Proposed values for paraliberal nation-states

The paraliberal view states a number of initial premises which are numbered from 1 to 14. Numbers 1 to 9 refer to its lifestance while numbers 10 to 14 refer to the state. In addition, there is a list of suggested values ​​for individuals and a corresponding list of suggested guidelines ​​for nation-states. The following are the proposed guidelines ​​that pertain to nation-states. The words 'value', 'attitude', and 'guideline' are used interchangeably, and are considered as almost synonyms, with a small difference of emphasis.

Guideline 15. In an autonomous nation-state, it is part of the state's tasks to guarantee the rights of citizens and the rest of the population This obligation is exercised not only through the state's laws and legal system, but also in several other ways...

Guideline 16. A liberal nation-state is itself a cultural expression that has an intrinsic value, and one of its tasks is therefore to act so as to ensure its own survival and continued functioning as a liberal democracy.

Guideline 17. A liberal nation-state has three main resources which are necessary for its long-term existence, namely its territory, its national language, and its value community. The care of these resources must therefore have high priority. In order for the state to be able to carry out its tasks it must have control over its territory and its borders, and over what legislation is applied within the territory.

Guideline 18. Open exchange of information and open debate are important conditions for a state to function well. They are needed in order to draw attention to situations where civil rights or other societal founding values ​​have not been respected, and in order to create an opinion in such cases. They are also needed as a forum for the discussion about the the society-founding values in the national value community.

Guideline 19. Since a liberal nation-state must be based on its own democratic code, it is an important task for the state to organize a consultation wher2-11-26e its society-founding values ​​are discussed and determined, and where they can also be revised if necessary.

Guideline 20. As a consequence of Guideline 19, a liberal nation-state must ensure that its young generation learns both the principles of liberal democracy and the current society-founding values, and it must promote their adoption of these values.

Guideline 21. As regards citizens who have announced that they do not share the society-founding values, it can normally be assumed that such persons constitute a small minority and that the democratic code will dominate. If, however, the state were for some reason to make a decision that would permanently change its character away from these values, then the founding nation and its members have a moral right and obligation to intervene to ensure that the state returns to its former values.

Guideline 22. The state and its citizens must treat other states and their citizens with respect and generosity.

Guideline 23. All residents and visitors that are in the state's territory shall be able to exercise their negative fundamental human rights, and all residents must be able to exercise their positive human rights. However, the state has the right to make certain limitations of the positive rights of those residents that have chosen to distance themselves from the state's democratic code.

The actual population in a country is thus considered to be divided into 'residents' and 'visitors' for the purpose of these guidelines.

Guideline 24. Stateless persons that are present in the territory of a state must be given reasonable access to those positive human rights that its citizens enjoy. The same applies to citizens of other states when these states are unable or unwilling to guarantee civil rights for these of its citizens. However, the state always has a moral right to set limits to what extent it accepts to meet such needs.

Guideline 25. When deciding on applications for citizenship or for asylum, or requests for entry for non-citizens, the nation-state has unlimited decision-making power. In doing so, it has a moral right and obligation to ensure that its basic resources, and its ability to perform its basic functions, should not be threatened whether in the short or the long term. Within these limits, it must exercise the greatest possible generosity to those in need.

Guideline 26. Universities and other academic environments must not have rules that require their employees and students to limit themselves to the society-founding values ​​in their choice of teaching materials or in their research. In such environments, thoughts that conflict with the society-founding values must be allowed to be presented freely, discussed and reviewed.

Guideline 27. The guidelines described in Chapter 8, Section 7 (Respect for and defense of one's own country) are expected of every citizen, including those that do not accept the democratic code as s whole. This includes e.g. the guideline of 'national anchoring'. It is included in the state's mission to promote these guidelines.

Guideline 28. Separatism may sometimes create difficulties or constitute a threat to a democratic society. It must therefore be treated with caution on the part of the state and lead to tangible countermeasures if necessary.

Guideline 29. If a norm in a normative value community ​​conflicts with state laws or the democratic code, it is the latter that shall apply. No one has the right to invoke e.g. freedom of conscience, freedom of religion, or membership in a normative community to assert a right to deviate from current law that has been decided in a democratic manner.

Guideline 30. A norm-giver or moral teacher in a normative community is expected to observe, and to contribute to reasonable pluralism. He or she does not have the right to urge members of their community to violate those laws or the society-founding values ​​that apply in the nation-state where he or she is staying.

This version of the page was posted on 2023-07-16. It is a direct translation of an original Swedish text that was posted on 2022-05-06, albeit with some modifications.