Dr. Zhivago and political philosophy…
Writing by abuhatem on Friday, 26 of October , 2007 at 7:37 pm
We just finished watching Dr. Zhivago in my Russian politics class. For those of you who don’t know, Dr. Zhivago is a love story film which chronicles the events of the Communist revolution in Russia.
In one scene of the movie, one of the Soviet officers who played a part in the revolution proclaims that he left his wife and child behind - with total apathy of them - because “the private life in Russia is dead,” and that he perferred working for the ideology of the revolution in establishing the Utopian society.
A central question relating to things like this is how do such horrid people like this come about? Normal people like to live the private life. The film of Dr. Zhivago shows the importance of being in love in life, having religion, having true and deep friendships, and sincerely living life experiencing love, care for others, and true companionship with people.
Our professor said that this highlights the central issue of political philosophy, ever since the time of Plato - and this is highlighted in the Republic. Edmund Burke stated that in revolutions the worst of people rises to the top, and people’s worst aspects become manifest. Our professor said the private life IS life - it should be the most important thing to you. When people become so caught up in ideology, so Utopian that they disregard love, care, true friendships, and their family - when they find that political ideology is more important than the private life then this is when danger results.
The whole point of politics is to establish the means for people to live the good life. In the good life, people have true loving friendships, fall in love, have religion, and truly care for people. These societies are normal and stable and lead to human happiness. But societies which, in their Utopian blindness, destroy the private life in their quest for Utopia - creating tyrannous police-states, will ultimately fail. What good is there in a society which creates human beings who learn that lying, cheating, stealing, and hurting others is good?
The central issue which the Republic, a book I have loved to hate for its outdated Greek psychology (”the balance of the soul,”) and outdated morality (Plato and Socrates debating moral theories), is that the state is a reflection of the case of its people. If a state is made up of good people and actively attempts to create good people by implementing justice, morality, and allowing “the private life,” then it will be a good state. But if it tries to destroy “the private life,” if it is encouraging people to be bad people (like tyranny does) it will be a bad state.
Our professor also stated that religion is an immensely important part of society for its nurturing of “the private life,” and its creation of hope and faith in human beings who will then cooperate with others and love and care for others. Religion creates social cohesion and love. (Not to mention the fact that even atheist academics have studies that say religious people are happier, they have less anxiety, and religion’s function in providing societal cohesion. Other than the perils of religious extremism, religion is a very important thing in society, whether you believe in it or not!).
I just found it interesting, after 3 years I finally understand that book (after having been made to read it many times).
However in other news I still hate political philosophy. It is mostly useless. Paraphrasing the founder of American political philosophy, John Burges, … well at least in modern terms… “If it aint broke, don’t fix it!” We have systems that work! We don’t need to discuss the cyclos in Plato’s Republic or Strauss and Voegelin’s interpretations of the Pelopenesian war!
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