Fear and freedom

Experts tell us that the strongest emotion we feel as humans is fear, which we are unable to process individually. This leads to the belief that only an all-powerful institution, namely the state, can ensure the survival of a society and its citizens when they are faced with mortal peril, like the current coronavirus crisis.

To counter this primal emotion of fear, as far back as the Enlightenment, the West has looked to the hope of freedom: When a citizen has broken free of the "nanny state" (in other words, state supervision and a dependence on government), they finally have the capability to fully utilize the extent of their abilities, becoming successful, complete and prosperous.

In the ideological conflict that governs human activities, faith in the state is received as nostalgia for communism, an ideology and system which has crumbled in Europe. In contrast to...

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