A Preface to Politics — CHAPTER VII

1. 1. No political philosophy is absolutely true; each is an inadequate system that reflects its historical context.
2. 2. The search for an absolute philosophy is a naive hope that one thinker's experience can generalize for all time.
3. 3. Political theories are instruments of the will, not products of pure reason; they serve human purposes and desires.
4. 4. Socialism as a living force is a product of the will—a will to beauty, order, neighborliness—not logical deduction.
5. 5. Successful politicians appeal to will, hopes, and visions, not to logical reasoning.
6. 6. Tom Johnson failed as mayor because he did not share his vision of 'The City on the Hill' with the public, focusing only on practical details.
7. 7. Georges Sorel's concept of the 'social myth' holds that revolutionary ideas like the General Strike are expressions of will, not descriptions of reality.
8. 8. Nietzsche claimed that every great philosophy is an involuntary autobiography, driven by the philosopher's impulses and prejudices.
9. 9. The Marxian tradition, as transmitted by followers, is more politically influential than Marx's original texts.
10. 10. Economic determinism, while useful in propaganda, becomes a burden in action because it undermines personal initiative.
11. 11. A new social myth should focus on man as a creator and engineer, capable of shaping society through deliberate choices.