Many things come to mind when people hear the word “politics.” Maybe things like heated debates and yelling matches. Maybe things like protests and demonstrations. Maybe things like corruption, manipulation, underhanded dealings, conniving, and power struggles. Words like “honor” or “virtue” probably are much lower on the list of concepts people associate with politics. And that is a shame in the deepest possible sense of the word. It is shameful that politics has degenerated to this level. And things must change if America will ever experience civic and cultural renewal.
The Problem of Petty Politics
There are few Americans who would disagree that our politics have become inanely petty. Pettiness is fundamentally a problem of a small heart, of people who have prioritized means over ends, power over virtue, style over substance, the lesser over the greater. But politics in the classical outlook was a noble endeavor. It was not merely a place for childish squabbling, but a place for men to sacrifice their own interests for the sake of the common good. It was a noble thing. It was an honorable thing.
As easy as it is for Solidarians to focus on common values and common-sense solutions to America’s problems, it is also necessary to strive to restore honor to the name of politics. It is not enough to only focus on restoring government to the common good. If Solidarians remain solely on the level of policy, the cause is sure to fail. Without noble character in the men and women who are running for office, the best policies in the world will be useless. Far from being a footnote to the Solidarian Option, the cultivation of virtuous character is one of the key requirements for success.
The Qualities of a Noble Character
Diligence in small things usually translates into diligence in great things. If a candidate for public office is going to be able to handle public affairs well, then he must be competent to manage his own family life well. If he is going to manage his family life well, then his own life must be in order. And if his own life is going to be in order, then he must first cultivate his own character. But if he is going to cultivate his character, the person who aspires to hold public office must first know what are the virtues which he must cultivate. Although there are many virtues that come to play in honorable politics, there are a few that are most outstanding:
A noble person honors his parents. The first form of human authority any person comes in contact with is his own parents. If a man does not know how to honor and respect his own parents, how can he hope to inspire honor and respect for himself in others? A person cannot be in a position of authority who does not first know how to respect authority himself.
A noble person is sincere. Honesty and sincerity are two of the most lacking virtues in present-day politicians, but they are two of the most needed. Honesty and sincerity are simply the love of truth, and the love of truth is a prerequisite to being able to handle the world in a realistic way.
Coupled with sincerity is sobriety. This virtue goes beyond simply avoiding drunkenness; it also means avoiding frivolity. A true politician will avoid being frivolous and superficial, and will instead conduct himself with the dignity proper to his position so that he can think clearly.
Likewise, an honorable politician has a sense of shame. Whereas most politicians nowadays seem to have no sense of shame, a well-developed conscience is a sine qua non of a truly just leader. Only someone who has an accurate knowledge of what is truly good and truly bad can establish justice in the nation. Someone who has no sense of right and wrong will have no sense of shame, and thus will devolve into a mere people-pleaser.
An honorable politician acts with forethought. He is not impulsive, nor does he jump to conclusions, but rather loves learning and will gladly take advice from those more experienced than he is.
An honorable politician has high aspirations, rather than high ambitions. Ambition is for the person who is only interested in his own prestige, fame, and glory. Aspirations are for the person who truly wants to serve his country selflessly and work for the common good. Being satisfied with mediocrity is not a virtue.
Last, but certainly not least, a politician of noble character is courteous. A person who is disrespectful and arrogant in his personal life can hardly be expected to be selfless and magnanimous in public life. A public servant who treats others with courtesy, a person who knows the value of etiquette, is a public servant worth following.
These are just a few of the many virtues the public official must have. Many more could be listed, but these few give a taste of what a truly honorable statesman values.
The Cultivation of a Noble Character
Cultivating a noble character means that the above virtues remain more than mere values to be admired or good ideas to be praised. Cultivating a noble character means putting these traits into practice. While there are an infinite number of ways that virtues can be put into practice, there are several general ways that are applicable to most people regardless of their situation:
Putting family first, rather than career or hobbies.
Honoring and associating with other people of talent and virtue, to learn from them and to promote them.
Showing respect and courtesy to all people, especially to people who hold public office.
Showing kindness and considerateness to all people.
Becoming a patron of the arts and of useful knowledge.
Showing hospitality to visitors.
Being generous to worthy causes.
These are all situations and ways in which an aspiring public servant can put into practice and cultivate the virtues necessary to being a leader in the civil sphere.
What Being Honorable Does Not Mean
Perhaps it is also necessary to clarify what being honorable does not mean. Many people have a watered-down view of virtue and honor, and equate these ideas with either some sort of arrogant elitism or innocent naïveté. However, neither of these qualities is virtuous nor is it noble. Being a noble and honorable person does not mean being naïve or ignorant of the evils of the world, or thoughtless and anti-strategic when it comes to dealing with them. Nor does it mean being an arrogant elitist who thinks too highly of oneself. Nor, for that matter, does it mean being a weak push-over who simply wants to be a “nice guy.” Far from being noble and virtuous qualities, all these traits are flaws and vices that an honorable person will seek to avoid.
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As Solidarians move forward with promoting their values, ideas, and common-sense policy solutions, we must never forget that developing compelling solutions to political problems also requires the cultivation of honorable characters. It must be our mission to restore honor to the name of politics, and once more make it a noble thing to be involved in the government. To reclaim honor for politics will require the intentional cultivation and striving for virtue of everyone who bears the name of Solidarian. It is not an easy task, but it is most assuredly a good one.