In order to know what the proper point in politics entails we ought to look at the real definition of politics itself. According to the Merriam-Webster online-edition dictionary politics is: a: the art or science of government b: the art or science concerned with guiding or influencing governmental policy c: the art or science concerned with winning and holding control over a government (m-w.com/dictionary). There’s no doubt that this is, more or less, the generally accepted notion of what politics is. However, that concept does not fully tell us what the proper point in politics is all about, and in order to understand that, we should look back into some great philosophical minds. Political philosophers and theorists, Plato, John Locke and Hannah Arendt have developed their own ideas on how politics should be regarded and applied: Plato’s main ideas are based on justice, John Locke goes for equality and Hannah Arendt is a true defender of freedom. Even though these three proposals —justice, equality and freedom— seem attractive, based on former discussions and analyses I’m inclined to argue that justice and freedom alone might very well be the proper main points in politics.
When one refers to a proper form of government there are mainly two points that come to mind: Freedom —stated in the United Nation’s Universal Declaration of Human Rights first article as a vital human right “all human are born free and equal in dignity and rights” (un.org) as well as promoted by Hannah Arendt in her book Eichmann in Jerusalem, and the second one, justice [or the eradication of injustice], which is seen by Plato as an imperative requisite to achieve his kalipolis:
“Then it is an ideal pattern we were looking for when we tried to say what justice and injustice are in themselves, and to describe what the perfectly just or perfectly unjust man would be like if he ever existed. By turning our eyes to them and seeing what measure of happiness or its opposite they would enjoy, we would be forced to admit that the nearer we approximate to them the more nearly we share their lot” (472b-c).
Starting with Hannah Arendt’s freedom, we can say that this is one of the proper points in politics because it is a fundamental need in order to carry out human interaction; freedom is also a right that all human beings must possess. Since politics is also described as “social relations involving authority of power” (dict.die.net) this tells us that the acquisition of freedom is imperative to form ‘social relations’ —and thus a socio-political government— with others in a state or community; without it there would be no realpolitik. It is for this reason that freedom is a very important factor specially when discussing proper point in politics because it lets us take our own decisions, live and make our dreams a reality, it lets us associate, express and share with one another –—Canada might serve as a good illustration for this case–— Freedom gives a state [head and citizens] options and choices that both can utilize to improve the well-being of the community as a whole. As it has been previously discussed this well-being can only be achieved through freedom and not through equality; these two are not mutually exclusive since it has been shown that the advantages and rewards that freedom provides to a state and its citizens are much larger and beneficial than the advantages equality might be able to provide.
Similarly, considering Plato’s justice as the other part of the proper point in politics is highly significant because with it a state can form an organized, well-structured socio-political system under which both its citizens and the state itself are taken care of and be protected from crime, injustice and decadence. As a result, justice in politics becomes a communal interest –—interest in the good sense— that brings harmony, respect and security to the citizens, this also brings a sense of joint and mutual caring from one another. As for the government, justice brings it power and control over the citizens and the problems that may or could arise in a society, however, that is not to say that justice is a mean to obstruct freedom or any type of liberties that peoples have, but rather justice stands for and defends the well-being of the community as a whole under the direction of just, elected leaders.
In addition, it is a worth mentioning point to emphasize the relevance of the works and ideas of another great political philosopher, Aristotle, whose ideas on politics have been studied and regarded as incredibly influential throughout history. Aristotle believed politics starts with the state’s natural association who is always aiming at common good; he believed the state and its citizens are naturally intertwined “the state belongs to the class of objects which exist by nature, and that man is by nature a political animal” (The Politics, 1253a1). Aristotle relates all natural human interaction like the husband/wife and master/slave as an already natural political relationship. He stressed that the state-citizen relationship should be carried out fairly –—with justice, and with respect to the individual’s natural right —valuing freedom.
Both Plato and Hannah Arendt’s main ideas on politics have proven to be key factors in stable, organized and Free states around the world; these two premises have been politicians’ main flags when campaigning for political posts –—current South African presidential campaign comes to mind as well as Palestinians cry for their unfair social and political situation. While it may not be the case that both points are achieved in its entirety on part of all the leaders who proclaim it, it is undeniable that these two points are of immeasurable importance, as stated previously, for the well formation of a state and its preaching and acting of proper politics.
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