The Philosophy I Espouse

In my field, philosophical debates and discussions are a common place. I often struggle to define the core tenets that determine my worldview. After reading the basics of Rational Romanticism, I can somehow say that I belong to this group. 

Rational Romanticism 

"Like Objectivists, Rational Romantics are ethical egoists and consequentialists. We also hold strong values of personal freedom, minimalist government, and reason. At the same time, we place great emphasis on the value of personal relationships, and little emphasis on wealth, especially beyond the necessary level of income required to live comfortable. The “Romantic” in Rational Romantic implies a love for life and a love for others that is at best underdeveloped in canonical Objectivism."

"Rational Romanticism fits neatly as a Humanist philosophy in the very broadest sense of the word, and many of our members have at times frequented Universal Unitarian churches.  Humanists and Unitarians are fantastic at finding wisdom wherever they can. They bring people together, and both regularly fight against the unjust imposition of one person’s moral code upon another. On social issues, we frequently find these groups to be our allies."

"If a disagreement were to arise between a Humanist and a Rational Romantic, those disagreements would almost definitely find their roots in our individualism. Egoist Humanists aren’t unheard of, though: that’s what we are."

"We have no set political doctrine or party, but we are explicitly in favor of an individual’s right to happiness, property, life, and the pursuit of happiness.  As egoists and lovers of personal freedom, it should come as no surprise that Libertarianism and Anarcho-Capitalism have had some influence on Rational Romanticism. We believe that the role of a government (whether the state or not) is to protect these individual rights with as little intrusion as possible.

It is, for example, completely inappropriate for the government to prohibit same-sex marriages. In fact, the government should have no say in whether adults giving informed consent can or cannot be married. The marriage license itself is an unnecessary paternal government intrusion into private personal decisions. A just government would only prohibit marriages where one party is unable to give informed consent. (Examples include being drunk, disabled, an animal incapable of giving consent, or too young to understand the ramifications of marriage.) By the same logic, it is completely inappropriate for the government to regulate income redistribution, wages, or drug use and sales.

Rational Romantics may be financially-conservative Democrats, socially-liberal Republicans, or anarchists. Our variance in political policy is reflective of our individual opinions on how best to maximize personal freedom."


Source: http://www.rationalromantics.org/rational-romanticism-influences/