{"id":2085,"date":"2018-05-23T16:18:33","date_gmt":"2018-05-23T16:18:33","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/aurelis.org\/blog\/?p=2085"},"modified":"2025-02-02T12:24:53","modified_gmt":"2025-02-02T12:24:53","slug":"politics-left-right-up-down","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/aurelis.org\/blog\/sociocultural-issues\/politics-left-right-up-down","title":{"rendered":"Politics: Left, Right, Up, Down"},"content":{"rendered":"<h3>We see a lot of confusion in present-day politics. This may indicate the need for a fundamental shift in direction, not of some party or system but of the very idea of politics itself.<\/h3>\n<blockquote><p><strong>What is left and right in politics, tends to change a lot<\/strong><\/p><\/blockquote>\n<p>especially over a number of decennia.<\/p>\n<p>At present, one can see in it a dichotomy between \u2018progressive\u2019 versus \u2018conservative\u2019. In a more abstract view however, in different eras and countries, \u2018conservative\u2019 may be either very left in a communist regime or very right in a fascist regime. Not to speak of a fascistically communist regime. Taking a very broad view, left\/right has little to do with the degree of progressiveness.<\/p>\n<blockquote><p><strong>Following the money?<\/strong><\/p><\/blockquote>\n<p>Perhaps most of all in the US, left and right are apparently <em>both<\/em> where the money is. Or is it vice versa?<\/p>\n<blockquote><p><strong>Two ways to manage one\u2019s own empathy<\/strong><\/p><\/blockquote>\n<p>This is yet another way of looking at left\/right:<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>Right is more an orientation of empathy to one\u2019s own mental subgroup.<\/li>\n<li>Left brings a broader orientation: inclusive, universal human rights oriented\u2026<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>This, provided that one looks at people in both groups with the same dose of empathy. How to <em>truly<\/em> measure this remains a mystery, yet it\u2019s a workable idea.<\/p>\n<p>Well then\u2026 identity politics, being a \u2018leftist phenomenon\u2019, already makes this division problematic since it should be precisely a very rightist phenomenon as to empathic orientation. Moreover, again in different eras and countries, empathic orientation has shifted a lot between left and right.<\/p>\n<p>Still on the lookout for what left and right are really about\u2026<\/p>\n<blockquote><p><strong>Some see the division mainly in morality<\/strong><\/p><\/blockquote>\n<p>At present, Jonathan Haidt is specifically notorious in this regard. He sees \u2018the left\u2019 as mainly focused on human-to-human caring, while \u2018the right\u2019 is focused on more ethical dimensions than this, including authority, loyalty, respect.<\/p>\n<p>Well then\u2026 are these additional moral incentives from the right of any importance to anyone, eventually, apart from being instrumental towards human-to-human caring? According to me, they are not. They\u2019re intermediates.<\/p>\n<p>Unless: they <em>can<\/em> be self-important if one doesn\u2019t think \/ feel \/ perceive through them. This is: being stuck in a superficial layer.<\/p>\n<p>Thus, we come to a fundamentally other \u2018politics\u2019 which, according to me, is truly important:<\/p>\n<blockquote><p><strong>The \u2018politics\u2019 of superficiality versus totality<\/strong><\/p><\/blockquote>\n<p>As in this blog\u2019s title: \u2018up versus down\u2019 translates itself to \u2018superficial versus deep\u2019, where actually \u2018deep\u2019 is better seen as \u2018total\u2019, <em>including<\/em> \u2018superficial\u2019.<\/p>\n<p>(Not vice versa.)<\/p>\n<p>I agree: to make this division \u2018operational\u2019 in politics is no easy job. Yet I\u2019m convinced that the future will see it happen. Moreover, a lot can be done already now. Needed are daring people.<\/p>\n<blockquote><p><strong>In other terminology, this is about conceptual versus subconceptual.<\/strong><\/p><\/blockquote>\n<p>[see: \u2018<a href=\"https:\/\/aurelis.org\/blog?p=1424\">About Concepts<\/a>\u2019, \u2018<a href=\"https:\/\/aurelis.org\/blog?p=1420\">About \u2018Subconceptual\u2019<\/a>]<\/p>\n<p>The difference lies mainly in the degree to which one wants to take into account the subconceptual. According to me, both ends of the spectrum \u2013 when seen as exclusive to the other end \u2013 are inhumane and unworkable. A synthesis is appropriate. Still, another way to put the relevant distinction more precisely:<\/p>\n<blockquote><p><strong>exclusive rationality versus rationality + poetry.<\/strong><\/p><\/blockquote>\n<p>Here, the AURELIS choice becomes clear: [see: \u2018<a href=\"https:\/\/aurelis.org\/blog?p=1309\">AURELIS USP: \u2018100% Rationality, 100% Depth\u2019<\/a>]. Moreover, I don\u2019t see \u2018exclusive rationality\u2019 as being rational. It is pseudo.<\/p>\n<p>Take both together and rationality will surge.<\/p>\n<blockquote><p><strong>Will AURELIS ever be a political force?<\/strong><\/p><\/blockquote>\n<p>One never knows\u2026 In any case, I just noted what it would stand for. And I do think that, with or without AURELIS, this is what politics will be about one day.<\/p>\n<p>So, will poetry change the world? Absolutely.<\/p>\n<p>It will itself BE THE CHANGE inasmuch as it stands for \u2018depth\u2019.