“You see, there are still faint
glimmers of civilization left in this barbaric slaughterhouse that was once
known as humanity. Indeed that's what we provide in our own modest, humble,
insignificant... oh, fuck it.” – M. Gustave, The Grand Budapest Hotel
Such is the decrescendo of our times; a
diminished hope that trails off into a resigned shrug. One can only hope that our “better angels”
can keep the embers of our shared humanity glowing.
I have been reading about the ethical
intersection between the actor – the act – and the act’s consequences; and
while I don’t expect presidential candidates to spend time on the trail
invoking Aristotle, Kant, and/or Mills…I am comforted knowing when they are
capable of such introspection. I would
like to believe that the next leader of the Free World is capable of grounding
their actions in something more than brute instinct or narrow
self-interest.
Perhaps it is too much to ask of our
public officials. “Every country has the
government it deserves” according to de Maistre, or perhaps it was Jonathan
Winters. Either way, the quote portends
a long and bitter election season.
Hope (such as it exists) must rest in
those who, at the national, state, and local level, aspire to promote the
common good while appealing to our virtuous nature.
2016 might not be the year of the
Philosopher-Statesperson, but at the very least, they can toss some kindling on
the bonfire. Keep those glimmers
gleaming.
Stay tuned, as more will follow.
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