The Enlightened Goal of Politics

Asking for the Impossible?

The goal of politics is intrinsically enlightened in our original conception: pursuit of the general good of society and the good of each member. We must never lose sight of that goal.

Politics will certainly require social institutions which are specifically oriented to such a goal in a realistic way. At present, nobody really grasps whether this can happen at all. Many think Western societies have attained the most that can be expected of human beings: such is the deluding power of conventional wisdom.

We must not ask our politicians to be other than they are—or perhaps feel forced to be. Rising to the challenge of governing society in our times, as much as in times past, apparently requires a readiness to be devious, lying, self-serving, manipulative, venal, and not over-bothered by either ignorance or scruples.

Such people will always exist in society. However, they only become politicians if the incentives flowing from cultural values select them as suitable for leadership positions. That is currently the case, but it could change. Rather easily. Sooner or later, it will.

Being Realistic

There is no reason why the members of a society could not choose to:

  • use a system oriented to selecting politicians who are likely to be trustworthy, rather than allowing self-selection;
  • recognize the deep burning desire of most people for untrammelled power and easy wealth;
  • become aware of group dynamics that lead individuals to abandon rationality and responsibility, and become driven by unconscious and unrealistic urges for dependence, safety, gratification, aggression &c. (See more here and here.)
  • actively manage the potential for the best arrangements to go wrong.

If the origin of politics is found in the lust of individuals for power, somewhat apart from serving the general good, then maturation in politics means reversing the balance: i.e. the end of politics will be about selecting individuals possessing a concern for the general good, somewhat apart from their likely lust for power.

The challenge to reach that enlightened goal lies with the people, individually and collectively—never with members of the current political classes, who naturally support the status quo.

No single individual can fight the whole social system. «Survival of the fittest» means «fitting oneself to the environment». So even a person of integrity in a position of power is vulnerable to corruption—given that it is a corrupt system and they wish to participate and achieve something.

The usual career trajectory is something like this:

Idealism at the Start

Some (perhaps many) aspiring politicians, particularly when young, are driven by a concern for others and the improvement of society.

Realism then Dawns

But, once in power, they find themselves in a vortex of pressures from colleagues, from organized groups, from previous political decisions, from opponents and, not least, from their own ambitions.

Pragmatism takes Over

Politicians rapidly recognize that getting anywhere requires trade-offs, accumulating credit via favours, settling accounts, compromising principles, taking advantage of weaknesses, doing what's easy, joining a faction, and more. They also see what others are doing and getting away with.

Reality becomes a Blur

The authority and power of government is so easy to use that it becomes useful to coerce for group or personal benefit, and to siphon off wealth for group or personal benefit. The line between pragmatism, incompetence and corruption slowly becomes blurred.

There are rare individuals who can withstand the temptations. But they do not get far.

Originally posted: July 2009; Last updated: 24-Feb-2014