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Reason 101 - Pillar 6: Independence

Submitted by Staff on Fri, 2024-01-21 12:00.


Though psychological independence is a more general category of reason, it is strongly related to the former category in practice.  As we were growing up in America, the pressure was enormous to abide by the faith of our fathers—to adopt the theology and belief in that God.  (One can only imagine the pressures brought to bear upon many of the followers of Islam.)

The ability to resist such pressures is a true measure of one’s intellectual courage and highest humanity.  When Thomas Jefferson penned, "I have sworn eternal hostility toward every form of tyranny over the mind of man," he was standing up for those who cherish the judgment of their own minds.  If every American today felt the same way, internal political problems as such would cease.

Naturally, if you think for yourself, you believe in your ability to make good decisions and resist the attempt of anyone else to tell you what to think… or what to do.  This quality of rugged individualism used to be an image Americans pointed to with pride.

So independence of mind is the sine qua non (without which, not [essential element - Ed.]) of reason.  And for the health of society, it may be the highest virtue to which a person can aspire.

The Biology of Dependent/Independent Mentality

In this connection I want to suggest a biological basis for the emergence of psychological independence/reason from its general predecessor.  This is simply a theory, mind you, but if true, explains much:

According to Julian Jaynes, in his work The Origin of Consciousness in the Breakdown of the Bicameral Mind(15), man’s early psychology was not predominantly independent (unicameral), rather highly dependent (bicameral).  His theory is that man was socialized into a tribal, then later, God-King society such as the Egyptians or the Aztecs/Incas.  In such environments, biologically he heard "leader-voices" and acted accordingly.

If that condition was true—and Jaynes believes it was a general condition well into the times after Jesus, as well as for primitive cultures—it explains the slow and halting development of rational, individualist, truly human society.  The self-awareness with which the overwhelming majority of people now conduct their lives was largely absent, and not that long ago.

Jaynes speaks of "vestigial bicameralism," which would explain why man has persisted in continually abdicating individuality and reason to others, to the various incarnations of church and collective.  It helps explain the medieval period, as well as the statist collectivist period in the 20th century.

Whether Jaynes’ theory proves right or wrong, we can safely assert reason, and its associated psychological independence, is the ultimate evolutionary point to which we can aspire.  Bringing the species to its destiny in the stars.  And I’d like to suggest that development of the courage to think on one’s own is a wonderful legacy for generations to come.

Final Comment on Independence

One of the key challenges to psychological independence lies in the sociological context of romantic love.  If the ideas one supports are unpopular, chances are otherwise attractive members of the opposite sex will not be attracted to you.  Humorously referred to as the Hawaiian disease (lackanooky), this is an area where life can throw the independent thinker a curve ball with strong evolutionary implications.

So we must learn how to hit curve balls.  Remember, the several concepts we take for granted today as civilized beings—such as the earth rotating around the sun and OJ tracking down Nicole’s killers on golf courses—were once propounded by isolated brave souls on the bleeding edge.  Most of these guys want to find the warm center of life, as much as anyone else.

That’s certainly one of my own motivations for laying down these principles and trying to persuade the largest possible cross-section of humanity to consider them.  Then the sociology of mutual independence becomes an incentive.  All the beautiful people someday begin to find reason, to take reason into their hearts as their personal savior, and a true psychological healthgiving spiritual community becomes the norm.


ReasonToFreedom.com, Reason 101

Pillar 1:
Existence 		Pillar 2:
Identity 		Pillar 3:
Causality 		Pillar 4:
Consciousness 		Pillar 5:
Nature
Pillar 6:
Independence 		Pillar 7:
Life 		Pillar 8:
Morality 		Pillar 9:
Passion 		Pillar 10:
Freedom


  1. Jaynes, Julian. The Origin of Consciousness in the Breakdown of the Bicameral Mind, Houghton Mifflin, 1976. back to text
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