Good Governance

What is the purpose of

government?

What is it that all human

beings want?

In view of the fact that all knowledge and every pursuit aims at some good, what is the highest of all goods achievable by action? Verbally there is very general agreement; for both the general run of men and people of superior refinement it is happiness; they identify living well and doing well with being happy.

Aristotle

People are social beings

"It would be strange to represent the supremely happy man as a recluse. No one would choose to have all possible good things on the condition that he must enjoy them alone; for man is a social being and one whose nature is to live with others; accordingly the happy man must have society, for then he has everything that is naturally good."

Aristotle

How is happiness attained?

When our desires are fulfilled.

Hungry -> food -> happy

Missing someone -> see them ->

happiness

The problem is that . . .

Some desires are unrealistic

Some desires are immature

Some desires are excessive

Some desires are wrong

And this leads to unhappiness

Religions all recognize this

Paul - ‘wretched man that I am’

Jeremiah - ‘heart is corrupt’

Buddhism - all suffering caused by craving -> whole way of life based on extinguishing craving

Paradox - fulfilment of desire leads to both happiness and suffering

Desires need to be chanelled and controlled so they bring happiness and not suffering

What are the main desires

people have?

Desire to eat, sleep and be warm

Desire to experience love

Desire for social position or power

Desire for knowledge

Desire to worship

Structures to satisfy

these desires

Human desire Social system

To experience love Family

For material things Economy

For position and authority Civil society, politics

For knowledge and skills Education

To worship Religion

What is the purpose of

government? Defence

To protect a country from invasion which would destroy a people’s way of life and prevent them from being happy

Justice

To maintain the laws necessary to create a realm of freedom so that people can live a moral and meaningful life and thus be happy and fulfilled

What is Law? System of rules that mediates the relations

between people Creates rights and obligations

“The rule of law is better than the rule of any individual” Aristotle

Creates freedom

Where does law come from?

Divine

Mosaic law, Sharia

Custom and judges

English Common law

Legislation

Emperor

Legislature

The family system

Fulfiling the desire for loving

relationships

Family is the place of meaning

Dwelling place of God - the family that prays together stays together

Spiritual life creates hope for the future

Sense of meaning

Reason to live and to multiply Shabbat prayer

Family as the school of love

Place for love between husband and wife

Reproduction and love between parents and children

Socialisation and education into the manners, customs and traditions of one’s community

Transmission of culture and the good way of life

Family as an economic unit

Work together to create

wealth to support family

and community

Develop a sense of

responsible ownership

Develop and realise

creativity

Culture of giving and

sharing

Family is the basis of society Love

Life

Lineage

Family crimes

Adultery - chief cause of divorce and family break up

Unmarried mothers - every child has the right to a mother and a father

Child abuse and neglect Especially common among step-families

Neglect of parents and grandparents

Government supplanting role of family in education, health, welfare, finance

Role of government

Support traditional family Family and marriage law

Tax system Favour marriage and children

Inheritance Build up generational wealth and responsibility

Social security system should not subsidise unmarried mothers

Social services should be voluntary sector

The family is the basis of

society

Familial collapse -> social collapse

Society more than just families

Social structures and institutions

Distinction between family and society

family based on affection - forgiveness

society based on justice

Affection in social relations -> corruption (nepotism)

Legalism in family relations -> destruction

Family society

Family expands small society

Affection declines as distance increases

Scarcity of goods

- selfishness/limitations to generosity

-scarcity of desirable goods

destructive conflict

Need framework of commonly accepted rules

The economic system

Fulfilling the desire for goods to be

able to live a comfortable life

1. Recognition and respect

of ownership

Relationship between person and things

Relationship between people - property

is a social convention

End of disputes - stability of possession

3rd blessing. Lord of Creation

2. Transfer of ownership

Rights over goods transferred by consent Can give things to someone

Can sell things to someone

Market Place where transfer ownershp by exchange

Origin of money Convenient unit of exchange

division of labour and specialisation

Freedom and responsibility

Freedom within the law

2nd blessing - ethical relationships

3. Performance of promises

“My word is my bond”

Promise keeping

1st Blessing

Society as moral

Self-limitation - don’t be greedy

Natural rational expectations

Trust people including strangers

Free trade between strangers

3 Principles of justice, 3

Blessings, 3 Laws 1. Society of owners

- 3rd blessing - dominion over creation

- Do not steal/misuse public money

2. Society as a market - 2nd blessing - ethical relationships

- Do not have immoral relationships

3. Society as moral - 1st blessing - mind body unity

- Do not hurt a person’s heart

Economic crimes

Theft, robbery, stealing, fraud,

Denial of private property - nationalisation without compensation;

Unreasonable and punitive taxation including taxation for social engineering such as inheritance tax

Reneging on agreements - not paying salaries, invoices,

Breaking promises

Role of government

Establish and maintain simple legal framework for free market.

Law of contract, laws against theft, fraud

Maintain independent judiciary

Independent central banks

Limited taxation

Government should not be involved in finance or the economy.

Minimise bureaucracy and corruption

Civil society

Fulfiling the desire for social

position and power

Civil society

Human desire to have position in society

where can make a difference, unique

contribution

Multitude of institutions in civil society:

Politics, businesses, charities, local

government, religion, schools, hospitals etc.

Civil society should be law governed

Freedom of speech, movement, living,

career

Meritocracy

Crimes against civil society

Achieving position illegitimately

Murder, coups

Nepotism

Cronyism

Corruption, bribery

Discrimination in public sector

Totalitarianism

Role of government

Maintain an independent judiciary

Maintain roads, sewers

National defence

Safety net welfare

Government to protect way of life and not to

engage in social engineering

Educational system

Fulfilling the desire for knowledge

and understanding of the world we

are to inhabit

What is education?

