Aristotle believed that the goal of politics should be the happiness or well-being of society; in other words, the ‘common good’. But how can the common good be accomplished if political leaders tend to rely solely on their ‘intellectual acumen’ without being grounded in practical ‘intellectual virtues’, such as justice, self-discipline, moderation, modesty, honesty and humility?
It is easy to observe the damaging result of any leadership that is starved of sound values and principles of justice. For it is virtue that makes us aim at the right mark, and practical wisdom and discernment that leads us to take the right decisions.
We need to acknowledge human nature’s fragility. Unless we do, we fall in the trap of arrogance, develop a notion of self-sufficiency, and become addicted to building illusive personal ‘empires’. By default we “chase the wind” (Ecc. 1:14) forgetting that we are like a vapour… here today and gone tomorrow, as echoed by Isaiah “the grass withers and the flowers fall, but the word of our God endures forever” (Is. 40:8).
Philosopher Jacques Maritain wrote that “the common good consists of the good life – that is, a life comfortable to the essential exigencies and the essential dignity of human nature, a life both morally straight and happy”. But what if our leaders are captured by their own ego or pumped up self-image, if not, I dare say, idolised by their followers? Can the common good be realised in concrete terms for the benefit of all the members of society, or is power being abused for personal profit or to gain the support or vote of the loyal followers?
The Word of God endures forever. Christ had the divine power to bring his enemies to their knees, yet he showed his power solely for a greater good, to heal the blind, to console the broken-hearted and break the chains of sin, even to the point of the cross.
Acknowledging our fragility necessitates introspection, a self-awareness exercise, a conscious self-examination. This is far from self-condemnation or compiling a list of our wrongs but rather a process of realigning to the basic truths of the Gospel, a realignment to the purpose of our creation, to love and to be loved, to will on to other the good we wish to be done to us, whether as common citizens or political leaders.
Leaders without moral fibre are a danger for society. We need more than politically competent leaders. We need leaders who have good judgement, who know how to judiciously balance values, who know what binds us together as a people, rather than binds us to parties which have become aggregations of individual interests pitted against one another.
In ‘Politics: a values vacuum’, Todd Breyfogle writes that the only antidote to a heartless, soulless politics is to reintroduce the language of our highest values.
This is the Gospel message ‒ a way of living which is not simply mine but ours, a vision aimed genuinely at the common good.
Gordon Vassallo, accredited spiritual guide, Ignatian Spirituality Centre