Countdown to Christmas
6 - Accountability
- The concept of liberty is tricky. Because there is no such thing as maximum liberty. It only exists in a relational and reflexive sense: The extent of our very own freedom is constrained by the boundaries of other’s spheres of influence as well as the duty to take responsibility for the consequences of our very own actions. In other words, liberty cannot be separated from responsibility.
- All of this might sound limiting. Yet, it isn’t. The beauty of the concept of liberty is that it is fundamentally tied to the development of individual autonomy - and therefore the capacity to lead our lives according to the values and reason that we choose independently based on our own experiences…and mistakes.
- Separating responsibility and liberty is therefore the ultimate road to serfdom where we ought to rely on paternal figures to grant us arbitrary mercy instead of developing our personal selves by being accountable for our good and bad but very own choices.
In a literal reading, Der Struwwelpeter certainly feels outdated and illiberal at times; however, I suggest a more esoteric reading of this controversial classic of German literature. After all, Der Struwelpeter takes children and their mistakes seriously. It assigns agency to them—which is a highly liberal (and often overlooked) aspect of the book. In a correct reading, it shows the importance and severity of responsibility and the virtue of a rules-based order that does not rest on a strong hierarchical figure, such as the Saint Nicolas or a random vigilante, who takes matters into their own hands. In an Open Society, punishment is not done in the archaic way a shallow reading of the book might seem to suggest; but through the internalization of taking on responsibility for one’s own actions from a young age and the endorsement of rules that enhance individual flourishing and social life.
