We all dream of living in a just and fair society, within which we can all flourish and achieve fulfillment. When our forefathers drafted the Constitution of Malta, their aim was to construct a framework of laws and principles within which Maltese citizens could pursue their own values and ends without compromising the ability of other citizens to do the same.

To reinforce this framework of supreme laws and principles, successive Maltese legislatures enacted a multitude of laws to empower what is right, in the context of the changing reality faced by our evolving nation.

Therefore, as a democratic liberal society, this country has not hesitated to legislate for the rights of individuals, reinforcing the tenet that the “right” has to be established prior to the “good” and independent of it.

Next Saturday’s referendum vote goes beyond the question whether we want to legislate for the introduction of divorce or not.

We are being asked to vote for or against a political vision: a political philosophy.

We are being asked whether we are ready to sacrifice individual rights for the famous (or maybe infamous!) common good.

We are being asked to decide whether citizens in this country “should be allowed to pursue their values and ends consistent with a similar liberty for others”, using Sandel’ s very relevant words.

Saturday’s vote will determine whether we seek to mould our society such that a person is respected enough so as to be deemed capable of choosing and shouldering responsibility for the consequences resulting from that choice, or whether we want ourselves and ours to be treated as objects, rather than subjects, as means rather than ends, as numbers rather than individuals worthy of a good life.