Difference between revisions of "Political ideologies"
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* preference for <u>superior-inferior (usually hierarchical)</u> power relationships, as opposed to <u>peer-peer</u> (when applied to governance, this translates to <u>authoritarianism</u> ([[Wikipedia:Authoritarianism|Authoritarianism]]) versus <u>rule of the people</u>) | * preference for <u>superior-inferior (usually hierarchical)</u> power relationships, as opposed to <u>peer-peer</u> (when applied to governance, this translates to <u>authoritarianism</u> ([[Wikipedia:Authoritarianism|Authoritarianism]]) versus <u>rule of the people</u>) | ||
** perhaps this is a more-or-less logical corollary of "the toxicity of ideas" (see [http://www.davidbrin.com/questionnaire.html Brin questionnaire]): '''(a)''' "I think ideas are inherently dangerous or toxic. People are easily deceived. An elite should guide or protect gullible masses toward correct thinking (Memic Frailty)" versus '''(b)''' "I believe children can be raised with a mixture of openness and skepticism to evaluate concepts on their own merits. Citizens can pluck useful bits wherever they may be found, even from bad images or ideologies (Memic Maturity)". | ** perhaps this is a more-or-less logical corollary of "the toxicity of ideas" (see [http://www.davidbrin.com/questionnaire.html Brin questionnaire]): '''(a)''' "I think ideas are inherently dangerous or toxic. People are easily deceived. An elite should guide or protect gullible masses toward correct thinking (Memic Frailty)" versus '''(b)''' "I believe children can be raised with a mixture of openness and skepticism to evaluate concepts on their own merits. Citizens can pluck useful bits wherever they may be found, even from bad images or ideologies (Memic Maturity)". | ||
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* belief that the human condition <u>can be improved</u> (however slowly) vs. the idea of a <u>golden past</u> to which we can only aspire to one day return (usually by following the rules laid out in some ancient doctrine; this tends to go together with doctrinality) | * belief that the human condition <u>can be improved</u> (however slowly) vs. the idea of a <u>golden past</u> to which we can only aspire to one day return (usually by following the rules laid out in some ancient doctrine; this tends to go together with doctrinality) | ||
** This can also be stated in terms of '''the nature of the propagation of wisdom''' (see [http://www.davidbrin.com/questionnaire.html Brin questionnaire]): '''(a)''' "humans knew a natural idyllic condition at some point in the past, from which we fell because of bad, inappropriate or sinful choices, thus reducing our net wisdom. (The Look Back View)" versus '''(b)''' "Wisdom is cumulative and anything resembling a human utopia can only be achieved in the future, through incremental improvements in knowledge or merit. (The Look Forward View)". | ** This can also be stated in terms of '''the nature of the propagation of wisdom''' (see [http://www.davidbrin.com/questionnaire.html Brin questionnaire]): '''(a)''' "humans knew a natural idyllic condition at some point in the past, from which we fell because of bad, inappropriate or sinful choices, thus reducing our net wisdom. (The Look Back View)" versus '''(b)''' "Wisdom is cumulative and anything resembling a human utopia can only be achieved in the future, through incremental improvements in knowledge or merit. (The Look Forward View)". | ||
* value of <u>intuition</u> vs. <u>reasoning/analysis</u> in arriving at understanding | * value of <u>intuition</u> vs. <u>reasoning/analysis</u> in arriving at understanding | ||
* value of human understanding, regardless of how it is arrived at | * value of human understanding, regardless of how it is arrived at | ||
| + | * 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])) | ||
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: | ||
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* '''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) | ||
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| + | Examples from history: | ||
| + | * [[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:Adolf Hitler|Hitler]] was perhaps the most '''coercive''' figure in modern history, but relatively moderate concerning private property | ||