[lit-ideas] Re: Why us?

  • From: "Phil Enns" <phil.enns@xxxxxxxxxxx>
  • To: <lit-ideas@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>
  • Date: Wed, 13 Jul 2005 01:35:48 -0400

Marlena wrote:

"I'm not sure that I understand the "non-translatable fundamental
commitments"."


The original post gave two examples of 'faiths', religious and economic.
As faiths, they would include particular commitments that stand as a
core around which other commitments are oriented.  This core of
fundamental commitments might include the belief that God loves us or
that a free market system inevitably leads to a free and prosperous
society.  The problem for a democratic society is that following through
on these different commitments cannot be done, in the long run, through
identical means.  A good example is the upcoming appointment to SCOTUS.
Religious/moral conservatives want someone who passes an
abortion/homosexuality litmus test.  Economic conservatives want someone
who passes a lawsuit/regulatory test.  These, however, are two very
different, and in fact contradictory, kinds of criteria.
Religious/moral conservatives want less judicial interference and more
power to local authorities.  Economic conservatives want more federal
involvement to limit what local authorities can do.  However, these are
not merely in conflict but do not have any means of resolving their
differences.  For example, there is no way of translating the concerns
religious/moral conservatives have over abortion into economic terms
just as there is no way of translating limits on lawsuits into
religious/moral terms.  Economic conservatives want someone like
O'Connor who was seen as pro-business while religious/moral
conservatives certainly do not.  This difference can't be resolved in
economic or religious/moral terms since what matters for each side has
no comparable concern in the other's language.  The role of the
political is to provide a venue within which people who are pursuing
incompatible, or non-translatable, goals can work together and avoid
violence.


Sincerely,

Phil Enns
Toronto, ON


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