Much has been said about how the Left falls down because it focuses on problems and programs instead of principles. Susan George
noted this a few years ago, when examining the Right's successes in the so-called war of ideas. "
Why Liberals Fail" is another good example of this kind of analysis.
The Right knows the value of "the vision thing" -- having a systematic set of principles that can be put into a few bullet points. It serves as a defining force for any policy or program that comes from it. Very seldom on the Left do we hear "these are the things I stand for."
Principles don't have to be proven -- they are premises; their rightness is taken to be self-evident. The important thing is that they are widely shared. And we don't know just how widely shared until we hear them spoken aloud.
So for starters, I'd like to suggest the following as some key premises in a left/progressive world view:
Governance and society
- The purpose of government and public policy is to foster the good society.
- The good society is democratic, just, tolerant, adaptable, rational, provident, and prosperous. It is motivated by a spirit of cooperation and generosity.
- The good society holds a presumption of benign behavior. People are basically good, or at least neutral, and will ordinarily refrain from doing harm. They will ordinarily do the right thing, given a fair chance.
- The good society cares for its weak, its disadvantaged and its failed members.
- Society has certain obligations to all of its members, if for no other reason than it has monopolized the available resources with its particular system and leaves little real choice for those who might be incompatible with it.
- Society is steward of the commons. Private exploitation of the commons must be in the public interest, must be subject to the terms of society's stewardship, and must return value in keeping with that taken.
- In a democratic society, the government is not "them," it is "us."
Members of society
- A "person" is defined as a viable individual of the human species.
- Any person is just as good as any other. No person has any rightful claim to deference, privilege or authority. All persons have equal claim to a fair share of the goods and benefits of society.
- Every person is entitled to a decent life, material sufficiency, and opportunity for personal fulfillment.
- Every person has certain intrinsic rights. The U.S. constitution enumerates most of these rights. These rights are inalienable, meaning that they may not be denied and they may not be traded away for compensation. They properly apply only to persons.
- Every person has certain intrinsic liberties. In general, these are any acts which do not infringe on the rights and liberties of others.
- Every person has certain obligations to society. Any material success they might enjoy is made possible by the context society provides. In general, these obligations consist of assuming one's fair share of responsibility for the effective functioning of society.
- All living things have rights. The human species has no intrinsic right to dominion over the earth or other living things.
Public policy
- Legitimate public policy seeks the greatest good for the greatest number.
- Sound public policy is based on material fact.
- Public policy is best shaped according to ordinary experience and common sense, with judgments that are rational and factually informed, and with ample scope for revision in light of new evidence.
- Questions of material fact can only be settled empirically. Empirical procedures such as scientific method and legal rules of evidence are the ultimate arbiters of fact.
- Propositions from science, however factual, must be used with care in public policy. They can be remote from ordinary experience and are often misunderstood or misused when applied to society. (Case in point: "social Darwinism.")
- Various schools of thought in sociology, psychology, and economics come in and out of fashion. Propositions from these disciplines are not, by themselves, a sufficiently factual basis for public policy.
- Even though the religious faith of individuals motivates much work for social benefit, propositions from religious doctrine are a matter of private belief and are not appropriate for public policy.