^I certainly agree that self-government is not a political science project. I believe that political action is necessary in order to work towards a society which will allow people to develop themselves as much as they can in the way they see fit (so long as they don’t interfere with the similar efforts of others).
I’ve spent many hours of my life trying to bring about political change in various ways, and I honor those who came before me and fought to make a better world.
But I also believe that there is a value in trying to think about political problems. Sometimes the right course of action is not clear. Sometimes there are competing goods, and it can be hard to make judgments about how to balance these. Sometimes there are matters of fact which have to be determined.
Moreover, it’s good to try to solve disputes not at the point of a sword or at the barrel of a gun, but through persuasion.
Thought and action should work together. There have been some very smart people of various political stances; why not take advantage of what they have written to help us think? I have benefited from reading political thinkers on the right and the left.
If you are serious about your politics, then you should take the time to read the best arguments in favor of your position. Then read the best arguments against your position and see if you can refute them. Make the opposing arguments as good as possible – and if you believe you can refute them, then perhaps you will be able to persuade others.
^I certainly agree that self-government is not a political science project. I believe that political action is necessary in order to work towards a society which will allow people to develop themselves as much as they can in the way they see fit (so long as they don’t interfere with the similar efforts of others).
I’ve spent many hours of my life trying to bring about political change in various ways, and I honor those who came before me and fought to make a better world.
But I also believe that there is a value in trying to think about political problems. Sometimes the right course of action is not clear. Sometimes there are competing goods, and it can be hard to make judgments about how to balance these. Sometimes there are matters of fact which have to be determined.
Moreover, it’s good to try to solve disputes not at the point of a sword or at the barrel of a gun, but through persuasion.
Thought and action should work together. There have been some very smart people of various political stances; why not take advantage of what they have written to help us think? I have benefited from reading political thinkers on the right and the left.
If you are serious about your politics, then you should take the time to read the best arguments in favor of your position. Then read the best arguments against your position and see if you can refute them. Make the opposing arguments as good as possible – and if you believe you can refute them, then perhaps you will be able to persuade others.