The Ontic Foundations of a New Political Order-Beyond Left and Right

SHADOWS OF POWER-Challenging Authority-A Critical Examination of Power Beyond the State: Florin, Serban Gabriel: 9798876049018: Amazon.com: Books

Introduction

In contemporary political discourse, the traditional dichotomy of left versus right has often served as the primary lens through which political ideologies are understood and debated. However, this binary framework has increasingly been critiqued for its limitations in addressing the complex, interwoven issues of modernity.

The purpose of this exploration is to delve into the ontic foundations that might underpin a new political order, one that transcends the conventional political spectrum.

This blog post aims to synthesize various philosophical, political, and sociological insights to propose a framework for political thought and action that is rooted in ontological considerations, emphasizing human existence, being, and the essence of political life beyond mere policy preferences or economic ideologies.

I. The Crisis of the Left-Right Paradigm

A. Historical Context of Left and Right

The terms "left" and "right" originated from the seating arrangement during the French Revolution, where supporters of the king sat on the right side of the assembly, and revolutionaries sat on the left. Over time, these positions evolved:

• Left: Traditionally associated with change, equality, and social justice, focusing on progressive policies, welfare, and sometimes radical transformations like socialism or communism.

• Right: Aligned with tradition, personal responsibility, and often, economic liberalism or conservatism, advocating for market freedoms, private property, and sometimes advocating for traditional moral values.

B. Limitations and Critique

• Oversimplification: The binary model fails to capture the nuanced positions and hybrid ideologies that have emerged in the post-modern era.

• Polarization: It encourages a divisive approach to politics where compromise and synthesis are undermined by ideological purity.

• Failure to Address New Challenges: Issues like digital privacy, global migration, climate change, and bioethics do not fit neatly into traditional left-right categories.

II. Ontological Considerations in Political Theory

A. Ontology and Politics

Ontology, the philosophical study of being, can provide a deeper understanding of political life beyond mere policy:

• Being-in-the-World: Martin Heidegger's concept suggests that politics should consider the existential condition of humans, their relationships with each other, and the environment.

• Existence Precedes Essence: Jean-Paul Sartre’s existentialist idea where human beings through their actions define their essence, challenges rigid ideological frameworks.

B. The Essence of Political Order

• Human Flourishing: Political structures should aim at enabling human flourishing, which might require transcending traditional ideologies.

• Intersubjectivity: The political must recognize the intersubjective nature of human existence, where identity, community, and values are co-constituted in social interactions.

III. Proposing a New Framework

A. Post-Ideological Politics

• Beyond Ideology: Drawing from thinkers like Alasdair MacIntyre and Charles Taylor, there's a call for a moral and ontological grounding in politics that prioritizes communal narratives over ideological battles.

• Dialogical Politics: Inspired by Mikhail Bakhtin's dialogism, politics should be seen as a continuous dialogue aimed at understanding rather than winning over.

B. Principles for a New Political Order

1. Inclusivity:

   • A system that incorporates diverse voices, not just economically or socially but existentially, recognizing the plurality of human experience.

2. Sustainability:

   • Politics must be oriented towards long-term ecological and social sustainability, acknowledging our interdependence with the natural world.

3. Relationality Over Individualism:

   • Shifting from atomistic individual rights to a network of relationships where rights and responsibilities are seen in the context of communal life.

4. Ethics Before Economics:

   • Economic policies should serve ethical ends, prioritizing human dignity and well-being over economic growth for its own sake.

5. Adaptive Governance:

   • Governance structures that are flexible, participatory, and capable of evolving with societal changes, avoiding the rigidity of ideological dogma.

IV. Practical Implications and Implementation

A. Reimagining Institutions

• Legislative bodies could be restructured to encourage dialogue and synthesis, perhaps through mechanisms like citizens' assemblies or deliberative forums that focus on existential rather than partisan outcomes.

B. Educational Reform

• Education systems should aim to cultivate critical thinking about one's place in the world, teaching ontology alongside politics to prepare citizens for a participatory, reflective form of governance.

C. Policy Development

• Policies should be developed through a process that considers their impact on existential conditions like identity, community, and environmental integrity, rather than just economic or ideological metrics.

V. Challenges and Critiques

• Feasibility: Critics might argue that such a framework lacks immediate applicability or could be too vague for concrete policy-making.

• Resistance from Established Powers: Any shift towards a new order will face resistance from those benefiting from the current system.

• Cultural and Global Variability: The universal application of such principles might overlook cultural specifics or lead to neo-colonial assumptions about what constitutes human flourishing.

Here are a few scholars who have contributed significantly to discussions on the ontic foundations of political order:

1. Francis Fukuyama - His work, notably "The Origins of Political Order," explores the development of political institutions from prehuman times to the French Revolution, emphasizing the state's strength, rule of law, and accountability as key to political stability.

2. Alasdair MacIntyre - Known for his critique of modern political theory, MacIntyre argues for a return to virtue ethics and community-based politics, which could be seen as an ontological grounding for political life.

3. Charles Taylor - A philosopher whose work on identity, modernity, and secularism touches upon the ontological conditions that shape political orders. His concept of "social imaginaries" is crucial in understanding how societies envision and structure their political life.

4. Jean-Paul Sartre - Although primarily known for existentialism, Sartre's political philosophy includes ideas on how human freedom and essence are defined through political engagement, reflecting an ontological approach to politics.

5. Martin Heidegger - His philosophy, particularly the concept of "Being-in-the-World," has influenced political theorists by suggesting that political structures should consider the existential condition of human beings.

6. Hannah Arendt - Her work on totalitarianism, the human condition, and the concept of 'the political' deals with the essence of political life, questioning how political systems can reflect human existence and freedom.

7. Carl Schmitt - A controversial figure whose ideas about the political as fundamentally about the distinction between friend and enemy provide an ontological basis for understanding political order through conflict.

8. Michael Oakeshott - His philosophy of political conservatism emphasizes the importance of tradition and practical knowledge, which can be interpreted as an ontological foundation for political order.

These scholars, through their diverse approaches, contribute to understanding how political orders might be rooted in or reflect deeper ontological realities about human existence, community, and governance.

Conclusion

The proposal for a new political order based on ontological foundations invites us to rethink politics not just as a battleground of ideologies but as a profound exploration of what it means to be human in a collective.

This paradigm shift from left-right to an existential-political axis could potentially offer pathways to address the deep-seated issues of our time with a fresh perspective, fostering a political culture that values existence, interdependence, and the long-term well-being of all involved