Individual freedom

Press, 25 July 1984, Page 20

Individual freedom

Sir,—Paul Maling’s belief that the ancient Greeks perfected the notion of individual freedom is mistaken. Their classic culture required a slave population, often outnumbering the free, of whom the female members were also chattels. Greek philosophers pondered many problems, but not the morality of dehumanising others, including one’s normal sexual partner. Individual freedom follows from the conviction that all human lives are equally valuable — a concept implicit in Judaism and firmly explicit in Christianity. Despite failure to embody it adequately in social and economic structures, <?nly the Judaeo-Chris-tian cultural tradition pursues it consistently. Mr Maling’s enthusiasm for Arabic culture would presumably not extend to the rigours of Koranic law as applied to, inter alia, homosexuality. Similar reservations might apply to the postChristian society exemplified by Nazi Germany; this purported, with Nietzsche’s assistance, to resurrect ancient Greek ideals. — Yours, etc.,

S. O. MAHONEY. July 21, 1984.