Note: This was first published in the Stillwater Lokal Life newspaper, issue 6, page 4, on Sept 27
I know you’re tired of seeing political ads and commercials. I understand it’s a touchy subject. But it’s also a deeply fascinating topic once you step out of the stream of current politics and give yourself space to think. And so before you head off to cast your ballot for the presidential election this November, I’d like to leave this thought/question with you:
What is a politician’s purpose? What are they really supposed to do?1
Is it to fix the economy? Secure the border? Balance a budget? Restore peace and prosperity? Give kickbacks to their donors? Appease their base? Solve the environmental crisis? Something else?
A middle-of-the-road option might be to say the politician’s purpose is to enact and execute laws for the needs of the state.
This sounds passable, but it doesn’t get us much closer. For the next question is, if a politician serves the the state, what then is the purpose of the state? What principles of justice, truth, or freedom do they appeal to when justifying their laws? Do those words mean anything or are they just high-sounding campaign slogans? How much control should the politician have over the lives of the citizens?
We’re dealing with questions that most people won’t touch with a ten-foot pole. But this exercise matters. Once we can begin to understand what the politician’s purpose is, it will become clearer what makes a good or bad one. Then we can see which of the candidates, if any, meet that standard.
One source of wisdom is the man who wrote the book on the subject. In Book I of his Politics, Aristotle gives us a clue.
“It is clearly better that property should be private, but the use of it common; and the special business of the legislator is to create in men this benevolent disposition.”2
Now there’s an interesting definition! The purpose of a politician, according to Aristotle, is not to serve donors, solve economic problems, or promote party policy. For him, the special role of a legislator or politician is to use law to make the people better—to guide society toward a state where individuals are more just, benevolent, and excellent. In such a state, even private property could be shared without worry or fear (like when you’re not afraid to loan a hammer to your friend) and without the suspicion or litigiousness that can divide communities.
This is different from fixing all our problems or making us richer. Indeed, the state that looks to politicians to “save” it is already in bad shape. Lesser politicians deal in short-term “duct tape” fixes that may alleviate the symptoms without getting at ailment.
Aristotle’s idea of a true politician is the man who uses law not just to patch problems temporarily but to work with the best parts of our nature to make people better in mind, body, and character and less prone to civil problems. You could say the ideal politician should work himself out of a job.
One might say, “You cannot legislate morality!” It’s true, we shouldn’t need to legislate everything, but show me a law or policy that doesn’t have an idea of good or evil behind it. I’ll bet you can’t.
This is a key point for thinkers like Plato and Aristotle. They, and many other smart cookies down the ages, understood that happiness is bound to character. While happiness isn’t entirely caused by your character, it’s certainly limited by it.3
Just like a dull knife or a pen that won’t write, a politician who fails their purpose—who obstructs good laws or promotes policies that encourage laziness, greed, or apathy—is a bad politician and should be avoided at all costs.
The point of government is for citizens to live the good life. In order for citizens to live the good life, they must be good. So a true politician serves the highest ends of government by working to better the people. And not merely monetarily better, but morally better.
Aristotle isn’t alone on this. In the Declaration of Independence, Jefferson defines a bad government as one that uses the law to, among other things, make it harder to pursue happiness. A good government, “organizing its powers in such form, as to them shall seem most likely to effect their safety and happiness.” And for Jefferson, happiness is tied to character.
So, with this walk down Aristotle-alley, does this election race look any different to you? Who will you choose?
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Hat tip to Karl Schudt for reading this passage of the Politics to me through his wonderful podcast. ↩︎
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Aristotle, Politics, Book 1 ↩︎
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This statement I’m pretty sure is true, say 90%, based on an understanding of what happiness that draws on Solon (as communicated through Herodotus), Aristotle, and Mortimer Adler. These men use the term often to indicate not only contemplation, or activity of the mind in accordance with virtue, but a wider sense of having human goods that supplement our happiness. However I believe the role of character/activity of the mind and life is the limiting factor. Even in an otherwise bountiful environment, with a bad character, one cannot truly be happy (think Commodus). Similarly, in cases where all external supports are removed, one’s happiness might be down the toilet (think Job or Viktor Frankl) but their joy, peace, contentment hold fast thanks to the high quality of their content. The reason I don’t go all the way to say that one’s happiness is 100% tied to one’s character, is that is what the Stoics say and I think they’re mistaken. If my character is 100% within my control and happiness is 100% based on character, then my happiness–all of my happiness– derives from my character. And from what I’ve heard from Aristotle, Solon, and personal experience, I don’t think a human life can achieve it’s fullest happiness entirely on it’s own. We are too connected and dependent upon each other for our roles, i.e. we need each other, more than just social animals, but in a spiritual sense, and I think the Stoic’s complete self-reliance is, ultimately, less true than Aristotle. I originally started out as a believing Stoic, but over time, while I value many of their ideas and practices, I came to believe in the teachings of Plato, Aristotle, and the Bible more. ↩︎