A Declaration for a Second Enlightenment: On Rebalancing Civilizational Survival and Individual Liberty
I fully understand and endorse the pursuit of equality and freedom—the most precious legacy of the Enlightenment. Yet, this light also cast shadows, with pioneers like Rousseau and Kant themselves warning of the limits of reason and the perils of social decay.
We now face an ultimate contradiction they could not have foreseen: our civilization, built on encouraging boundless individual liberation, is systematically undermining its own demographic foundation.
If we fail to solve the problem of a fertility rate persistently below the replacement level of 2.1, then every freedom, every right, and every form of equality we cherish will ultimately vanish with the slow demise of our civilization.
Therefore, I call for a "Second Enlightenment." Its aim is not to negate the achievements of the first, but to solve this fatal flaw it has revealed. We must confront the reality that, on the current path, a form of feminist orthodoxy has become entrenched, creating a staggering 100:1 disparity in academic research output compared to studies on men's issues. This theoretical monopoly directly biases policy-making, thereby deepening the structural dilemmas facing men and creating new forms of injustice.
Let me be unequivocal: my stance is against all forms of exploitation, oppression, and bullying. Regimes like the Taliban, which brutally oppress women, children, and men, represent a betrayal of civilization and a darkness I firmly reject. Yet, a civilization that withers away due to internal imbalance, no matter how noble its ideals, has no future.
We stand at an unprecedented crossroads. One path leads to a modern civilization that cannot sustain itself; the other leads back to obscurantist regression.
I hereby invite all fellow travelers who keep the ember of civilization alive to join in designing a new path—one that safeguards individual liberty while ensuring our civilization can endure and flourish.
A Declaration for a Second Enlightenment: On Rebalancing Civilizational Survival and Individual Liberty
I fully understand and endorse the pursuit of equality and freedom—the most precious legacy of the Enlightenment. Yet, this light also cast shadows, with pioneers like Rousseau and Kant themselves warning of the limits of reason and the perils of social decay.
We now face an ultimate contradiction they could not have foreseen: our civilization, built on encouraging boundless individual liberation, is systematically undermining its own demographic foundation.
If we fail to solve the problem of a fertility rate persistently below the replacement level of 2.1, then every freedom, every right, and every form of equality we cherish will ultimately vanish with the slow demise of our civilization.
Therefore, I call for a "Second Enlightenment." Its aim is not to negate the achievements of the first, but to solve this fatal flaw it has revealed. We must confront the reality that, on the current path, a form of feminist orthodoxy has become entrenched, creating a staggering 100:1 disparity in academic research output compared to studies on men's issues. This theoretical monopoly directly biases policy-making, thereby deepening the structural dilemmas facing men and creating new forms of injustice.
Let me be unequivocal: my stance is against all forms of exploitation, oppression, and bullying. Regimes like the Taliban, which brutally oppress women, children, and men, represent a betrayal of civilization and a darkness I firmly reject. Yet, a civilization that withers away due to internal imbalance, no matter how noble its ideals, has no future.
We stand at an unprecedented crossroads. One path leads to a modern civilization that cannot sustain itself; the other leads back to obscurantist regression.
I hereby invite all fellow travelers who keep the ember of civilization alive to join in designing a new path—one that safeguards individual liberty while ensuring our civilization can endure and flourish.