Donald Trump, Barack Obama, & Aristotle

What do Donald Trump, Barack Obama, and Aristotle have in common?

On the surface—according to what Trump says—the answer to this question is: not a lot.

This fact could very well lead to grave consequences for the United States in coming years -- consequences that inversely mirror those we have already been confronting for much of the 21st century.

The Greek
Philosopher Aristotle
384-322 B.C.

Aristotelian philosophy posits that virtue, or "The Good," is found in a balance between two extremes (i.e. deficiency & excess).  One of the ironies of human nature is our tendency to go from one extreme to the other in our efforts to bring about what seems at the time like positive change.

Politically speaking, Barack Obama usually represents the far left extreme (deficiency) when it comes to keeping America safe, prosperous, and influential on the World Stage.

Donald Trump, on the other hand, seems hell-bent on representing the far right extreme (excess).  Indeed, Mr. Trump is sometimes demonized (or heralded) as the "Anti-Obama."  And the great irony of our time is that the single greatest causal force in the rise of Trump's heavy-handed approach has been the preceding practices, policies, and unprecedented leniency of Obama.  Collective humanity, and in this case, Americana, is once again seeking to change course via the historically flawed method of overcorrection.

The Aristotelian issue with the scenario of Trump replacing Obama as Commander-in Chief is not necessarily that President Obama has it right and Trump is completely delusional, or vice versa (although each man's respective acolytes would make that claim).  The problem is that both men represent extremes, which, according to Aristotle, is precisely where trouble inevitably arises.

The "Golden Mean"
Virtue, or "The Good" = Balance

Aristotle's philosophical pursuit of striving for a balance between (or among) extremes, has since become known as "The Golden Mean."

If Aristotle were still around, he would likely decry the agendas and approaches of both Obama and Trump -- as well as the far left and far right political classes that prop them up -- and would probably label them both as crank extremists championing polar opposite (and therefore equally dangerous) ideologies.

In so doing, he would likely issue careful caveats to the body politic regarding not only the dangers of political (or other) extremities; but also of the calamities that can occur amidst overcorrections that swing from one extreme to the other in a nation or culture's attempt to "right wrongs" (real or perceived).

Sometimes such salient swings result in much-needed societal shifts, including moral cleansing.  For example, consider the august Abraham Lincoln (arguably our nation's greatest President) as a succeeding savior to the scandal-ridden buffoon James Buchanan (arguably our nation's worst Executive).  The result of such a seismic political shift proved providential in securing the liberty of an entire race on the American Continent.

However, it should be noted that Lincoln's initial approach to the problem was tempered with the cool-headed balance of a moderate, NOT with the repeating rifles of a radical.  Had he not striven for the "Golden Mean" in his own, gradual approach to unify the nation and liberate African Americans, he may very well have lost the Border States, the war, and the freedom of Southern Blacks right along with it.

Napoleon Bonaparte
1769-1821

In less fortuitous instances, the too-sudden shift from one extreme to the other has led to brutal tyranny and unspeakable horror.  For example, think of the imperially gluttonous monarchy of Louis XVI and Marie Antoninette, which led directly to the Reign of Terror, which, in-turn, led to the rise of Napoleon -- and all within a single generation!

The divergent approach taken by eighteenth-century Americans, when compared to their French counterparts, is a classic historical illumination of the virtue of the Golden Mean at work in practical, political settings.  Thank God for the "Great Compromise" and other Aristotelian wisdom that flowed forth from the Halls of Independence in Philadelphia that sweltering summer of 1787.  Many a head might have been saved had similar wisdom been permitted to permeate the palace at Versailles at precisely the same period of time.

It is likewise sobering to consider the perilous passage of power that ensued between Hindenburg and Hitler in Germany in 1933.  And these are just two of the more prominent examples of what can occur when powerful people flout the Golden Mean in favor of ideological extremes and unconscionable personal ambition.

In more recent times, we have seen the budding consequences that have already began to infiltrate many corners of the globe -- a result of the polar political shift that occurred between George W. Bush and Barack Obama in 2008.  Indeed, it seems at times as though Barack Obama governs by the guidance of one, single, overriding goal: to guarantee that history categorically disassociates his name with Mr. Bush and nearly everything he stands for, regardless of the collateral damage to others in the process.

What might the consequences be of a similarly radical power shift from Obama to Trump?  We don't know; and hopefully, we won't have to find out.  In the meantime, voters may do well to consider the advice Aristotle would likely offer in the midst of such a perilous time as this.

If this great Greek were to return from the grave and add his two cents to the fire, I'm confident he would suggest the only sure pathway to short-term safety and long-term peace is to select a leader whose temperament, common sense, knowledge base, experiences, and most importantly -- principles -- embrace the Golden Mean, instead of one whose committed posture envelopes far flung ideological extremities.

The Danger of Overcorrecting

When a driver overcorrects a deviant maneuver in an automobile, the result is typically a damaging rollover.  An extreme right-wing overcorrection by Trump of Obama's deviant left-wing ideology could potentially signal a national "crash" of catastrophic proportions.  The question is, will a leader arise who can both successfully duel Trump and ease up on political wheel to lead a more gradual course correction back to the Golden Mean that has made America the greatest nation on Earth over the past two-and-a-quarter centuries.

Note: Freedom Focused is a non-partisan, for-profit, educational corporation.  As such, we do not endorse or embrace political figures.  We do, however, comment from time-to-time on political events that provide pedagogical backdrops to illuminating principles contained in the SAL Theory & Model.  Aristotle's "Golden Mean" is one such principle.  

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