Aretéans believe that a person’s agency is to be respected. We uphold that all conscious humans have the right to be the unequivocal owners of their own lives and bodies.
Consent is an official doctrine of The Assemblage of Areté. Consent means clear and willing agreement, produced with adequate information sharing, and in the absence of any coercion. To say “yes” is a truly empowering act, affirming one’s willingness to participate. By enthusiastically and clearly saying yes to the things that we want to participate in, we create clarity about our intentions, leading to stronger cooperation, and more successful outcomes. On the other hand, the right to say “no” is also crucial to maintaining a healthy consent culture. Saying “no” protects people against unwanted harmful situations and serves as a strong declaration of one’s boundaries; reinforcing the important idea that we have power over our own actions and choices, and that we are not obligated to comply with requests that we do not agree with.
Consent is a foundational principle which should be involved in all of our interactions and decisions, affecting every facet of our lives, including: personal relationships, professional conduct, healthcare decisions, reproductive choices, sexual orientation, and gender expression. Generally speaking, if a person is living a particular life, it should be because that person has chosen that life for themselves. This broad approach to the concept of consent aims to create a safer world, protecting human choice and bodily autonomy.
Consent is Voluntary
Consent can only be obtained in a manner that is free from coercion. When someone uses tools of coercion such as aggressive demands, threats, intimidation, or force; consent cannot be obtained. Any “agreement” made under these conditions is null and void because the decision was coerced rather than voluntary. People must be allowed to freely choose how to live their lives without any form of undue pressure or fear; this freedom is a cornerstone of true consent. The Assemblage of Areté aims to build communities with true consent, ensuring that all agreements and decisions are made with full autonomy, respecting the dignity and rights of everyone involved.
Consent is Informed
When we say “yes” to something, it is important that we truly understand what we are agreeing to. Consent is not just about saying yes or no; it's about knowing what our decisions actually mean. When we have the relevant information, only then can we make choices that are right for us. Unfortunately some people and organizations try to mislead people with misinformation or by lying through omission in order to get someone to agree to something. Any “agreement” obtained this way might create an illusion of consent, but can never produce genuine consent. Consent only exists between honest parties, who actively share relevant information. We aim to institutionalize this kind of information sharing within our organization and throughout the world.
BODILY AUTONOMY
We believe that the principle of consent includes the right to bodily autonomy for all conscious human beings. What we do with our bodies should always be our own choice, done with complete consent. Consequently, The Assemblage of Areté explicitly supports the right for pregnant people to pursue abortions in all cases. Because the right to bodily autonomy is a religious belief for Aretéans, practices related to bodily autonomy are therefore protected religious freedoms for Aretéans, and The Assemblage of Areté will stand in defense for any Aretéan whose bodily autonomy rights are threatened.