Reflections on the Political Spectrum

The political spectrum of Right versus Left that we know today seems to have begun with the various revolutions against absolute monarchies in Europe. Those on the "Right" supported the Monarch while those on the "Left" fought to replace the institution of Royal Families with something new, though what exactly that might be was often left vague and ill-defined. One thing was certain for the Left: political power had to be wrested from the hands of a ruling elite and distributed more equitably. Over the years, political reforms have continued to arise, pushing the boundaries of the "Left" further along, while what was once "Leftist" and "revolutionary" became enveloped by the "Right." Under this depiction of the political spectrum, the far right is often understood as being "Statist" - in favor of political involvement in everything which might concern the community. The monarch is no longer absolute, but the State is, and if the State were governed by a monarch, why then, the monarch ought to be absolute. On the other hand, the far left is often understood as "Anarchist" - in favor of the abolition of all forms of government because they are inherently unequal and those in power necessarily exercise tyranny over their fellow citizens. If this results in chaos, so be it. However, in somewhat of a defense of Anarchism, one might argue that chaos will not necessarily ensue, but rather a "natural," "harmonious," and truly "equitable" political organization will arise - a sort of Laissez-Politique.  Unfortunately for Anarchists, such a Laissez-Politique contains too many inherent problems to allow it to be a palatable political theory.

The Conservative Illuminare

Conservatism, like Liberalism (and probably like many -isms), can be understood in a variety of ways. One form of Conservatism is to simply maintain the status quo... regardless of what that might be. These kinds of Conservatives are often those who benefit directly in some way from the current system or those who, through some sort of misguided sense of loyalty, act against their own interests. For such, I have little regard. If it were up to people of this ilk, humanity would never have left the hunter-gatherer stage, and despite the idealization of that form of social organization by some anthropologists, such a life holds no appeal to me.

Another form of Conservatism is to maintain the status quo, or at least some elements of the status quo, not necessarily because one benefits directly from it nor because of a sense of loyalty to it, but because of the conviction that such elements as one wishes to preserve are the best available options in the interest of the community, and through the community to the self. Such Conservatives wish to recognize and preserve the good done by their forefathers and to improve upon their efforts - to do away with "evil" traditions. These Conservatives are, therefore, quite willing to engage in efforts at reform, but not simply for the sake of tearing down existing hierarchies. They must be convinced of the merits of any proposed reform and shown that such a reform improves, or is highly likely to improve, upon the existing system. I am such a Conservative, and it is to such an effort of engaging public policy that this site is primarily dedicated.