Education is the transaction between the generations when children are initiated into the world which they are to inhabit

This is not just transfer of knowledge and skills

It is most fundamentally learning to perform humanly

Where does education take

place? Family Teach children how to behave

To live a spiritual life

How to think, not what to think or believe

Skills Swimming, gardening, house maintenance, money

management etc.

School History, literature, language, religion

Specialised knowledge, skills

More complex thinking

Educational crimes

Failing to pass on the wisdom of the ages- treason of intellectuals

Dumbing down

Indoctrination

Not graduating with qualifications and skills

Information without values, purpose, meaning

Schools should be . . .

Independent - self-governing and not controlled by the state

Financed by fees, scholarships, vouchers

Free to specialise and set curricula

Not for indoctrination - religious or political

Follow public exams set by universities and other professional bodies

Religion

To satisfy the desire to worship

Religion

Acknowledgement of a dependence on a

superhuman being expressed through acts of

cult - worship of God

Concerned with questions of meaning of life,

right and wrong behavior, salvation

Rituals to give meaning and sanctification to

rites of passage such as marriage

Religious crimes

Idolatry

Mistaking the relative for the absolute

Sectarianism

Bigotry

Fundamentalism

Role of government

Allowing religious freedom

Enable religious communities to be

involved in law making, education and

values

Summary

Human desire Social system Crime

Experience love Family Adultery

Material things Economy Stealing

Position Civil society Murder

Knowledge,

thinking

Education Falsehood,

indoctrination

Worship Religion Idolatry

Renaissance Enlightenment Communism

Reformation Second

Reformation

Liberal

Democracy

Maturation of politics, economy

and ideology (1789-1918)

Maturing of political

structure, economy,

Agricultural &

industrial revolution

Conflict between

religion and

philosophies

Reformation and

Renaissance

Cain-

type

view

Abel-

type

view

Ideas have consequences

Cain view of life French rationalism

German idealism

Materialism, atheism

Abel view of life British empiricism

Spiritual revival

Totalitarian

Democracy

Liberal

Democracy

Cain-type democracy: totalitarian

democracy

France Powerful monarchy

Justinian legal code

Little democracy

Revolution 1789 Atheistic

Rationalistic

Idealistic - remodel society

Statist, collectivist

Totalitarian

Abel-type democracy:

liberal democracy

Anglo-Saxon England Witan, rule of law, freedom, separation of powers,

value of the individual, tradition, custom, Christian

Magna Carta 1215

Trial by jury, monarchy limited by law

Parliament 1297

Government by consent

English Civil War 1640

Abolition of arbitrary rule, religious freedom

Glorious Revolution 1688

Parliamentary independence

Separation of powers

American Revolution 1776

Constitution, individual rights

From the very beginning the separation of powers was to be characteristic of the ideal society which God has been working to realise to prevent the concentration of power in the hands of a single individual. EDP, 361

God

Legislature Judiciary Executive

Makes laws Executes policies Upholds justice

With the establishment of constitutional democracy, the

framework for the ideal political system was set up. EDP, 362

Industrial revolution

The Industrial Revolution which began in

England arose out of God's providence

to restore the living environment to one

suitable for the ideal world.

Promoted trade which led to empire

Supported spreading of the Gospel

Person is the model for society

Brain

Spine

Nervous System

Heart

Lungs

Stomach

Limbs

Cells

God

Christ

Political leaders

and parties

Executive

Legislative

Judiciary

Organizations

Individuals

In the ideal world, because people’s horizontal relationships with each other are rooted in their vertical relationship with God, they will form one integrated and interdependent society. EDP, 362

What kind of economic system?

In front of God all people have the same value

God wants to provide a good environment and living conditions equally for all his children

No destructive competition due to over production

No unfair distribution leading to excessive accumulation and consumption EDP, 342

What kind of system?

One where there is . . .

Interdependence, mutual prosperity

& universally shared values

Original mind pursues socialist values

Community

Support

Equality

Freedom

Democracy

How has Satan been working?

Satan has worked through fallen people

to realise, in advance of God, a

perverted form of the ideal society

which God intends to realise.

As a result in human history we witness

the rise of unprincipled societies which

are built upon twisted versions of the

Principle. EDP, 329

What kind of socialism?

God’s plan is to develop a socialistic

economy, although with a form and content

utterly different from the state socialism and

communism actually established. EDP, 341

Not a planned economy

Not a welfare state

Not a state educational system

Not a state health system

No state owned banks and industries

Limited state social security

Where do we find . . .

Excessive production

Communist and planned economies

But planning is inherently impossible

Why is planning impossible?

Impossibility of calculation

Ludwig von Mises, F.A. Hayek

All knowledge is tacit knowledge

Michael Polanyi, F.A. Hayek

Knowledge for planning does not exist

G.L.S. Shackle

Where do we find . . .

Excessive production

Communist and planned economies

But planning is inherently impossible

Unfair distribution

Feudalism where monarchy and aristocracy

accumulate and consume excessively

Socialism where state employees are at an

unfair advantage

What is a free market?

A place where people can freely buy and

sell without interference

The price mechanism regulates production

Too much lower price reduce production

Too little high price increase production

Price and market regulate distribution

Goods sold to person willing and able to pay

the market price

The Principle and the free

market economy

Give and take

Freedom and responsibility

Three Blessings

Promise keeping

Law of contract

Ownership of property

Welfare and education organised within civil society

Charity, business, cooperatives, insurance