Portuguese people often use the phrase "Não devo nada a ninguém" as an expression of their freedom and they are quite right. Do what you ought to do, pay your debts, financial and otherwise, to other people and you will feel free - this is in essence the Christian ideal of freedom.
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The economic superiority of the Salazarist regime over the democratic regime in Portugal was in part due to this Christian conception of freedom and morality. Under this conception people are generally led to fullfil their obligations towards other people, contractual and otherwise. On the contrary, under the vulgar, democratic conception of freedom people have the option not to fullfil them. It does not take a sophisticated argument to show that under the Christian conception of freedom society will be considerably more prosperous and peaceful.
The vulgar, democratic definition of freedom is egocentrical and self-directed - you are free when you do as you please. The Christian conception is altruistic and other-directed - you are free when you have met all your obligations towards other people. I am afraid, then, that modern liberal authors, such as Mises and Hayek who share the vulgar conception of freedom with its emphasis on self-interest, and try to build an allegedly superior social order based on such ideas, are completely wrong. For what leads to a better, economically prosperous and peaceful society is the Christian, altruistic conception of freedom according to which you are free when you have fulfilled all of your duties towards other people.
The economic superiority of the Salazarist regime over the democratic regime in Portugal was in part due to this Christian conception of freedom and morality. Under this conception people are generally led to fullfil their obligations towards other people, contractual and otherwise. On the contrary, under the vulgar, democratic conception of freedom people have the option not to fullfil them. It does not take a sophisticated argument to show that under the Christian conception of freedom society will be considerably more prosperous and peaceful.
The vulgar, democratic definition of freedom is egocentrical and self-directed - you are free when you do as you please. The Christian conception is altruistic and other-directed - you are free when you have met all your obligations towards other people. I am afraid, then, that modern liberal authors, such as Mises and Hayek who share the vulgar conception of freedom with its emphasis on self-interest, and try to build an allegedly superior social order based on such ideas, are completely wrong. For what leads to a better, economically prosperous and peaceful society is the Christian, altruistic conception of freedom according to which you are free when you have fulfilled all of your duties towards other people.
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