On February 9, 2021
© By John Arkelian
An organized society, or ‘polity,’ is made up of innumerable interactions among individual persons – and between each of us and the myriad of laws, norms, policies, and practices that govern the ways we navigate our way through daily life. Never mind the overrated internet; the real ‘world-wide web’ is the profuse, intricate network of connections between people, regulatory bodies, and commercial enterprises – among other entities, like religious, cultural, educational, recreational, and volunteer-driven community service organizations. Aristotle said “Man is by nature a political animal” (or, more literally, “an animal which lives in cities”). The ideal polity is one in which we respect each others’ rights, live by mutually agreed rules, and are governed with our consent. In a very real sense, the polity is us, and we should be ever mindful of ways to make it more just, more amenable to the attainment of the full potential of each of its members, and more conducive to their general welfare. Perfecting a polity is a perpetual work in progress. And, we still have a lot of work to do.
Consider examples from the realms of representative government; constitutional reform; individual freedoms; the regulation of commerce; strengthening consumer protection; repairing a broken legal system; practicing a foreign policy that truly reflects our shared values; and addressing cultural conundrums like those governing our approach to minority communities.
See “The Polity and Us” at https://artsforum.ca/ideas/regional-perspectives