NeoPolitics.org is a student-initiated and student-staffed online journal of policy, politics, and culture. Our mission is two-fold. First, we desire to discover and disseminate a principled perspective of policy and culture. Second, we seek to explore all useful resources and approaches that may lead us to a better paradigm and a more optimal integration of these principles in the context of the postmodern era – culturally, socially and politically.
NeoPolitics stands for the proposition that ends are not obsolete, principles have not outlived their usefulness, and America’s greatness, which lies in her meaning, can be recovered.
Principles for a Postmodern Era
How do we arrive at a principled perspective of policy and culture? First and foremost, our work must be recovery of ends. The postmodern era is singularly distinguished by its rejection of fixed absolutes. Pre-modernity, in contrast, was marked by its grounding in the transcendent. God was at the center of the universe; God was the source of meaning. The modern world replaced God with man, and humanity itself supplied society’s ends. Postmodernism threw out all ends and essentially proclaimed that every meaningful dialogue could concern only means. Because principles are nothing more than reflections of the absolute, postmodernism, rejecting absolutes, rejected principles.
As a result, today’s political battles are waged over questions of bigger or smaller government, more or less affirmative action, a stronger or weaker federal judiciary. We speak of better government in terms of how government operates. We have largely forgotten the preliminary what questions. The current “dialogue” between liberal and conservative elements in America can have no constructive resolution until the exclusive focus on means is modified by an investigation into the question of ends. What is the purpose of government? What is the nature of justice? How should we understand equality? What can we know about human nature?
The principled approach to politics, policy, and culture is concerned first with addressing the question of absolutes. NeoPolitics is committed to a recovery of America’s ends. Why do we exist as a people? What is the meaning of America? Our distinctive contribution to this dialogue is our conviction that, in this discussion, to move forward we must look to the past, remembering our Christian heritage.
We believe that a principled perspective, perhaps every principled perspective, must be in harmony with the Bible.
We do not propose to disregard the how questions, of course. As we tackle the issues of authority, justice, and equality, we must apply our findings to the real world. Therein lies the beauty and power of principles. These reflections of the absolute become our touchstone as we venture to address questions of the size of government, the nature of affirmative action, the role of the judiciary. Principles, reflecting our proper end, must inform our dialogue concerning the best means.
You should not conclude that we believe our political conclusions infallible, our cultural understanding perfect. Absolutely not! We do not profess to have definitive answers. What we offer, however, is the proposition that, to create constructive proposals, certain questions must be asked; certain ends held in view.
In the long run men hit only what they aim at. Therefore, though they should fail immediately, they had better aim at something high.
– Henry David Thoreau
Where is America aiming today? It is not sufficient to answer, “Toward a ‘multicultural society,'” first, because the term is essentially descriptive, not prescriptive. Second, the two ideas are in tension, and, if seen as a prescription, possibly contradictory. “Multicultural” describes difference; “society” presupposes commonality. The current national concern with multiculturalism may simply indicate an unwillingness to deal with questions of ends and absolutes; it reflects an aversion to a principled perspective. Variety is of course a wonderful characteristic of every healthy society, but it can never constitute a culture’s identity.
Who are we as a people, and what is our destination?
NeoPolitics stands for the proposition that ends are not obsolete, principles have not outlived their usefulness, and America’s greatness, which lies in her meaning, can be recovered.
We are excited to hear your opinions and to receive your contributions as well. If you have an article on politics, policy, or culture that embodies “principles for a postmodern era“, then please consider submitting it for publication to NP’s editors. Submissions can be sent using the Contact us page. We do not require that you be in perfect harmony with our politics or theology; there is diversity even here concerning what constitutes principled politics from a Judeo-Christian perspective.
If these questions and the search for answers excites you, then join us at NeoPolitics, through your readership, through response to our posted articles, through submission of your own works. We are looking forward to an exciting and productive new year. Welcome, and we hope you enjoy the journal.
What do you think? Do we need a national understanding of and consensus on principles and absolutes before we can have constructive dialogue concerning public policy? Can we achieve either of those objectives without reference to the Bible? To respond, please send us a note (your response may be considered for publication in the letters section of NeoPolitics).