if the moderators and other users of this 
list are going to appreciate it if it happens here. Out of respect, I 
recuse myself.

As I have expressed already, I thank all of you very much for your 
comments on my personal issue :)

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