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.

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174. Reviving Traditional Art – Conversation of Our Generation

I recently sat down with Amy Mastrine, an artist who works in traditional mediums, to talk about the state of art. Finding a way to create new iterations of traditional art is something that would go a long way for our culture. Because I enjoyed this conversation, I wanted to revisit some of the great insights to discuss them more. Amy offered a lot of interesting ideas, so I thought it would be good to elaborate and offer my thoughts. Also, I've thought about doing this for some of my other interviews, so if you enjoy this, let me know! And, if there's anyone I should interview, let me know here. "Culture is the arts elevated to a set of beliefs." -Thomas Wolfe The Beauty of Traditional Art Digital art lacks soul in some way. There are a lot of great things happening in digital art. For instance, video games are creating incredible scenes. Despite the beauty one can create with digital art, there is something irreplaceable about traditional art. https://youtu.be/hhDScD6qTPE Beauty is Objective Beauty is an objective reality. Although many people will argue it is subjective, it is an objective reality. However, people who argue for the subjectivity of beauty touch on something true. Because beauty is an abstraction, it does require a subject to observe it. https://youtu.be/TVPVgHa1Dx8 The highest form of art What is the highest form of art? Is it painting, sculpting, or stained glass? In this interview, Amy called architecture the highest form of art, and I agree. Although architecture isn't often thought of as art, I would say it is. In my opinion, art is creating beauty in an expressive way. Despite not being expressive in the same way, architecture does have this relationship to people because it is how we live. "Eventually, my eyes were opened, and I really understood nature. I learned to love at the same time." -Claude Monet — This episode is sponsored by · Anchor: The easiest way to make a podcast. https://anchor.fm/app Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/conofourgen/support

1. 174. Reviving Traditional Art 40:07
2. 173. Book Review | The Prince By Niccolo Machiavelli 16:59
3. 172. Power of Ancient and Esoteric Wisdom 52:39
4. 171. Book Review | The Meaning of Conservatism by Roger Scruton 17:15
5. 170. Culture From the Conservative Perspective – Alan Cornett Interview 01:03:15
6. 169. Book Review | State of the Nullification Movement 14:25
7. 168. Drawn in by Beauty – Stained Glass Zealot Interview 58:44
8. 167. Book Review | Nineteenth-Century Thought by Richard Schoenwald 18:30
9. 166. Election Thoughts, Libertarianism, ACB and More with Sean Boston 01:12:19
10. 165. Book Review | Shocking Secrets of American History by Bill Coate 12:19