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the world

What is politics? I think the best shorthand definition of politics that anybody’s ever proposed is Aristotle’s. And Aristotle said politics is free persons deliberating the question how ought we to order our life together. Free persons deliberating the question how ought we to order our life together. And the "ought" of that definition is clearly a moral term.
Every political question of consequence is a moral question. What is fair? What is just? What serves the common good? Fairness, justice, good: these are all moral terms. We are the ones who are prepared to enter into the dialogue, if you will: the ongoing conversation, within the bounds of civility, as to how we ought to order our life together, including the question who belongs to the we—the most elementary of all political questions. Who belongs to the we? Who is entitled to our respect? Who is entitled to protection?
This conversation, this argument, in unwarlike ways, in civil ways, in persuasive ways, will prevail ...

Posted by: Chad Boger

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