Psycho Pass: Redemption (UPDATING)

3 (UPDATED)

"We live in a city where people are capable of mastering all the arts, but they are not masters of themselves, they are lost in their own abundance, they lack projects and are adrift, that is why they do not build anything, even though their possibilities, their powers, are enormous. To live is to feel obliged to exercise freedom, to decide what we are going to be in this world... but when life stops fighting for itself, when society stops listening to its own voice and starts to be able to live only at the service of the State... can we still talk about human beings?"

Sitting on a sofa with legs slightly apart and elbow resting on the armrest, hand dangling in the air with a black pen, Touma Kouzaburou smiled and turned to his colleague, who was looking out over the academy courtyard, standing by a window in the empty library of the Oso Academy. He was gently stroking the page of a book by José Ortega y Gasset with his index finger. He wore a yellow vest and pants, and a purple tie over a neat white shirt. Long white locks fell over his back and chest.

"The Revolt of the Masses. Ortega's analysis of how people can get lost in abundance and conformity is interesting. Centralized planning and excessive state control lead to the loss of individual liberties and the servitude that Tocqueville feared," Touma noted.

"When you limit people's choices and reduce their individuality to a number, you act as an oppressive force that denies the true essence of being human. Each individual must be free to pursue his own interests and goals. It's competition and the pursuit of self-interest that drives progress and innovation, not submission to centralized power.

"Controlling and regulating aspects of people's lives has led to a society where individual decisions and choices are suppressed in favor of a supposed stability. But this centralized planning has its consequences: a loss of autonomy and greater dependence on the state.

"I am against any form of control and manipulation that restricts the individual's capacity for choice and self-determination. Freedom is the basis of morality and human creativity. What do you think of our country's current morality? Or as I like to call it... mandatory morality," he closed his book.

"Morality is erected on the basis of choice, not force or obedience," Touma stated in a soft voice, looking him up and down and twirling the pen between his fingers. "Even in a society that strives to shape individual actions in pursuit of collective welfare, true morality cannot be imposed from outside. Even if we were to force men to act in the right way, that would not be true morality, but forced obedience. Genuine morality is born of personal understanding, choice, and the personal will to do what is right, even when the temptation of conformity or coercion stands in the way."

"Isn't this an intriguing dilemma: chosen morality versus imposed morality? I have always believed that true morality is forged in the autonomy of the individual, away from the chains of law and authority. But, tell me, how do you reconcile your beliefs with your own... occupation?" he asked with a smile.

"You are right about the dilemma, Shougo-kun. It's a topic that has led me to many reflections. Morality is a matter of internal consistency and living by your own convictions, regardless of external circumstances. As for my occupation, it's an act of choice. I am not bound by what the system dictates or what others consider right. My path is my own and doesn't necessarily have to be understood by others."

"Interesting. We seem to share a similar sense of independence. However, I can't help but wonder if your actions, though driven by your own choice, might also be shaped by the system. After all, in a world where morality is closely tied to it, even those who challenge its norms might be contributing to its perpetuation in some way."

"My conscious choice to act morally or immorally is not a resistance to the system, nor an act of rebellion to perpetuate it," frowned Touma. "Rather, it's an exercise of my will and desire to influence the decisions I make in my life. I don't seek to change the country or challenge the system. My moral and immoral actions are my declaration of independence, even if that means facing its consequences. I don't care about the system or how it interprets my actions. But tell me, Shougo-kun, why this sudden curiosity about my way of thinking?"