Not only is the intensity palpable within ceramahs and gatherings, a similar tone is also evident in the cyber space where heated debates and exchanges of views have overwhelmed the social media such as blogs, the facebook and twitter.
While such a phenomenon is regarded as normal with the looming of the general election, the negative culture attached to it is best eschewed. To render support for one’s own party, some leaders and fanatical followers would resort to unethical means such as making false claims and unfounded allegations that include character assassination. In response to such accusations, the opposing parties will stage similar counter attacks. As a result, emotions simply overrule reason causing the situation to get out of hand.
Understandably, the principle that guides extreme political groups is that politics is a war in which all kinds of weapons must be deployed to exterminate the enemies. In engaging power politics, the Prince, says Machiavelli, must be “adaptable and know how to do wrong when he must.”
Naturally, such an approach will lead to a more divisive impact on the society. People become more divided and emotions override everything else particularly level-headedness. Much too often, personalities suffer the most in casualty as they are ruthlessly tarnished. All the dirt and grime is dug out and paraded for the nation to see despite one’s many prior good contributions.
Thus, questions remain: Is this the way politics serve its purpose in administering human life? Must society undergo this unhealthy process to elect a leader? Must we necessarily be divisive before arriving at political maturity when the amount of damage done is irreparable?
The answer lies in how the meaning of politics should be properly understood. More importantly is the understanding of the role of ethics in political activities.
Politics, in its true meaning, is praiseworthy. Philosophers and political thinkers as early as Plato, through his idea of the ‘Philosopher King’, had proposed a political system where wisdom and virtues must be the bases of governing states. Although his idea is also criticised as utopian, the principle that Plato tried to put forward is very important, that is, a true political system must be guided by knowledge and virtue reflected primarily in the characters of the leaders and politicians.
In other words, ethics, according to Plato, must be the basis of politics. Just as men must live virtuous and good life, a state must also be built on a strong ethical ground. If the state is unfavourable, says Plato, the individual citizens would find themselves unable to lead a good life as it should be lived.
This organic relationship between ethics and politics from Plato stemmed from his idea that a state must be a microcosmic reflection of man. Since a state is run by humans who need to be furnished with good ethical virtues for him to be good, a good state must also be refined with virtuous characteristics.
Echoing Plato is al-Farabi, a celebrated thinker from the Muslim tradition whose work, The Opinions of Inhabitants of the Virtuous City, underlines that a state should be properly ruled by virtuous leaders and followed by virtuous people. “The excellent city resembles the perfect and healthy body all of whose limbs co-operate to make the life of the animal perfect and to preserve it in this state.” Among the qualities needed by a ruler, according to al-Farabi, are intelligence, good memory, keenness of mind, love of knowledge, moderation in matters of food, drink and sex, love of truthfulness, magnanimity, frugality, love of justice, firmness and courage.
Arguably for some, real politics can never take ethics as its principle. Such a view is justified if only man is naturally born with the attribute of being power crazed. However, this is not so since man is created by God in the best of mould as affirmed in the Qur’an, “Verily We have created the human being in the best of form.” Furthermore, mankind can take pride in some of its leaders and rulers with good qualities and virtuous characteristics decorating its history. In Islam, for example, Prophet Muhammad and the four-guided caliphs continue to be revered as leaders par excellence for all Muslims. Another outstanding and exemplary leader at a later period was personified in Umar Abd Aziz whose short rule, nevertheless left a tremendous impact. So rigid was Umar’s standard of ethics that he was said to have even refused to use up the candle in his office to light the room when discussing personal matters.
In sum, while we all can agree and understand Einstein when he says, “Politics is more difficult than physics,” we hope that, just as physics has contributed immensely to benefit the life of the human kind, politics would be able to do likewise.