We can’t just push forward as though a thin notion of "freedom" and "rights" bolstered by economic prosperity is enough to constitute concord among a people. It becomes more and more clear that a shared understanding of the good human life will need to be thicker than classical liberalism has suggested. This body cannot endure, much less thrive, in the absence of a greater convergence of worldview and life practice. One side winning an election and holding certain levers of power-as significant as that might be-is in itself far from addressing the critical wound in the body politic. It is interesting to think in terms of such "friendship," which is widespread in a healthy political society. Concord, which means a certain unity of judgment and choices about important matters, is in fact a kind of friendship. It seems we all must reckon with the real possibility of the disintegration of our polis into progressively more systemic chaos.īut at the same time, there is always a path of integrity that opens before me–a path that will make a real difference.Īccording to Aristotle, "concord" among citizens is a great good, indeed, it is the key to the health of political society. At what point do differences and fault lines run too deep to be integrated into one people, one nation? I do not know the answer to this question.
One way or the other, this election has put a fine point on the declining state of our body politic. The result is that they are in a state of faction, putting compulsion on each other but unwilling themselves to do what is just.” -Aristotle, Nicomachean EthicsĪs of this writing, the highly contested presidential election is still undecided. “…but we do say that a city has concord when men have the same opinion about what is to their interest, and choose the same actions, and do what they have resolved in common.…for if people do not watch it carefully the common good is soon destroyed.
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