152. Where’s The Line Between Politics And Morality?

When can we legislate an opinion? Who is to say that an opinion is a fact? The left has long called to bring the personal into politics, while also calling to keep politics away from people’s private decisions. These two things cannot exist together in one’s mind.

“One of the penalties for refusing to participate in politics is that you end up being governed by your inferiors.”

-Plato

After a long Twitter discussion, I realized that this was the question at the heart of the debate. Is there a point that we can legislate morality? If so, what is that point? And, is there really an objective morality that can be applied in politics?

Abortion Politics

The discussion I found myself in was one about abortion, whether one can be personally opposed to it, but legislatively allow it. I think this principle is sound, but that it has limits. Here’s the tweet:

Legislation and Politics

So, today we’ll take a look at this principle to see if there is a threshold that allows us to “legislate morality.” And, I want to look at the political situation to see what is and what isn’t appropriate to legislate. This is an important discussion if we are to have a functioning society.

Personal Beliefs

We can have beliefs about what is right and wrong, and we should. We ought to learn about the world and living properly in it. That is a virtuous and noble endeavor. And, I think that it is useful to engage in dialogue with others about the beliefs we hold. That is when it turns toward politics because politics is the way in which we learn how to live together.

Political Opinions

Our political opinions are those opinions about right and wrong, and how they ought to be enacted in society. Our beliefs on politics are not simply what is wrong or right. Instead, it’s whether or not that action should be punished, how it ought to be regulated, and who is required to follow those rules. This is where the rubber meets the road, so to speak, and it is here that we begin to decide what is right and wrong for society.

When Politics and Personal Meet

When we start to go from our personal beliefs to the political ones, it can be hard to have that discussion. If we talk about banning something or punishing an action, there are others who will be affected, and they may take that personally. It’s important to be delicate but clear in these discussions so we can let people know we aren’t attacking them, but are trying to curb the effect of something that is wrong or harmful.

Enjoy solving today’s problems with the wisdom of the past? Join the Conversation of Our Generation.

199. Time to Fight | Lord of the Rings The Two Towers Book Review – Conversation of Our Generation

There comes a time when you have to fight, even if it seems hopeless. I think we're at that point in our culture. And no, I'm not calling for actual violence. I'm calling for us to simply rise up and speak the truth, even when it's hard. You may not want to be the one to take part in the battle. But when it's time to fight, you don't always have a choice. I think this book demonstrates how we ought to act when we're up against the wall and see no way out. "Arise now, arise, Riders of Theoden! Dire deeds awake, dark is it eastward. Let horse be bridled, horn be sounded! Forth Eorlingas!" – J.R.R. Tolkien Sign up for the email list here. How to Know it's Time to Fight It can be hard to know when you should stand your ground and fight. Sometimes it's clear, and sometimes it's murky. However, I think right now we can clearly see that our culture is under attack from many directions. Some of the most basic truths are being called into question. We don't trust our institutions, and deservedly so. Furthermore, the education of our children is being undermined and used to indoctrinate them. So, if you ask me, it's time to push back. It's time to fight. Fighting for a Lost Cause But, how do we go about that? Has the left not completely taken over the culture? While they may have taken over most of the culture, I don't think fighting back is a lost cause. It may be a long shot, but they were able to systematically and radically subvert the culture over the past century. I think we can play their game of inches as well and flip the culture. — Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/conofourgen/support

1. 199. Time to Fight | Lord of the Rings The Two Towers Book Review 15:04
2. Sneak Peek | Course on The Golden Mean | Nichomachean Ethics, Book 1 24:25
3. 198. How to Prevent Burnout 39:03
4. 197. What is Virtue? | Book Review Nicomachean Ethics by Aristotle 13:00
5. 196. The Golden Mean 33:48
6. 195. Take Responsibility and Bear Your Burden | The Fellowship of the Ring Book Review 14:23
7. 194. How to Build A More Virtuous Society with The Vital Masculinity Podcast 01:13:26
8. 193. Problems with Money | What Has Government Done to Our Money by Murray Rothbard 11:36
9. 192. Traditional Architecture Lesson| History of the Pantheon and St. Peter's 58:40
10. 191. The Road to Hell | Book Review of Notes from Underground by Dostoevsky 12:35