Re: [ox-en] Liberte', E'galite', Fraternite' (Free Software ideology)

• From: Graham Seaman <graham seul.org>
• Date: Thu, 13 Dec 2001 17:58:47 -0500 (EST)

On Fri, 14 Dec 2001, Nadav Har'El wrote:

<snip>

The essay discusses the potential benefits of free software to Society,
which are far greater than the usual "free beer" and "free speech" senses
that people usually mention, or the benefits that "open source" supporters
usually quote. The central theme of the essay is to take the slogan of the
French Revolution, "Liberté, Égalité, Fraternité" (meaning liberty, equality
and fraternity), and to demonstrate (including evidence and many hyperlinks)
how each of these ideals, and not just the often-mentioned liberty, is an
important part of the free software movement.

<snip>
That's excellent - it seems to come easier for US audiences to talk about
'freedom' because it's so tied in with American ideology in other ways
that the word can be used by left or right equally, and everybody reads 
what they want to in it.
But equality and brotherhood sound more reminiscent of the french or even
russian revolutions, so the words tend not to be used much, even by rms.
But you're right - they should be.
I don't understand very much of the (much more active, till now) german
part of this list, but they do seem to spend a lot of time discussing
the 'real meaning' of freedom... would be nice to see more discussion
of those other two words as well :-)

Graham

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• References:
  • [ox-en] Liberte', E'galite', Fraternite' (Free Software ideology)
    • From: Nadav Har'El

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