There is general widespread recognition of the existence of national rights to self determination provides a welcome point of agreement The debate comes in the details of what this means mainly in extent and how it should be implemented International law need not mirror morality per se but rather use it as a concern for setting standards that contribute to the clarity required to form the foundations of international relations between states and applying those moral principles to the law This paper assumes that the world is as it is and is not making any assumptions into a utopian worldview of morality The values of national self government is the value of entrusting general political power over a group and its members This idea is of groups determining the character of their social and economic environment their fortunes course of development and the fortune of the 1 Isolating the issue members by their own actions 2 Groups It is not clear whether nations or peoples rather than tribes ethnic groups linguistic religious or geographical groups are the relevant groups to reference when characterizing what is important when defying a group I think that the most important aspect is a shared sense of collective culture and values amongst the group in a holistic sense of how things should operate Six characteristics relevant to the case for self determination that should be regarded together 1 The group has a common character and a common culture that encompasses many varied and important aspects of life a culture that defines or marks a variety of forms or styles of life types of activities occupations pursuits and relationships cid 127 Often manifested in national cuisines holidays languages music customs dress traditions etc None of these are necessary but are usually what manifests amongst a common culture 2 The correlative of the first feature is that people will grow up and amongst members of the group and acquire the group culture and will be marked by its character significantly Tastes and options of individuals will be affected the types of leisure activities one participates in the careers open to an individual the customs and habits that define and color relations with strangers and with friends patterns and expectations amongst family and lovers features of lifestyles etc People may migrate to other environments and thus shed their previous culture or assume characteristics of the new culture but often the culture one comes to age in defines them most and is the hardest to shed The group culture affects those who grow up amongst its members be they members or not An example would be the various sub cultures born in America such as the black culture that has values quite different from traditional american ideals despite being in the same nation 3 Membership in the group is in part a matter of mutual recognition Those who meet the conditions for being a part of a group but are rejected by it are at best marginal or problematic members of it 4 Another feature which goes with the third is the importance of membership for one s self identification In some countries membership is highly visible in others it is not The concern of this paper is for the former case where membership is highly visible Which would correlate to the third feature of mutual self recognition because in places where membership is highly visible it is much easier for general members of a group to accept or reject and individual prior to giving them a shot cid 127 Our perceptions of ourselves are often in large part measured by how we think others will perceive us 5 Membership is a matter of belonging not of achievement cid 127 One cannot choose to belong but rather belongs because of who one is cid 127 One can come to belong to a group but first must change who they are e g by adopting culture changing tastes and habits accordingly etc Identification is more secure if it does not depend on accomplishment 6 The groups concerned are not small face to face groups but are rather anonymous groups where mutual recognition is secured by possession of general cid 127 Given this importance of larger mutual recognition groups tend to adopt symbols fashions participation in group ceremonies special vocabulary group manners etc which quickly help identify who is in and who is not characteristics 3 The Value of Self Government The Value of Encompassing Groups the well being of the individual The key of the identified group features is not to provide operational legal definitions but rather to serve as explanation for the importance of these groups to A justified disappointment in our board identification is just in that it may be too broad i e social classes clearly should not have a right to self determination which ties into the fifth features of groups in that they are not a matter of achievement cid 127 Groups manifesting the above six features we are calling encompassing groups Individual well being depends on the successful pursuit of worthwhile goals and relationships which are culturally determined because we are social animals All social relations depend on the sharing of patterns of expectations on traditions preserving implicit knowledge of how to do what of tacit conventions regarding what is appropriate and what is not what is valuable and what is not Sharing a culture determines the boundaries of the imaginable and limits of the feasible cid 127 Our world is organized in large measure around groups and with pervasive cultures which means 1 That membership in such groups is of great importance to individual well being for it greatly affects one s opportunities one s ability to engage in the relationships and pursuits marked by culture 2 Prosperity of the culture is thus important to the well being of its members If the culture is decaying or if it is persecuted or discriminated against the options and opportunities open to its members will shrink become less attractive and their pursuit less likely to be successful cid 127 cid 127 cid 127 cid 127 cid 127 cid 127 cid 127 cid 127 cid 127 cid 127 cid 127 cid 127 cid 127 cid 127 cid 127 cid 127 cid 127 cid 127 cid 127 cid 127 cid 127 cid 127 cid 127 cid 127 I believe this is what is happening in America in that our previous culture has decayed amongst the new generation yet we have old laws and ways of mindsets that haven to adapted this new culture and thus the new culture is persecuted against causing many youth and individuals in society to not like our