Tower of Babel (Star Trek: Enterprise: Rise of the Federation #2)

by Christopher L. Bennett

A life without truth is illogical. Surak wrote that the truth is simply the actual state of the universe. To live at odds with the truth is to be in conflict with reality itself. Such an existence is unsustainable.”

“So how do you preserve such freedom,” Zehron countered, “if the state itself coerces the people to follow its rules?”

“Rather,” Soval replied, “the people mutually consent to abide by those rules for their own collective benefit. They ensure their own safety and liberty by agreeing to respect others’ safety and liberty—even when that requires making compromises. Absolute, unfettered freedom is only possible for one who lives absolutely alone. When one is part of a community, one must balance one’s own freedoms and rights with those of others.

There are constraints on freedom, but only to the extent that different individuals’ freedoms come into conflict. It is the responsibility of the sta...

“Or, as a famous human jurist once said, ‘The right to swing my fist ends where the other man’s n...

“There can’t be true freedom for anybody . . . unless they have freedom from fear. Unless they know their right to live, to choose, to love, and to hold on to their possessions won’t be taken from them by force, whether by a government or by other people. In any free system, there have to be some basic standards of behavior that everyone agrees to abide by, some basic protection for their lives and their rights—and they have to agree to empower somebody with the authority to enforce those standards if anyone violates that social contract. It’s not enough just to trust the marketplace to balance everything out. You can see that isn’t working.”