Paternal Power

"When the power of love overcomes the love of power the world will know peace."

-Jimi Hendrix

For humans, the parent-child bond can sometimes seem perplexing...that is, if you are able to reach a level of tranquility within your lifetime that would empower you to be able to think rationally about such bonds in the first place. Tragically, for many humans, this day never comes because these individuals have never lived in an environment which allowed for their bodies to move past survival mode and into the realm of reason. And in my opinion, this is an existence that just doesn't get talked about enough wouldn't you agree?

Why is this such sensitive subject "matter"? Because of the emotion it stirs within us. Because of the damage we can't undo. Because it's hard to look at things we've abused. Because of pride. Because of prejudice. Because of obedience. Because it concerns the human will which can impact the validity of our criminal justice systems. Because the parent-child bond begins with blind loyalty, helplessness and survival. But mostly because the human brain has the potential to develop the ability to think about things we cannot see. This gift is sometimes referred to as "abstract thought" or "reason" which is a gift that can be enjoyed by the souls who are fortunate enough to move past the physical world and into the "intelligible realm" during their life on earth. It is very important to bear in mind that this is not an inevitability, it's a potentiality. In other words, it is possible for humans to achieve reason within their lifetime, we are not born with reason. And since love has no form, it means that we are only able to look at this bond abstractly and if we are unable to think about things abstractly, it means that we have not yet developed reason and are limited to an irrational point of view when thinking about our bonds.

This is an especially meaningful topic for me because I am someone who developed their reason much later than my peers. I developed this gift after giving birth to two children who were depending on me for their survival. I began my parenting role in the midst of an alcohol addiction you see, which was caused by my lack of reason you could say. And though I was able to refrain from drinking for the entirety of both gestation periods, I was still unable to think rationally about my responsibilities as a parent in general. It was not until I reached my personal low, that I sought out community support, at which time my daughter was three years old and my son was still an infant. I have now been sober for five years officially and in that time (thanks to science and very high-grade psychiatric support) I have been able to successfully benefit from treatment and education which has allowed for my reason to finally develop. In other words, I have been able to reach my full potential as a living organism. Am I grateful for this outcome? Of course I am. But it is never quite as simple as that when parent-child bonds are involved. For me personally, I've had to endure multiple panic

attacks, multiple episodes of psychosis at varying degrees of severity, hospitalization, periodical insomnia and dysphoria which takes me to very violent heights of anger in combination with my newly developed reason.

But don't worry, I almost always remember to take my medication that prevents me from being a danger to myself, my loved ones, and society.

My point is, the longer we blindly and wildly experience love, the more layers of complexity there will be to sift through if reason is finally achieved. It's also important to remember that some humans have to detach from a soul that they didn't even know they have simply to survive their childhoods never mind live them. This can be described as a chronic state of fear in which the love we feel for our parent(s), sibling(s) and/or others who move through our home is deeply entangled with feelings of fear which can unfortunately sometimes stall or even restrain the growth of our rational thought. When children are subjected to these levels of fear over an extended period of time, they are experiencing what we may refer to as oppression, which can often lead to involuntary actions, aggressive behaviour, addiction and in the worst cases, premature death.

In 1689, political philosopher, John Locke, felt it was worth his while to include an entire chapter on paternal power in his Second Treatise of Civil Government which sought to

explain civil society and political power in relation to natural law while delegitimizing all forms of slavery based on the truth that "freedom from absolute, arbitrary power, is so necessary to, and closely joined with [human's] preservation, that [they/she/he] cannot part with it...". This truth runs parallel to his principles concerning parent-child bonds and the "rule and jurisdiction" that parents have over their children. Locke is careful to include the development of rational thought within his theory and why a free will can only exist in combination with a certain degree of reason. He also acknowledges the fact that there can sometimes be "defects" which can prevent one from achieving such a degree of reason, therefore, do not possess a free will either. In this context, the word "defects" is referring to a situation in which the child is guided by the will of their guardian who understands the law for them or rather one who is "under the tuition and government of others" because they/she/he has not come to know the law. He says that "natural freedom and subjection to parents [or parent-like figures] may consist together, and are founded on the same principle" meaning, we cannot be considered free or rational beings until we are able to exercise this rationality and free will which occur synchronously.

Locke's truths are important because they address subject matter that many humans with free wills consciously choose to look away from. Subject matter that has a profound impact on our political regimes, our natural rights, our freedom and the quality of life for those who are confined to the realm of mere existence. These are topics and truths that some humans (like Locke) have been exiled for sharing over the course of history which means that authoritative power as a whole, is somewhat dependent on a certain portion of citizens not comprehending these truths. Topics and truths so dangerous they have the power to shake the entire foundation of civil society and the will of the majority who have not only enjoyed a very soulful life on earth but also a very smooth ascent to reason and freedom. Let's take a moment to recognize the magnitude of this advantage shall we? I don't know about you, but I for one, feel this advantage intensely after having spent over 30 years locked in the physical realm, which is likely why I feel such a pressing need to share my story with the world. Moreover, in a day and age where brains can be regenerated, I suggest that free willed souls be very careful about who they choose to scapegoat from here on out.

Sincerely,

Heather

Locke, John. Second Treatise of Civil Government, ed. Andrew Bailey. 2019. Peterborough, Ontario. Broadview Press.