The Freedom in Tango

The freedom in tango is not the freedom of the part in the lower sense, but the freedom of the whole in the higher sense (see Pluralism vs. Monism).

In America, many people think of freedom as such: Each individual person is a sovereign being with certain unalienable rights granted to them by the Creator, including life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness. Since self-interest is the driving force of the individual, competition with others is justified. American law promotes and protects competetion. Education is designed to improve the individual's chance to win competition. Economics uses competition to stimulate growth, disregarding that natural resources are shared by all people and need to be used prudently and wisely, the cooperation among people, and the fair distribution of wealth. The political system of America is built on partisanship, in which politicians are mainly engaged in partisan fights rather than serving the people, causing many social problems such as poverty, homelessness, doping, gun proliferation, unaffordable healthcare, failed public education, crumbled infrastructure etc. to remain unresolved for decades (see Philosophies that Separate Two Worlds).

This civilization, based on self-interest, competition, predatory development and irrational consumption, now is facing grave crisis. On the one hand is the unchecked greed, on the other is the depleting natural resources. On the one hand is the extravagant lifestyle and tremendous waste, on the other is the deteriorating environment. On the one hand is the surge in GDP, on the other is the increasing inequality. On the one hand is the exorbitant wealth of a few, on the other is the struggles of many. Obviously, the theoretical foundation of our civilization has serious flaws. It does not give enough consideration on justice, fairness, coexistence, equality, cooperation and sharing. It has created a small minority of winners and a vast maority of losers (see America Is in Big Trouble).

The Declaration of Independence states, "We hold these truths to be self-evident: that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable rights, that among these are life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness. That to secure these rights, governments are instituted among men, deriving their just powers from the consent of the governed, - That whenever any form of government becomes destructive of these ends, it is the right of the people to alter or to abolish it, and to institute new government, laying its foundation on such principles and organizing its powers in such form, as to them shall seem most likely to effect their safety and happiness."

It seems to me that we need to take a long hard look at these words. Do we understand their meaning truthfully? Should we decide to change the foundation upon which our society is meant to be built? Because it turns out, the individualistic interpretation of the Constitution has not brought, nor will it bring the safety and happiness that most people desire.

When tango was imported, few Americans realized that a new idea was introduced. In contrast to individualism, tango does not see individuals as independent, self-interested and autonomous beings but interconnected, interrelated and interdependent members of society with shared common interests. Without other human beings an individual alone is crippled regardless of how important he/she is from his/her own perspective. In tango, dancers can only perform well when they cooperate with each other, and only in that cooperation can each person enjoy the maximum joy. The success, therefore, is not that of any single individual alone, but that of the team as a whole. The individuals are not in a relationship of competition, control, power struggle or taking advantage of each other, but surrender, submission, collaboration, accommodation and complement.

Resting in his arms, entrusting herself to him, feeling his masculine strength, sharing his emotions and feelings, enjoying his protection, following him freely without worry, moving in harmony with him, and letting her femininity and beauty reveal to attract and satisfy him, these to the woman mean pleasure, security and realization of her value as a woman. On the other hand, being with her, winning her trust, enjoying her obedience, affection and seduction, feeling her feminine body twisting in his arms, pampering her, protecting her and displaying her beauty, these to the man mean pleasure, comfort and realization of his value as a man. Tango brings men and women to their original state where the two sexes are in a destined fellowship, where there is no calculation of gains and losses, no exchange of money and power, no self-interest and worldly concerns, only the common purpose of enjoying each other, and where all Cinderellas and Tryballots have the same dignity and respect as the nobility.

The appeal of tango comes from its shared intimacy, connection, unity, and cooperation. Radical ideologies such as individualism, feminism, neoliberalism and power politics are antithetical to tango. What is regarded virtuous in tango is love, fraternity, submission, kindness and collaboration. Although tango is not an economic activity, as an act of cooperation its joy is shared. This principle can be extended to other areas of life as well. What is not based on self-interest does not submit to the control of the invisible hand of capital and greed. We can logically infer that wealth, too, can be distributed fairly to allow all who have participated in its creation to share, rather than being hogged by a few. Just like the victory of a sports team is resulted from the cooperation of the players, so the honor is given to all team members rather than just the one who scored. Shareholding, therefore, seems to be a better way of distributing wealth than minimum wages.

How we see ourselves decides how we organize our political, economic, social and cultural lives. Jean-Jacques Rousseau said, "Man is born free, yet everywhere he is in chains." We created our own chains. We must also be unchained by ourselves. Unfortunately, our civilization has not yet evolved to that stage, I am afraid, as attested again by the recent reports on tortures, etc. To be a free people, we must first understand what that means. There is still a long way before we truly gain freedom - one that is stated in our Constitution. I can only hope that tango will help to gear up that process (see Tango and Equality).