Contact: Maridith Geuder
While a Republican administration prepares to take office--assisted by at least one Democrat from the last administration-what does a political label mean these days?
Voters in the landmark 2000 presidential election seemed unable to separate the ideas of President-elect George W. Bush from those of almost-President-elect Al Gore, but there are clear historical differences in the politics each represents, says a Mississippi State political philosopher.
"Our concept of 'liberal' and 'conservative' was influenced by our early experiences in the New World," said Michael R. Clifford, associate professor of philosophy and author of a forthcoming book on American political identity. Americans feel those differences well into the 21st century, he added.
In a chapter specifically dealing with liberals and conservatives, he traces conflicting views that grew out of threats the wilderness presented. His book, which will be published in April by Routledge Press of New York is titled "Political Genealogy after Foucault: Savage Identities."
"American political identity, both liberal and conservative, was shaped in part by our early encounters with Native Americans," he noted.
His book traces the consequences of colonials' reactions to the natives they met. The Puritans, in particular, viewed the strangers as cannibals and adopted a mission of imposing on them civilized values. Other colonials incorporated values of a "noble savage" concept emphasizing self-reliance, independence and strength.
"Two political viewpoints were taking shape according to competing views of the wilderness," Clifford noted.
Other differences emerged in terms of values such as tolerance, the role of the state, freedom, and individuality.
To illustrate with one of the hot issues of the Bush-Gore debates, Clifford describes a liberal vs. conservative approach to the concept of school prayer.
"To a liberal, freedom of religion means the right not to have others' beliefs imposed on you," he explained. "A liberal says that you can't interfere with the individual's right to choose."
By contrast, a conservative believes in promoting the proper virtues, he said. "A conservative sees government restrictions on school prayer as interference in freedom of religion."
The division is, in part, built into the system itself, Clifford says. In a state of nature, lawlessness prevails. Civilized societies enter a social contract to preserve and protect freedom, with a sovereign power given authority to set and enforce laws.
But, conservatives and liberals often interpret that authority differently. "A conservative believes that a government sets laws, and we abide by them," he explained. "A liberal, on the other hand, may see the government as a means of preserving and enlarging freedom."
Despite the differences, he notes that the American electorate saw Bush and Gore as surprisingly similar candidates.
"We didn't see acrimony in terms of the candidates themselves, but in terms of the outcome of the election," he said. Commenting on the ensuing discord, Clifford wonders if the nation is becoming increasingly polarized.
"Americans don't seem to be dissatisfied with the system so much as with those who run the system," he observed. "Policy issues sometimes seem to be secondary."
But, he believes, in history there is hope.
"If we can understand how we arrived at this point and understand what it is that separates us, it is possible to go in another direction."