This week in class we spoke about liberalism, which came from a reading by C.W. Mills. When I heard the word liberalism before reading Mills and talking about it in class I thought it meant things like, freedom and open mindedness but also somehow the word strict came to mind as well. Mills referred to something called tabula rasa, or an ideal state of nature. Mills wasn't for or against liberalism, he said the most common way to address racial inequalities is by ignoring race altogether. Mills talked about John Locke who also felt similar that every man was created equal; no one should be born into prestige or type of hierarchies.
I like this way of thinking. It's true that everyone would be equal and maybe even get along better. It's fair to say that some people are born into, for example royal families that have a lot of money that shouldn't or don;t deserve it. I kind of feel that Mills and Locke wanted everyone born equal so that they can make choices for themselves or live up to their potential and not how society or other see them. The year after I graduated from high school I went to Australia with a friend and we travelled and worked there for 6 months. The experience was amazing and of course I wish I could go back. One of my favorite things, which I mentioned to people back home was that everyone was so nice and friendly. My friend and I would live in hostels and have jobs, either outside of the hostel or at one point we worked at one. You meet so many people that are doing the exact same thing as you; it just turned out to be a big group of friends. Point being, everyone was in the same boat. It didn't matter where you were from, what race, religion you were or if your family came from money or not. It was like having a blank slate. I loved the feeling that no one could judge, and that you could pretty much act however you wanted to and no one would day anything. This came to mind when I learned in class about the concept of tabula rasa. I know it's not exactly the same thing but it feels quite similar. Some people in our group tended to be leaders or the "plan makers" not because they were bossy or mean but because the took initiative and they gained the position. At the end of the day everyone continued to be friends, some had differences of opinions but no one was ever right or wrong. I don;t think I'll find a situation where I'll feel as comfortable as I did there.
Mills also said that "the most common way way to address racial inequalities is by ignoring race altogether." We often talk in class how race or racism is rarely spoken of amongst society because it can be seen as rude or taboo. I think when Mills made this comment he means we have to get all the the stereotypes and certain ideas people carry and get them out of our minds. We all need a blank state of mind (tabula rasa) so we can openly talk about the racial inequalities and the structures that political and social figures have set in our society today. This way maybe some problems can be brought to light and finally be addressed.
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