The recognition of our freedom when skiing implies the recognition of the freedom of other people on the slopes; that is to say, when we ski, we confront other freedoms. The problem arises when, at times, it becomes uncomfortable for us to recognize the intentions of others because they conflict with our own.
Freedom and survival are two natural rights, but this is precisely where the conflict occurs. We wish to ski by expanding our freedom as we move across the mountain, but we encounter a limit: the existence of others who desire, at the exact same time, the very same thing we do.
In a context of potential conflict—specifically in a congested zone of the trail with a real possibility of collision—others possess the same freedom and the same right to survival as we do. Therefore, an equality of freedoms results in a conflict of freedoms because, if everyone is free to act, our freedom collides with that of others.
Since we are rational beings, we possess a system that allows us to regulate both our own freedom and the freedoms of others. However, how can we ensure that someone, in the name of their own freedom, will not run us over? When should we yield our right of way to another skier—even if we have priority—in order to preserve our own safety?
It is abundantly clear that, in a problematic situation, we tend to view the other person as a brake on our freedom to move within a shared space. We have a propensity to prioritize our own freedom and our own survival; that is to say, by nature, we are selfish. This is why, for Thomas Hobbes, “Man is wolf to man,” because in an extreme situation, we tend to confront our fellow man by prioritizing our own survival. In certain situations, our worst enemies are our peers, and this way of behaving surfaces within us spontaneously.
It is interesting to note that when we purchase a lift ticket, we renounce a portion of our free will. The lift ticket serves as a ‘document,’ a ‘contract’ through which we know that the space we enter to deploy our freedom of movement is shared, and we must respect the rules applied there.
We also accept that someone or some superior entity will regulate our behavior, designated as the ‘authorities’ of the mountain—such as the ski patrol and safety personnel, and the Rules of Conduct of the International Ski Federation (FIS). To guarantee our own safety, we must grant these institutions and rules a higher status than our own individuality.
