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How to Argue About Politics - NYTimes.com

JANUARY18,2012,6:46PM

HowtoArgueAboutPolitics
ByGARYGUTTING

Asaphilosophyprofessor,Ispendmuchofmytimethinkingabouttheargumentsput forwardbyprofessionalphilosophers.Asacitizen(andanoccasionalcolumnistforThe Stone),IalsospendlotsoftimethinkingabouttheargumentsputforwardbyDemocrats andRepublicansoncurrentlydisputedpoliticalissues.Ofcourse,therearedifferencesin logicalsophisticationandcomplexitybetweenthephilosophicalandthepolitical arguments.But,allowingthatpopularpoliticalargumentsrequireshortcutsfromfull academicrigor,thereisnot,Ithink,thatmuchdifferencebetweenthelogicalacumenof politiciansandphilosophers. Butthereisonerespectinwhichphilosophersargumentsarefarsuperiortothoseof politicians.Tobetakenseriously,aphilosophicalargumenthastobeginfromathorough understandingofanopponentspositionandformulatethepositionsothatitisas plausibleandattractiveaspossible.Politicians,bycontrast,typicallyloadthediceby attackingtheweakestversionsoftheiropponentsviewstheycanfind. Wecouldgreatlyimprovethequalityofourpoliticaldebatesifwesimplyheldtothe philosophersruleofunderstandingandcharitablyformulatingouropponentsviews.To illustratemypoint,considerhowDemocratsmightapproachthecoreconservativeposition thatalmostallthecurrentRepublicanpresidentialcandidatesendorse.(RonPauls libertarianismseparateshimfromthecoreonsomekeypoints.)Thecandidates disagreementsaretypicallynotaboutwhethertheconservativepositioniscorrectbut aboutwhichofthemmostsincerelyandconsistentlyholdsit. Thiscoreconservativepositionconsistsofasetofcanonicalviewsongovernment, economicsandreligion/ethics.Ongovernment,thecandidatesthinkthereshouldbemuch lessofit,particularlylessregulationofbusiness,lesssupportforsocialwelfareprograms andlesscontrolofordinarycitizenslives.Economically,theirgoalistobalancethebudget, payoffpublicdebt,lowertaxesandsupporttheeffortsofbusinessestoincreasetheir profitsandtherebygeneratenewjobs.Theyalsoseeitascrucialtosupporttraditional Christianityandtoendorseitsethicalviews,particularlyonmattersofsexuality,especially oppositiontoabortionandtosamesexmarriage. Whymightasensiblepersonbesympathetictothesesortsofviews?Ithelpstoseethemas basedonageneralpictureofthestrengthsofournationandthedangerstoitsflourishing. Thestrengthsareourfreeenterprisesystemandourreligious/ethicalheritageofhard
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How to Argue About Politics - NYTimes.com

work,individualresponsibilityandadherencetotraditionalmoralstandards.Theworking ofthefreeenterprisesystemgeneratessufficientwealthtoallowalmosteveryonetohave atleastanadequatestandardoflivingandalsoproducesinnovationsthatcontinually improvethatstandard.Ofcourse,therewillbepeoplewho,becauseofbadluckortheir ownmoralfailings,windupdeprivedofbasichumangoods.Theprimaryremedyforthis shouldbethecharitableinstinctsoffellowcitizenslivingalifeofChristianfaith,whichis alsothesourceofhumanfulfillment,beyondmerematerialprosperity OnthisRepublicanview,therearetwogreatinternaldangerstoourwayoflife.First,there areforcessuchassecularismandrelativismthatthreatenourbasicethicalvalues.Second, thereistheperhapswellintentionedbutdeeplywrongbeliefthatgovernmentalplanning andregulationcansignificantlyimproveonourfreeenterprisesystemasawayof providingforourmaterialneeds.Onthecontrary,majorinterventionsalmostalwaysmake thingsmuchworse.Maintainingtheintegrityofourethicalvaluesandofourfree enterprisesystemarethekeystosolvingalmostallofourproblems. Giventhissortofsympatheticformulationoftheconservativeposition,criticscanstillfind amplegroundsfordisagreement.Theformulationidentifiesseveralkeyassumptionsthat opponentsmaywellquestion:that,lefttoitself,thefreemarketwillnotcause unacceptablehardshipforlargenumbersofpeoplethatsubstantialgovernment interventionalmostalwaysleadstobadresultsthatChristianethicsespeciallywiththe conservativeemphasisonsexualityisthebestcodeofmoralbehavior.Butour sympatheticformulationallowsanevenmoreeffectivewayofcriticizingtheconservative position:notbyarguingagainstitskeyassumptionsbutbyarguingthatthosevery assumptionsleadtocontradictions. Inparticular,thereisabasictensionbetweenthetwomainelementsoftheconservative view:Christianethicalvaluesandthefreeenterprisesystem.Christianmoralityisamatter ofloveforothersandselfsacrificeontheirbehalf.Amarketeconomyassumesthatall agents(employers,workers,buyers,sellers)actintheirownselfishinterests.Theproblem isevidentintheNewTestamentsuneasewiththewealthyandsympathyforthepoorsee, forexample,Matthew13:22,Mark10:2325andJames5:13. Thestandardresponsetothissortofmoralobjectionisthattheinvisiblehandofthe marketproducespublicgoodsoutofprivateselfishness.Ifweallactforourownselfish ends,therewillbefarmorematerialgoodsforustosharethantherewouldbeotherwise. Butthisisautilitarianargumentthatis,onethatjudgesactionsasmoralbecausethey increaseourmaterialhappiness.Christianmorality,however,deniesthatmoralgoodand evildependonwhatmaximizessuchhappiness.Christianloveandselfsacrifice,in particular,aremoralgoodsintheirownright,regardlessoftheirconsequences. Conversely,conservativeChristianmoralitywouldnotallowhomosexualityorsamesex marriage,evenifitturnedoutthatdoingsowouldincreasematerialhappiness. Iamnotproposingthislineofargumentasadecisiverefutationoftheviewsheldbythe
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How to Argue About Politics - NYTimes.com

currentRepublicanpresidentialcandidates.Butitis,Imaintain,anargumentbasedona sympatheticanalysisofthoseviewsandrequiresaseriousresponsefrompeoplewhohold them.Itisnottheendofafruitfuldiscussionofourpoliticaldifferences,butitcouldbethe beginning.

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