It is not from the benevolence of the butcher, the brewer or the baker that we expect our dinner but from their regard to their own interest. We address ourselves not to their humanity but to their self-love and never talk to them of our own necessities but of their advantages – Adam Smith (1723-1790), Wealth of Nations.
Smith, the celebrated 18th-century economist, considered self-interest as the driving force of humanity. The butcher, he argued, serves his customers because it pays him to do so. Extrapolate this thinking to the whole community and you immediately understand what drives the capitalist society we live in today. Everything is geared to protect and further the interests of those who hold capital.
How are politicians expected to behave in a society dom-inated by self-preservation and self-advancement?
A politician and, even more so, an elected representative of the people should work for the common good of society. He should protect the interests of all – not least of those who cannot fight for their rights – against the interest of the powerful few.
As a holder of power he therefore needs to put the interest of the whole of society above his own personal interest. By being so altruistic, if one subscribes to Smith’s theory, the politician would be going against the very grain of human nature.
This is the conundrum of politics and morality. The driving force of a politician – in contrast to the rest of society – should not be self-preservation but, rather, the preservation of society at large. Not just today’s society but also future ones. If he acts to preserve himself or his class, a politician would be acting immorally.
If he acts to preserve himself or his class, a politician would be acting immorally
The greatest politicians are those who followed this quest for common good at great personal sacrifice. Think of Martin Luther King, Nelson Mandela and Mahatma Gandhi. Think about what made them great politicians. Think then about what makes bad politicians, bad.
The litmus test of any politician is how he manages to improve the life of society in a sustainable manner. Political greatness is not about the amount of votes or popular support one manages to garner in elections, but more about what one is capable of doing with the power one is trusted with. In other words, popular politicians do not necessarily make great politicians.
Morality is not always bound by the confines of the law. Something can be illegal and yet be morally correct. Conversely, something can be immoral and yet be perfectly legal. History is replete with such instances.
It was legal in many countries to persecute fellow human beings because of race, sex or religion. This does not mean it was or is – because the practice still exists today – morally correct to do so.
Politicians have the duty to ensure that, as much as possible, morality and legality converge.
I regret to say that there is a growing feeling among society today that our political class is more interested in self-preservation than in furthering the common good. Locally, this feeling is reflected in a constant decrease in the overall trust ratings of politicians and political institutions.
Back-room deals, excessive lobbying and decisions based on voter calculations are becoming the order of the day. This weakening of the political class in western society is perhaps reflective of the demise of the traditional values that used to condition our interactions in the past.
The dominant set of values today are different to the point of being unrecognisable from the values of society 50 years ago. Globalisation is often cited as the cause of this change. It is as if globalisation necessitated the introduction of a new set of values that are easily accepted around the world – values based on the highest common factor. To achieve this aim, the values had to be as undemanding as possible.
I consider myself a liberal but sometimes question why society is becoming more liberal. Is it because we have greater respect for the human being – as some consider it to be – or is it simply a levelling operation necessary to allow for the construction of a more globalised and capitalistic society?
Whatever the reason, it is a fact that, today, we have diluted our core values to the point of blandness.
I see the resurgence of extreme and populist parties as a consequence of this transition. This is one of the major effects of removing morality from the political equation.
The common good, it seems, is no longer a worthy goal to follow and is therefore being replaced by more populist goals. It is, of course, up to the political class to fight this trend and not fuel it.
Mario de Marco is deputy leader of the Nationalist Party for parliamentary affairs