An interesting piece that I enjoyed reading.

As someone who's political views were heavily influenced by Hobbes, I might disagree with some of what you've written. As an intellectual, I applaud your contribution to the conversation.

You seem to fault "capitalism" and even the protection of property as ideas that are inherently appeals to selfishness. You clearly are unhappy that they elevate "individualism" as the "greatest good" that all else must bow to.

I would interpret it slightly differently. Most modern defenders of capitalism like Rand and Friedman don't focus on its defense of property, per se. Instead they focus on the idea of FREEDOM of CHOICE.

If "you are what you own" then you are the sum of all of your purchases. If you own "nothing" then what are you?

Your TIME is your most valuable possession. To be FREE is to control what you do with your time. To have the RIGHT of CHOICE is the essence of freedom.

Who ARE you to take away people's choices, to take away their property, to take away their FREEDOM?

It's a difficult argument to refute because a LOT of Western Enlightenment thought supports it. We LIKE our personal freedom and right to express our individuality.

There's not a lot of that in stable sustainable cultures.

The KING of sustainable cultures is without a doubt that of the Australian Aboriginals. Fifty Five Thousand YEARS on one piece of land that the colonized while there were were still Neanderthals in Europe. Incredibly rich cultural life completely in harmony with the natural world.

Not a lot of INDIVIDUALITY.

That's the trade off we have never been able to find a "happy medium" between. I don't expect that those who come after us are going to be any better at it than we were.

We need not just a "Rights of Men" we also need a "Declaration of Responsibilities".