You cannot subvert a truly righteous institution. A righteous institution is aware of the reasons behind its creation, of whether its purpose is just or unjust, and its own history since its creation. It has the habit of looking into the mirror and it also has the ability to self-correct. Such an ideal institution is also conscious of whether it has outlived those reasons for which it was created, due to changes over time in the society that created it. It is this self-awareness of its own raison d’être, and of the possibility of its having become obsolete, that endow an institution with vitality within its societal framework. It is entirely possible that such an ideal institution cannot function as described in any society that is not comprised of ideal people. Certainly both democracy and communism, as described in their respective manifestos, have never been implemented in practice due to the fact that both philosophies of governance require societies composed of ideal populations in order to function as originally conceived. Be that as it may, ideals are still of value as goals towards which individuals, institutions and societies can aspire.
As just one example of an institution which does not fall within the rubric of a “righteous” construct, as outlined above, consider the American Electoral College which exists at the very heart of that nation’s Presidential election process.
Beginning right from its creation (by the aristocratic elite of the time and place) the Electoral College was designed to primarily advance and protect the interests of the upper crust, the highest echelons of American society. Its essential function is to act as a check on the power of the people who make up the majority of the electorate. The efficacy of the College is attested to by the ability of Presidential candidates to win the seat of the highest office in their country without winning the majority of the votes of the electorate, those who will be ruled by the winner of the Presidential race, the result of which is essentially “fixed” by the members of the Electoral College. The effects of the gerrymandering of voting districts and the various forms of voter suppression must not be overlooked and are in dire need of reformation but, the Electoral College must be eliminated in favour of direct elections, before America can get closer to becoming a democracy, an ideal which they purport to represent and which they so aggressively claim to export while, simultaneously, striving to expand their economic and military empire. If that doesn’t undercut their stated status of being a “democracy,” I cannot imagine what will.
do you know of any 'righteous institutions' as you have defined them? I can't think of any that exist in today's world. Those with power, want to keep that power and thus the electoral college would need to be pried from their cold dead hands like their guns.
ReplyDeleteAt the end of the first paragraph the doubt is raised that such “righteous institutions” could exist in the absence of an ideal (or “perfect”) populace. In that sense the argument is more properly a hypothesis, however the ideals should not be ignored as they have value as goals.
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