0.3.7 Key Learnings for Politics

Version 1.1 November 2016                                        Previous Version

The conclusions and values we have reached lead us on to principles for political action.

Politics exist wherever there is more than one person.  Politics is the art of resolving social differences without violence.  Here, we focus on economics and business, state, national and global politics, and finally education, which is a major political issue.

As with our personal practice, when we apply our core, derived and effecting values, based on the conclusions we have reached, there are some political choices that are fairly straight forward.

But we know many people will make other political choices on issues where to us the solution is obvious.  Our political struggle is to persuade others where their reasoning or evidence is flawed – or to update our own flawed beliefs.  Some may agree on the facts but still choose different values.  We may over time be able to influence their choices, via political debate. 

Other political decisions are more complex, and alternative positions can be taken even if all parties generally accept the conclusions of these global beliefs and share similar values.  Our struggle here is to learn more, to reduce the uncertainty, through debate, research, or trial and error.

In the meantime we must live with the differences and resolve them peacefully.

Ancillary values such as courage and persistence are required to work for political change that is opposed by the majority or powerful vested interests.  We need to be tolerant of others whose opinions differ and show respect for the individuals with whom we have honest disagreements.

In these pages, we look at how we can reasonably apply what we have learned to:

·       managing the economy and business – productivity, business ethics, legal controls, etc;

·       what it means to be democratic in organisations – freedom within the rule of law, etc;

·       the role of local, state, national and global governments – civil and political rights etc;

·       action required to maintain the global environment – sustainable development, etc;

·       the role of non-government organisations – independent civil society and watchdogs;

·       providing children, as well as adults, with a liberal, scientific and religious education.

The principles and guidelines for political action we arrive at help to define our role in the universal narrative and to provide our purpose in life.

We end up coming to this summary of our conclusions.  You may be able to phrase this better.  In subsequent pages we expand out and justify each one of these points.