True democracy should be willing and able to move beyond outdated systems
THE philosopher Karl Popper created this important concept – piecemeal social engineering. He had it against the set ways of communism and fascism initially, but as he emphasised the importance of having changing scientific developments as the leitmotiv when proposing a different way into the future, one can extend his critique to all political, economic and societal structures.
We are all just human beings. Fallible, glued to familiar, conditioned, glasses when we look at life as such.
So we perceive from time to time the shift up and down of political figures, the changes, and often sadly the greedy claiming of new chances that follow in the slip stream of such events.
New rulers, new cabinets, new accompanying structures all carry a selected stream of thought and philosophy. And then we, we the people, conditioned to the core of our beings to grant the top structures a godly glorification because we all so need to feel safe, to have hope that the future will be brighter, that all the suffering will be less, or actually will just be gone.
Steps in Karl Popper. No ideology, no earthly messiah and fiercely following disciples have it from day one to day fifteen thousand to know what is best for society.
Leaders may be morally bred, living by such principles and expressing an ethic approach in all that follows, but they are also just conditioned too often to set visions and beliefs.
Then the complexities of life, bedded in neverending flux, overrunning everything through decades and centuries will show again and again the mistakes that even pure-hearted people will make. But sadly, the sociopaths, cancer at the belly of every societal expression will mostly manoeuvre to grab power, driven by their dark greed and narcissism.
Just keep in mind that sociopaths are just psychopaths clothed in suits with a nice accompanying tie, knowing how to shrewdly raid within the borders of constituted economic structures and watching the law sideways.
Those type of guys, dolls, gather likeminded others and with their combined intelligence, sociopaths are normally very intelligent people, they create a field day of opportunities. In those circles the laughter never grows too loud, someone will always come up with more pronounced opportunities and with that the shrieks of joy will become a “Boeing”.
On the other side of the spectrum we have the good guys. Male, female. They look at society, see the sickening spread of poverty, the consequential decay of societal fibre, the ways the affluent people use professionals to extend their wealth, living frivolously, the way that some children get an education that will set them up to fight the ever changing ways of life that is only married to flux, and the rest that are side-lined to be semi-beggars forever. So, often the good guys, male and female, will endeavour to change unjust societies. With good intention. Popper again. The complexities in life though, the flux, are more than all brained perceptions.
So, here is my question, how can we give the bad guys a solid headbutt, how can we help the good guys not to get stuck in “provincial theories” and the muddled-ground that will follow? And here follows my theory. Remember that all theories are just unproven conceptualisations. Until proven.
And then, at that stage the world would have moved around the sun again, the universe would have extended, or perhaps starting to shiver, so all answers are from day one just working hypotheses gradually ageing.
My proposal on the back of all the philosophers, psychologists of note that I deem important, is this – we cannot have a sole “messiah” at the political top. Nor can we afford for such a person to, with good or bad intention, appoint his or her sidekicks. Nor can we trust the majority political party to tie all the knots in society. It will all be biased, “provincial”, and will prolong many spectres of pain.
We need the cream of society, the wise ones and the relevant academics to gather when a law is to be passed. So that we start to deliver less gremlins to reeling societies. I propose that academics for example debate all facets of nuclear power in a specific context and that, when the best proposition contextually is reached, it be tested, confirmed, or questioned, by other professionals from different “worlds”.
And corruption bagged. The political committees that we now have to consider proposals are just not adequate anymore to face up to a postmodern world. They may think so, but they are like me, subjective and conditioned. We all need to be checked before we can tread forward. Specifically our theories. Our emotional intelligence too.
Our doings affect all of life. We abstractly, with good intentions, or from the start, create a new wave of thought, new displays of changing societies. But we cannot afford to prolong the suffering of people because we think we know the best and cannot foresee the consequences of our decisions and actions.
Real democracy should wave stagnated expressions goodbye and welcome an immensely wider wave of knowledge to help ignite justness, righteousness. Pronounced justness and real care of all people. Not only the likeable ones, the home-ground known ones, or the ones feeding on greed. All human beings.
Van der Walt is an estate agent, theology and philosophy graduate, former reverend (briefly) now businessman.