THE DECLARATION OF
INDIVIDUAL AUTONOMY

by Philip H. Farber

10 Oct 1996

When in the Course of human events, it becomes necessary for people to dissolve the political bands which have connected them with others, and to assume among the powers of the earth, the separate and equal station to which they may choose to aspire, a decent respect to the opinions of mankind requires that they should declare the causes which impel them to the separation. We hold that no truths are self-evident, but must have their usefulness demonstrated. That all people are created with equal freedom from tyranny, but frequently accept domination or obedience to a legal code, to a greater or lesser degree from person to person. That people are endowed with only what rights they have chosen to be endowed with, through wisdom or common folly, for wealth or ilth. That people can secure for themselves, with understanding of their own unique situations, those rights which best allow them to live in fruitful harmony with other people. That whenever any person, Government, or other entity, not fully recognizing the unique situation of each individual, becomes in any way oppressive or destructive, people may choose to ignore, alter or abolish such an institution, and to live in whatever manner they decide, with understanding of the situation, will allow them whatever conflict or harmony they so require for their happiness and survival. That man can choose to resolve any conflict through intelligence, with, adequate communication and a full understanding of each and every point of view involved, by each and every person involved. Prudence, indeed, will dictate that Governments long established should not be changed for light and transient causes, but only after calm consideration of the True Will and mutual goals of all those individuals involved. All experience has shown that people are more disposed to suffer, while evils are sufferable, than to right themselves by abolishing the forms to which they are accustomed. But when a long train of abuses and usurpations evinces a design to reduce them under absolute Despotism or Dogma not chosen by the individual concerned, it is their right, it can be their choice, to throw off such a Government and to accept responsibility, each for their own future security.

The most apparent difficulty herein lies in the general inability of people to understand the specific direction of their unique organism, or, understanding it, to make the firm resolve necessary to shake free the shackles of cultural conditioning and Dogma accepted through poorly considered indoctrination. Therefore, those of us who now declare their individual autonomy (and this document speaks only for those who freely choose to do so) are faced with a potentially arduous task of self-examination, compounded by the resistance encountered from those who do not comprehend the changes engendered by this individual declaration. But the rewards of this liberation are enormous, being the very fulfillment of each individual's own nature, and therefore the nature of the human race as a whole. Those of us who choose to accept this self- responsibility do so, we believe, for the advantage of all.

The crimes against individuals by those who blindly group together under the flags of Governments, religions, and other institutions are too numerous to fully discuss, but can be categorized in the following way: Actual legislation which limits the freedom of individuals in speech, worship, thought, and any actions which do not, themselves, infringe upon the freedoms of others; Cultural norms, taboos, peer pressures, moral codes and any other influences which likewise limit the freedoms of individuals.

It should be strongly emphasized that we recognize that various dogmas, models and systems are necessary for the harmonious growth of humanity, but, in all things, these can be the choice of the individual. If one person and another believe that it is their will to band together for a specific purpose, under delineated restrictions, then they are free to do so, given that their purpose still respects and allows the differing beliefs and actions of those who stay apart from their group. If one person believes that it is his will to stand apart from all others, then he is free to do so, given that he does not interfere with the free behavior of any other. In the same manner, the dogma or meta-dogma of this Declaration is intended to apply only to those who freely choose to accept it as being beneficial or useful in the attainment of their own True Will.

We, therefore, the people of the planet Earth who choose to accept responsibility for our own lives, do publish and declare that we can be FREE AND INDEPENDENT PEOPLE, that we are absolved from all allegiance to any dogma, system or code that we have not chosen for ourselves, that we as individuals have full power to levy War, conclude Peace, contract Alliances, establish Commerce and to do all other Acts and Things which individual People may of right do. 1