1. Introduction
· How can people view the world so differently with no understanding of the other side? Because each side usually has a fundamentally different view of human nature. And then layers of presuppositions are built on top of that foundation.
· Thomas Sowell wrote A Conflict of Visions. He lays out the two general camps of political philosophers. Gravitating towards left or right but still as a spectrum. The first group holds to a constrained view of human nature (right) and the other, unconstrained (left).
2. Constrained/Conservatism
· Constrained proponents hold to the idea that humans are bound by a fixed nature that has a strong influence on how they act. For example because of either a sinful nature or an evolutionary adaptation, humans are more inclined to not act out of virtue but self-interest. The unconstrained by extension is just the opposite of all this.
· If we do have a constrained nature, then it would limit the types of societies and political institutions we can create. Thinking utopia cannot ever really be achieved. Immanuel Kant “Out of the crooked timber of humanity no straight thing was ever made.” And therefore governmental power should be limited less power corrupt the humans in charge. Milton Friedman “Just tell me where in the world you find these angels who are going to organize society for us?”
· So while George Washington was right when he said “government is a necessary evil”, it should be balanced with the idea of human liberty and freedom because as Thomas Hobbes said “a plain husband-man is more prudent in the affairs of his house, than a privy counselor in the affairs of other men.”
· This is why capitalism is preferred on this view, it seeks the self-interest of humans in a free market. It forces people to keep costs low and quality high to earn a living in a competitive market.
· Views religion as an essential pillar for society as it tries to tame the self-centeredness of man
· This view acknowledges it’s flaws and lack of perfection and seeks trade-offs rather than complete solutions. It is about creating a functioning society rather than directing to an idealistic utopia.
3. Unconstrained/Liberalism
· This view grants we have this human nature but believes we can modify/evolve/transcend this imperfection. More emphasis on environments shaping us into what we are, more blank slatism. Meaning they believe in order to change humans and make them better, one must change the society around them first. Captured by Jean-Jacques Rousseau “Man is born free and everywhere he is in chains.”
· Wisdom of the past is crucial for the future. For deciding what has worked and what hasn’t. it is the unconstrained camp that thinks these are antiquated and outdated and worth abandoning. This is why you see a common rejection of religion as it is viewed as holding the world back.
· New approaches are constantly sought after to try and achieve an idealistic world.
· Knowledge on how to change is sought after from those who haven’t been corrupted as much (kids). K. M. Baker “A young man leaving school possesses more real knowledge than the greatest geniuses-not of antiquity, but even of the 17th century-could have acquired after long study.”
· The left focuses more on goals for society while the right focuses on improving current functionality.
4. Philosophers Should be in Charge
Plato's Republic makes the case that they should be in charge because when they see a beautiful woman they obsess over the idea of beauty, and in the same way they obsess over beauty they obsess over things like the nature of justice. But everyone else looks at them like they have their in the clouds and are good for nothing and useless in every day things.
He tells a story of a big strong sea captain who is blind and can't steer the ship. And everyone on board is rallying for themselves to be the captain. The person who succeeds in attaining power is viewed as the most capable. But all they've demonstrated is their power to persuade. The person who should actually be steering the ship is the one who is trained in sea faring. The ones who have learned to look at all the necessary things like seasons and the sky, the stars and winds, all that pertains to the craft. But the person actually doing that won't be trying to attain the power for themselves because they'll be too busy obsessing over their craft.
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