Q&A: Live and Let Live as a Value
Live and Let Live as a Value
Question
With God’s help,
Hello,
Is it, in the Rabbi’s view, possible to see the concept of “live and let live” as a value for atheist society? Or is it at most just a framework for proper social life? Or can it be seen as a non-arbitrary foundational assumption?
By way of analogy: if a person were to claim that jumping one hundred times every day is, in his view, a foundational assumption (and therefore not something that can really be challenged), we would not see that as a rational act. By contrast, if a person fulfills commandments because God commanded them, we would see that as a rational act even though he has no further justification. And here one would already claim that we can see this as a real value.
So the question is: if a person claims that “live and let live” is not merely a pragmatist claim, but that he sees it as an intrinsic *value* of his, should we place that in the category of a non-rational act, like jumping in place, or can it be placed in a reasonable and value-based category?
Answer
First, in an atheist society there are indeed values, but that is not consistent (the validity of values requires belief in God. See Notebook Four, Part 3).
If a person says about something that he sees it as a value, then apparently it is a value for him. You can say that in your opinion he is mistaken.