<\/p>\n<div data-object_id=\"2085\" class=\"cbxwpbkmarkwrap cbxwpbkmarkwrap_no_cat cbxwpbkmarkwrap-post \"><a  data-redirect-url=\"https:\/\/aurelis.org\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2085\"  data-display-label=\"0\" data-show-count=\"0\" data-bookmark-label=\" \"  data-bookmarked-label=\" \"  data-loggedin=\"0\" data-type=\"post\" data-object_id=\"2085\" class=\"cbxwpbkmarktrig  cbxwpbkmarktrig-button-addto\" title=\"Bookmark This\" href=\"#\"><span class=\"cbxwpbkmarktrig-label\"  style=\"display:none;\" > <\/span><\/a> <div  data-type=\"post\" data-object_id=\"2085\" class=\"cbxwpbkmarkguestwrap\" id=\"cbxwpbkmarkguestwrap-2085\"><div class=\"cbxwpbkmarkguest-message\"><a href=\"#\" class=\"cbxwpbkmarkguesttrig_close\"><\/a><h3 class=\"cbxwpbookmark-title cbxwpbookmark-title-login\">Please login to bookmark<\/h3>\n\t\t<form name=\"loginform\" id=\"loginform\" action=\"https:\/\/aurelis.org\/blog\/wp-login.php\" method=\"post\">\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t<p class=\"login-username\">\n\t\t\t\t<label for=\"user_login\">Username or Email Address<\/label>\n\t\t\t\t<input type=\"text\" name=\"log\" id=\"user_login\" class=\"input\" value=\"\" size=\"20\" \/>\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p class=\"login-password\">\n\t\t\t\t<label for=\"user_pass\">Password<\/label>\n\t\t\t\t<input type=\"password\" name=\"pwd\" id=\"user_pass\" class=\"input\" value=\"\" size=\"20\" \/>\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t<p class=\"login-remember\"><label><input name=\"rememberme\" type=\"checkbox\" id=\"rememberme\" value=\"forever\" \/> Remember Me<\/label><\/p>\n\t\t\t<p class=\"login-submit\">\n\t\t\t\t<input type=\"submit\" name=\"wp-submit\" id=\"wp-submit\" class=\"button button-primary\" value=\"Log In\" \/>\n\t\t\t\t<input type=\"hidden\" name=\"redirect_to\" value=\"https:\/\/aurelis.org\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2085\" \/>\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t\n\t\t<\/form><\/div><\/div><\/div>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>We see a lot of confusion in present-day politics. This may indicate the need for a fundamental shift in direction, not of some party or system but of the very idea of politics itself. What is left and right in politics, tends to change a lot especially over a number of decennia. At present, one <a class=\"moretag\" href=\"https:\/\/aurelis.org\/blog\/sociocultural-issues\/politics-left-right-up-down\">Read the full article&#8230;<\/a><\/p>\n<div data-object_id=\"2085\" class=\"cbxwpbkmarkwrap cbxwpbkmarkwrap_no_cat cbxwpbkmarkwrap-post \"><a  data-redirect-url=\"https:\/\/aurelis.org\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2085\"  data-display-label=\"0\" data-show-count=\"0\" data-bookmark-label=\" \"  data-bookmarked-label=\" \"  data-loggedin=\"0\" data-type=\"post\" data-object_id=\"2085\" class=\"cbxwpbkmarktrig  cbxwpbkmarktrig-button-addto\" title=\"Bookmark This\" href=\"#\"><span class=\"cbxwpbkmarktrig-label\"  style=\"display:none;\" > <\/span><\/a> <div  data-type=\"post\" data-object_id=\"2085\" class=\"cbxwpbkmarkguestwrap\" id=\"cbxwpbkmarkguestwrap-2085\"><div class=\"cbxwpbkmarkguest-message\"><a href=\"#\" class=\"cbxwpbkmarkguesttrig_close\"><\/a><h3 class=\"cbxwpbookmark-title cbxwpbookmark-title-login\">Please login to bookmark<\/h3>\n\t\t<form name=\"loginform\" id=\"loginform\" action=\"https:\/\/aurelis.org\/blog\/wp-login.php\" method=\"post\">\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t<p class=\"login-username\">\n\t\t\t\t<label for=\"user_login\">Username or Email Address<\/label>\n\t\t\t\t<input type=\"text\" name=\"log\" id=\"user_login\" class=\"input\" value=\"\" size=\"20\" \/>\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p class=\"login-password\">\n\t\t\t\t<label for=\"user_pass\">Password<\/label>\n\t\t\t\t<input type=\"password\" name=\"pwd\" id=\"user_pass\" class=\"input\" value=\"\" size=\"20\" \/>\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t<p class=\"login-remember\"><label><input name=\"rememberme\" type=\"checkbox\" id=\"rememberme\" value=\"forever\" \/> Remember Me<\/label><\/p>\n\t\t\t<p class=\"login-submit\">\n\t\t\t\t<input type=\"submit\" name=\"wp-submit\" id=\"wp-submit\" class=\"button button-primary\" value=\"Log In\" \/>\n\t\t\t\t<input type=\"hidden\" name=\"redirect_to\" value=\"https:\/\/aurelis.org\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2085\" \/>\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t\n\t\t<\/form><\/div><\/div><\/div>","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":2088,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"spay_email":"","jetpack_publicize_message":""},"categories":[92,23],"tags":[],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/i2.wp.com\/aurelis.org\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/09\/309-1.jpg?fit=960%2C567&ssl=1","jetpack_publicize_connections":[],"jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"jetpack_shortlink":"https:\/\/wp.me\/p9Fdiq-xD","jetpack-related-posts":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/aurelis.org\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2085"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/aurelis.org\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/aurelis.org\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/aurelis.org\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/aurelis.org\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=2085"}],"version-history":[{"count":2,"href":"https:\/\/aurelis.org\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2085\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":2089,"href":"https:\/\/aurelis.org\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2085\/revisions\/2089"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/aurelis.org\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/2088"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/aurelis.org\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=2085"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/aurelis.org\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=2085"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/aurelis.org\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=2085"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}