A priority is a principle that determines preference.
Without a priority we cannot choose.
To ‘decide’ is to choose one option
from a number of options.
To choose is to prefer.
We prefer according to our priority.
Priorities determine what we consider as ‘good’ and for whom it is ‘good’.
Many believe priorities are ‘natural’ or ‘self-evident’.
Not so.
They are arbitrary assertions we make as without them we cannot make a decision.
Before World War I in Europe many believed that ‘good’ means ‘Whatever is good for King and country.’ In the United States some believed that ‘What’s good for General Motors is good for the United States.’ But is the ‘Good for General Motors’ also good for the Ford Motor Company? Ford employees may think otherwise.
Human priorities are created by people, not by ‘Nature’, not by ‘God’, not by ‘History’, not by ‘Reality.’ Priorities are not imposed on us from outside, above, or below. If they were, there wouldn’t be political problems.
Many people believe ‘Survival’ is the ultimate priority imposed on us by Nature.
For many others - survival is not the ultimate priority.
For them - there is no ultimate priority.
A BBC survey conducted in 2004 showed that 71% of US citizens were ready ‘to die for God.’ They value God more than their survival. Many value their WAY of life more than life itself. Many prefer to risk their lives for Freedom or Honour rather than to live under oppression, or in shame. ‘Death before dishonour!’ and ‘Freedom or death!’ motivated millions to fight against oppression rather than submit to it.
Is submission to Nazi rule preferable to fighting against Nazism? Many replied - No.
Human society was not created by Nature. It is an arbitrary creation of human beings. By creating society people liberated themselves from total subordination to Nature. In Nature behaviour is dominated by biological needs. There is nothing ‘good’ in being completly dominated by biological needs: it abolishes freedom and reduces priorities to one - survival. Living in society liberates us from this enslavement by making the fulfilment of biological needs easier. Society frees us to choose priorities set by us, not by Nature. Life in society enables us to choose our own priorities.
All political priorities can be sorted into just five types by posing the question:
“I want to do what is “Good”, but for whom should this be good ”?
The five possible answers are:
1. Good for me/my family (the Ego-centric priority) (Libertarian)
2. Good for my King/Country/Nation/tribe (the Ethno-centric priority) (Liberal, Conservative)
3. Good for Humanity (the Anthropo-centric priority) (Social Democrats)
4. Good for God (the Theo-centric priority)
5. Good for all Nature (the Bio-centric priority) (Green Party)
At any moment we have a single priority. We need it as without it we cannot decide.
We cannot have two priorities at the same time, as we cannot prefer two conflicting ideals. We may want two things but if we must choose one of them we must prefer by using our priority.
Each priority excludes all other priorities. ‘Good for King and Country’ excludes ‘Good for me’; ‘Deutschland uber Alles’ excludes ‘Rule Britannia’; both exclude ‘Good for Humanity.’ Many people use one priority for one purpose and another priority for other purposes but at any given moment everyone has only a single priority.
Economic and political conflicts originate from conflicts of priorities. Ethno-centrism of one group comes into conflict with ethno-centrism of other groups and often leads to war. Ego-centrism, the priority principle of Capitalism, contradicts Anthropo-centrism, which is the priority principle of Socialism.
Each priority has sub-priorities, to decide what does ‘good’ mean. ‘Good for me’ can mean maximum health, maximum wealth, maximum power, maximum happiness, or longevity.
Priorities are personal and are chosen. Conclusions are not chosen but imposed by knowledge, by data and by logic.
What about politics? Is “Politics” conclusions or is it decisions ?
Politicians vote . One cannot vote for a conclusion, so politics consists of decisions.
‘Good for King and country’ was the priority of most Europeans up to World War I, and millions of Europeans volunteered to die for that priority.
Two world wars changed people’s priorities. Today most people in Europe, the United States and Canada have another priority: Ego-centrism. ‘I do what is good for me’.
Priorities are programmed into children by parents, teachers, leaders.
Once implanted, it is very difficult to change them - especially if this is done using authoritarian means.
People believe that their own priority is ‘natural’, ‘self-evident’, ‘the only sensible choice’. But all priorities are arbitrary. No priority can be justified ‘objectively’ as every justification is itself based on a priority which requires justification.
