HEDGEHOG’S DILEMMA WITH LIBERALISM
Modern political philosophy,
in discussing the boundaries of the relationship between the individual and
society, generally seeks a balance between two extreme approaches: liberalism,
which is based on individual freedom, and realism, which prioritizes
security and order. At the core of liberalism lies the belief that individuals,
through their free will, can shape social life (Yorulmaz, 2020). However, this
freedom is contingent upon not harming the rights of others. Liberal thought
defends the free market in the economic sphere, pluralism and universal
citizenship rights in the political sphere, and the protection of individuals
from arbitrary restrictions by the state. Liberal theories also emphasize that,
at the level of international relations, security and prosperity can be
achieved through cooperation, institutionalization, and interdependence. Shaped
by the contributions of thinkers such as John Locke, Adam Smith, and John
Stuart Mill, the liberal paradigm asserts that the duty of the state is not
to regulate freedoms but to protect them.
In
international relations theory, liberalism maintains that growing
interdependence among states promotes peace and cooperation. Yet, as in
individual relationships, this situation also entails the risks of excessive
closeness or excessive distance. Therefore, liberalism can be defined by its
pursuit of “mutual boundaries” and “harmonious distance” (IEA,
2020). The German philosopher Arthur Schopenhauer’s metaphor of the “hedgehog’s
dilemma” offers a fruitful theoretical ground to explain how the liberal
notions of “mutual boundaries” and “harmonious distance” manifest in human
relations.
The
hedgehog’s dilemma is a metaphor Schopenhauer used in his 1851 three-volume
work “Parerga and Paralipomena: Short Philosophical Essays” to describe
the problem of distance in human relationships. On a cold winter’s day,
hedgehogs come closer to one another to keep warm; however, their quills cause
pain when they touch, and when they move apart, they grow cold again (Yılmaz,2021).
This metaphor symbolizes the fine line between closeness and boundaries in
human relations. Sigmund Freud later adapted this metaphor into social
psychology to describe individuals’ efforts to balance their “need for
intimacy” with their “personal space.” Today, the hedgehog’s dilemma is used to
explain tensions within organizations at the boundary between friendship and
professionalism (Biçer, 2020). In ethnomusicology, the “hedgehog–fox”
metaphor has been employed in the context of Edward Said’s intellectual
identity to illustrate themes of belonging and distance (Özdemir, 2021).
The
fundamental connection between the hedgehog’s dilemma and liberalism lies in
the tension between freedom and order, the individual and society,
closeness and harm. Liberal thought asserts that individuals can live
within society while preserving their own quills—that is, their personal
boundaries. In this sense, a liberal society must maintain a balance that is
“close enough to stay warm, yet far enough not to cause pain.” While the
realist paradigm’s pursuit of security and power tends to distance individuals
(and states) from one another, liberalism—through interdependence and
institutions—creates a realm of “moderate closeness” (Yorulmaz, 2020). Within
the framework of the hedgehog’s dilemma, it is emphasized that liberal
individuals, like hedgehogs, must establish a harmonious sphere of interaction
without drawing excessively rigid boundaries (IEA, 2020).
The hedgehog’s
dilemma can be analyzed through liberalism at three levels: the organizational,
the cultural, and the international. Organizational Level:
In workplaces, close friendships can enhance knowledge sharing, yet violations
of professional boundaries can undermine perceptions of fairness. This reflects
the liberal tension between “individual autonomy” and “institutional order”
(Biçer, 2020). The solution lies in transparent evaluation systems and ethical
conduct codes within organizations. Cultural Level: In intellectual
circles or artistic communities, excessive in-group closeness can constrain
creativity. As seen in Edward Said’s example, the “displaced” individual’s
simultaneous effort to belong and to maintain distance embodies this dilemma
(Özdemir, 2021). International Level: In the realist paradigm, states’
security concerns push them apart, while liberal models of cooperation (such as
multilateral regimes in the Arctic region) seek a balanced resolution to the
hedgehog’s dilemma (Yorulmaz, 2020). At all three levels, the solution lies in
institutional trust and mutual awareness of boundaries. The fundamental
mechanism liberalism proposes is mutual tolerance, rule of law, and dialogue
between individuals and institutions.
Ultimately, the hedgehog’s dilemma reflects the
liberal struggle of our age: defending individual freedom without losing
collective trust. This reminds us that freedom and belonging are two
inseparable companions of human life. The enduring promise of liberalism is not
to eliminate the tension between these two elements, but to transform it into
harmony. The warmth of community and the sting of individuality will always
coexist. Therefore, the true measure of liberal success lies in the ability to
stay warm without causing harm. In other words, the success of liberalism
depends on our capacity to stay close enough to care, yet distant enough to
respect.
KARDELEN PAŞALI
BÖLGESEL ANALİZ TOPLULUĞU
SİYASET BİLİMİ VE ULUSLARARASI İLİŞKİLER
MUĞLA SITKI KOÇMAN ÜNİVERSİTESİ
Resources:
https://dergipark.org.tr/tr/pub/hititsosbil/issue/55383/741565?utm_
https://dergipark.org.tr/tr/pub/etnomuzikoloji/issue/61985/928476?utm_
https://dergipark.org.tr/en/download/article-file/1366458?utm_
https://dergipark.org.tr/tr/pub/opus/issue/57895/773799
https://iea.org.uk/of-socialist-hedgehogs-and-liberal-foxes/
https://www.millidevletgazetesi.net/KoseYazisi/turk-devletleri-teskilati-ve-kirpi-ikilemi-4547
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