many people hold preconceived ideas; of what is moral, what is ethical; how society should be constructed. but also other ideas, rules, conceptions, of how humans should behave, or what it means to be a human, or how life - especially the life of others - should be. they have concepts, ideologies, "philosophies", of how the world is, society is, and how it should be constructed and kept, and how humans have to fit to these ideas.
this alone is already problematic. can be problematic. but the problem runs much deeper.
think of the ideology of race. the conception of race, is, of course, nonsense. but there is a larger problem. people are not only racist for "self-gain" or because they're assholes - well, they are, but there is another problem too. they really *believe* in their racial bigotry. they think, that what they believe, is the *truth*. they don't think, 'well, i have white skin, so i could gain something from a society run according to white supremacy'. they *really* think whites would be superior. and this is the big problem. they have their ideas in their head, conceptions, and they can't get away from them, not in an easy way, because they hold them to be truth.
similiar goes on conceptions of how men and women should behave, and that they are intrinsically different from each other, and women shouldn't be allowed to do some things men do. or they believe, that there should be different classes in society, and the rich and powerful be above the rest.
people who put forward these ideas do not solely do this for "egoism", or self-gain. they *really* think these ideas are true.
so, this makes us arrive at the problem. which is, that they're stuck with these ideas. they can't challenge them - not easily - not get rid of them, change them, take away their power. they got a "fixed" idea - and are its servant, because they lack the power to push the ideas over.
in the end, *any* idea is subjective. if there would be real objectivity, even then, at least man in general would lack the ability to reach it. so, we have to realize everything we hold to be true is subjective.
this is one of the most important abilities to attain; to have the ability to challenge one's own ideas, and conceptions, no matter how much "objective" and "the truth" they seem to be. to be able to move them, to alter them. to be be able to create new ideas and discard ones that have been proved to be questionable.
this is of course what conservatives and reactionaries *hate* about what they call "liberals", "leftists", "anarchists". a liberal could, for example say: 'okay, the idea of marriage, or the church seems to be useful to some people. so they should follow it. but do not go to the extremes; and they should be allowed to not follow both instutions if they wish". because for conservatives, the idea of church, or marriage, or state, or nation is "untouchable". they cant move or change these ideas in their head; and do not want anyone else to change them either.
yet, even the "liberals" have their own fixed ideas too; they rarely get rid of the idea of a central goverment itself, or getting rid of capitalist economics altogether. it's something they can't "get their head round too".
because, for them these ideas too are unchangable, untouchable. but no idea should be like that. every idea should be open to question, to debate, and, when becoming to appear negative and doubtful - to be discarded.
and even the most radical anarchists still have their dogmas, that they can't change.
ideas should not become static, unquestionable, solid, fixed. they should be able to be changed and be moved.
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