Difference between revisions of "Political ideologies"
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# [http://www.baen.com/chapters/axes.htm The Pournelle Political Axes] (1986) | # [http://www.baen.com/chapters/axes.htm The Pournelle Political Axes] (1986) | ||
==Brainstorming== | ==Brainstorming== | ||
| + | ===Main Dimensions=== | ||
[[Category:Brainstorming]]What other dimensions might be significant in measuring political ideology? | [[Category:Brainstorming]]What other dimensions might be significant in measuring political ideology? | ||
* importance of <u>studying doctrine</u> ("doctrinality" or "doctrinaire") vs. <u>observation and analysis</u> ([[wikipedia:Rationalism|Rationalism]]) (Pournelle box only charts reason vs. irrationality - is "belief in an incorruptible doctrine" a form of irrationality? If so, is it the ''only'' form?) | * importance of <u>studying doctrine</u> ("doctrinality" or "doctrinaire") vs. <u>observation and analysis</u> ([[wikipedia:Rationalism|Rationalism]]) (Pournelle box only charts reason vs. irrationality - is "belief in an incorruptible doctrine" a form of irrationality? If so, is it the ''only'' form?) | ||
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* importance of personal property (left thinks this is a highly suspect idea, perhaps evil; right sees it as innate and irrevocable, one of the fundamental rights of man (see [http://www.reformthelp.org/theory/positioning/models.php Brin])) | * importance of personal property (left thinks this is a highly suspect idea, perhaps evil; right sees it as innate and irrevocable, one of the fundamental rights of man (see [http://www.reformthelp.org/theory/positioning/models.php Brin])) | ||
* '''nature vs. nurture''': "What explains the observed differences among human beings in ability, temperament and achievement? Is it genes or the environment?" (see [http://www.reformthelp.org/theory/positioning/models.php Brin]) | * '''nature vs. nurture''': "What explains the observed differences among human beings in ability, temperament and achievement? Is it genes or the environment?" (see [http://www.reformthelp.org/theory/positioning/models.php Brin]) | ||
| − | + | ===Related Issues=== | |
Some issues which seem important but which may already be covered by the above: | Some issues which seem important but which may already be covered by the above: | ||
* <u>willingness to reopen discussion of ''existing'' solutions</u> (as opposed to just solving ''new'' problems), in different arenas (e.g. social, as in marriage laws; infrastructure, as in power generation - liberals don't want to reconsider nuclear as an option, for example, but conservatives aren't willing to consider that marriage might be redesigned either) – ''can this be expressed as a combination of any of the others? It seems a bit overspecific to be a fundamental dimension...'' | * <u>willingness to reopen discussion of ''existing'' solutions</u> (as opposed to just solving ''new'' problems), in different arenas (e.g. social, as in marriage laws; infrastructure, as in power generation - liberals don't want to reconsider nuclear as an option, for example, but conservatives aren't willing to consider that marriage might be redesigned either) – ''can this be expressed as a combination of any of the others? It seems a bit overspecific to be a fundamental dimension...'' | ||
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* '''governmental style''': "left-handed" (large projects explicitly coordinated and funded, e.g. pyramids, canals, wars, universities) versus "right-handed" (set up the rules and let individuals compete or cooperate out of enlightened self-interest, hopefully to the best benefit of society as a whole) (see [http://www.davidbrin.com/questionnaire.html Brin questionnaire]) | * '''governmental style''': "left-handed" (large projects explicitly coordinated and funded, e.g. pyramids, canals, wars, universities) versus "right-handed" (set up the rules and let individuals compete or cooperate out of enlightened self-interest, hopefully to the best benefit of society as a whole) (see [http://www.davidbrin.com/questionnaire.html Brin questionnaire]) | ||
* Is there any use in trying to persuade others of your point of view by using reasoned arguments and factual data, or is it better (perhaps more responsible, if you know your viewpoint is the correct one and those who disagree need to be shown the error of their ways) to use a strategy of demonizing those who defend contrary points of view, overwhelming the discussion with arguments which do not yield easily to rational response and are likely to make your opponent look bad in the short run (where the long run doesn't really count for much, in the political arena)? (One's stance on this issue may be a direct corollary of one's view on '''the toxicity of information'''.) | * Is there any use in trying to persuade others of your point of view by using reasoned arguments and factual data, or is it better (perhaps more responsible, if you know your viewpoint is the correct one and those who disagree need to be shown the error of their ways) to use a strategy of demonizing those who defend contrary points of view, overwhelming the discussion with arguments which do not yield easily to rational response and are likely to make your opponent look bad in the short run (where the long run doesn't really count for much, in the political arena)? (One's stance on this issue may be a direct corollary of one's view on '''the toxicity of information'''.) | ||
| − | + | ===Ideologies=== | |
Some sample uses of these axes: | Some sample uses of these axes: | ||
* '''Mysticism''': intuition important, observation unimportant ("Mysticism" can arguably be defined as the idea that intuition is always important and reasoning is always suspect; any better definitions out there?) | * '''Mysticism''': intuition important, observation unimportant ("Mysticism" can arguably be defined as the idea that intuition is always important and reasoning is always suspect; any better definitions out there?) | ||
* '''Nihilism''' could be defined as a very low value assigned to '''human understanding''' (further implying that neither intuition nor reason has much value either) | * '''Nihilism''' could be defined as a very low value assigned to '''human understanding''' (further implying that neither intuition nor reason has much value either) | ||
| − | + | ===Historical Examples=== | |
| − | Examples | ||
* [[wikipedia:Joseph Stalin|Stalin]] (usually called "far left") was against '''personal property''' (see [[wikipedia:Communism|Communism]], where most or all property is held in common), strongly pro-'''coercion''' by the state | * [[wikipedia:Joseph Stalin|Stalin]] (usually called "far left") was against '''personal property''' (see [[wikipedia:Communism|Communism]], where most or all property is held in common), strongly pro-'''coercion''' by the state | ||
* [[wikipedia:Ferdinand Marcos|Ferdinand Marcos]], the [[wikipedia:Anastasio Somoza|Somozas]] in Nicaragua, and [[wikipedia:Saddam Hussein|Saddam Hussein]] all believed in inherited private wealth (strong '''private property''') and were also strongly '''coercive''' | * [[wikipedia:Ferdinand Marcos|Ferdinand Marcos]], the [[wikipedia:Anastasio Somoza|Somozas]] in Nicaragua, and [[wikipedia:Saddam Hussein|Saddam Hussein]] all believed in inherited private wealth (strong '''private property''') and were also strongly '''coercive''' | ||
* [[wikipedia:Adolf Hitler|Hitler]] was perhaps the most '''coercive''' figure in modern history, but relatively moderate concerning private property | * [[wikipedia:Adolf Hitler|Hitler]] was perhaps the most '''coercive''' figure in modern history, but relatively moderate concerning private property | ||