While I realize people need a banner to rally around, ideologies are traps. You adopt one, and after you've bought in they close the doors after you and change it.
Hierarchy without meritocracy leads to degeneracy. There must be upwards and downwards movement, and elites/leaders must earn their positions rather than inherit them.
Ideologies are systematic approaches to political questions. One examines such evidence of the human condition as one sees as valid for the question at hand, and then one forms a heuristic for understanding existing systems. Ideally, this is contingent on the information one gathers being both true and relevant, and in the event of some failure in that regard, one should change. Someone who lies about what he believes, or changes his beliefs not because they are found to be a poor reflection of reality, but for some profit, is of course contemptible. For my part, I try to approach life as a faithful Christian, and interpret reality in accordance with that in mind. I have yet to encounter anything that inclines me against thinking that we are not all fallen creatures in need of grace, and that the world is a place hostile to goodness for that reason.
You are very correct that hierarchy and merit are closely related. Ideally, those born into high station spend their formative years preparing to lead (I think of the family of R. E. Lee or Theodore Roosevelt as good examples for an American context). However, after a while, the blood can get a bit thin, which is why a healthy system finds a way to accommodate those who are worthy but of lower station. In some societies this is through the military, in others the Church, or else the law. In our society status is bound up with commerce and finance, and the results speak for themselves.
“However, after a while, the blood can get a bit thin, which is why a healthy system finds a way to accommodate those who are worthy but of lower station.”
Have you read Selective Breeding yet? Genuine question.
Nice.
The only quibbles I have are:
While I realize people need a banner to rally around, ideologies are traps. You adopt one, and after you've bought in they close the doors after you and change it.
Hierarchy without meritocracy leads to degeneracy. There must be upwards and downwards movement, and elites/leaders must earn their positions rather than inherit them.
Ideologies are systematic approaches to political questions. One examines such evidence of the human condition as one sees as valid for the question at hand, and then one forms a heuristic for understanding existing systems. Ideally, this is contingent on the information one gathers being both true and relevant, and in the event of some failure in that regard, one should change. Someone who lies about what he believes, or changes his beliefs not because they are found to be a poor reflection of reality, but for some profit, is of course contemptible. For my part, I try to approach life as a faithful Christian, and interpret reality in accordance with that in mind. I have yet to encounter anything that inclines me against thinking that we are not all fallen creatures in need of grace, and that the world is a place hostile to goodness for that reason.
You are very correct that hierarchy and merit are closely related. Ideally, those born into high station spend their formative years preparing to lead (I think of the family of R. E. Lee or Theodore Roosevelt as good examples for an American context). However, after a while, the blood can get a bit thin, which is why a healthy system finds a way to accommodate those who are worthy but of lower station. In some societies this is through the military, in others the Church, or else the law. In our society status is bound up with commerce and finance, and the results speak for themselves.
"In our society status is bound up with commerce and finance, and the results speak for themselves."
That's a mouthful right there...
“However, after a while, the blood can get a bit thin, which is why a healthy system finds a way to accommodate those who are worthy but of lower station.”
Have you read Selective Breeding yet? Genuine question.
If you’re referring to the Alamariu book then no, not yet. But the premise looks interesting.
Guy with the biggest lats is the leader. Meritolatocracy.
Good points all. I was about to answer your questions, but you answered them yourself.
Or maybe my headache was causing me to misunderstand what you said.
however, you are right. We must be the Rangers like Aragorn.
We must fight the Eye of Sauron and the Ire of Melkor.