Post 3. November 4, 2017

Both Conservative and Liberal ?

The current state of politics around the world seems to be in the midst of a deconstructive postmodern reaction to the integrating forces epitomized by the Enlightenment and Scientific Modernism. For example, after the disintegration of the Holy Roman Empire, Europe was a region of many petty quarreling tribes, that eventually evolved into a few feuding kingdoms. Yet it finally coalesced into the economically & politically powerful European Union. Now, though, that market-driven democratic empire is beginning to come apart at the seams, as exemplified by the Brexit vote, and several other referendums on a reversion from unified Nationalism back to loosely-organized Tribalism. Even the United States has shown serious support for decentralizing the power of the federal government, and giving more independence to the individual states. Along with such national fragmentation along ancient tribal lines, we see a resurgence of hard-nosed Conservative politics as Liberalism has become viewed by as insipid and feckless.

This back & forth, tug-of-war, action/reaction pattern seems to conform to the Hegelian theory of history, envisioned as following a zig-zag path from a dominant Thesis (worldview), which then inspires its own Anti-thesis (contrary worldview), and thence to a temporary stable state of Syn-thesis (complementary worldview). Some of the most volatile opposing worldviews are Religious vs Secular; Conservative vs Liberal; Fascism vs Pluralism.  The latter dichotomy was exemplified during World War II by the savage ideological & military struggle between Germany and Russia. With Europe beginning to fragment along the lines of ancient fiefdoms, are we facing a return to a chaotic & bloody Game of Thrones, with high-tech armor?

You might say that Liberalism asks people to reason together (ideals), while Conservatism asks them to feel together (tribe, folk). For example, Liberal politics looks forward to a time when all parties share power via reciprocal cooperation. Yet, Conservative politics tends to look back to a time when one party or ethnic group was in power (centralized authority), and all was right with the world. Uncompromising Progressives, like the 20th century Communists, mandated the collective authority of a state or oligarchy. While far-right Fundamentalists, like the Fascists, ruled via the centralized authority  of a deity or dictator. Within each system order prevailed, but commerce between such incompatible systems typically resulted in discord.

In today’s polarized world we are again faced with increasingly contradictory choices. For instance, will we accept Pluralism, and deal with the chaotic consequences of the melting pot, or will we choose Fascism, and try to force humanity to remain in isolated tribes? The first will require patience & reason, while the latter may be forced to annihilate those who don’t fit-in to their perfect Utopia. Or will democratic societies be able to tread a middle path that avoids the nasty extremes of the eternal struggle for power over the threatening Other?

End of Blog Post 3

Philosophical musings on Quanta & Qualia;  Materialism & Spiritualism; Science & Religion; Pragmatism & Idealism, etc.