Comenius's Four Consultants
By John Taylor; 2009 Mar 20, 'Ala 19, 165 BE
Yesterday in an essay entitled "Three Orders of Magistrate" (http://badiblog.blogspot.com/2009/03/three-orders-of-magistrate.html) we discussed Comenius suggestion of three orders of magistrate, a public relations specialist, a guardian and a planner to rule them. (Panorthosia, Ch. 24, para 1, p. 110) The law is a blunt instrument; our present legal system is largely concerned with negative punishments for violations of the law. This triad of magistrates would be pro-active and positive, and could make the law into something more precise and elegant.
The first order, teaching magistrates, would use public relations to raise the general standard of moderation and piety. A second order, guardian magistrates, would adjudicate disagreements and disputes in order to keep the peace. Since justice is concerned with both order as well as law, a third and senior order of judge, called an ephor or censor, would be concerned with keeping good order in society, presumably by making certain that laws are applied in ways that will promote broader social goals and plans. Baha'is will recognize in this a hint of the learned and rulers in the Commonwealth of Baha'u'llah, where the learned specialize further into roles dedicated to propagation and protection.
Today I want to look over another proposal that Comenius suggests in the same paragraph of the Panorthosia. Again, he trumps me on what I thought was my own original idea, a standard dashboard display and internet portal for every world citizen. Although of course computers and the Internet were not around in the time of Comenius, he did envision a support system for every person in a position of leadership. This would be a coterie of four advisors whose expertise covers every major area a leader needs: a spiritual counsellor, a lawyer, philosopher and a doctor.
"Therefore every king, prince, consul, and even the individual citizen should have (1) his own preacher, as a guardian of his conscience, and a counsellor in the things which concern God, (2) his own lawyer as a supervisor in the things which concern man, (3) his own philosopher or sage to guide him in the business of life, and (4) his own doctor as guardian and director of his physical health." (Panorthosia, Ch. 24, para 1, pp. 110-111)
Comenius's proposal, as always, is an outcome of his unitary "pansophic" philosophy, designed to cover essentials while still being understandable and accessible to every human being on earth. A world parliamentarian would have world-class experts as consultants, but as Comenius makes clear such consultants would not be exclusive to a small elite. Everybody needs good advisors so as to assure success in what they are weak at as well as in their strengths. A dashboard computer display would automate details and data input, and would act as an alarm when things start to go wrong. It would also act as an intermediary with the broader intelligence and experience of human knowledge on the internet. However, no matter how good the programming it will never be possible or desirable for software to take the place of professional advisors. The poor have friends and relations to advise them, and since their need is more acute they should be provided with the best consultants gratis when they cannot afford it.
I imagine Comenius's four specialties shown in four dials that a person would see whenever they log onto their computer. The first is a summary of known measures of spiritual health, such as time spent in prayer, meditation, pilgrimage, and amount of money given to the poor and other charitable ends. A second dial is a justice meter, displaying measures of study and inquiry accomplished, perhaps also showing how one is keeping up with career plans and goals. The third indicator, science and philosophy, shows metrics of wisdom, such as the quality of one's discussions and teaching, progress in virtues, as shown from feedback from those we interact with which is provided anonymously, and other metrics. The fourth dial charts physical health through blood pressure, quality of diet, exposure to stress, and whatever other factors physicians consider important.
As such, a plan and a life planner, periodically adjusted by expert advisors, would be available to make everyone a more effective world citizen, always training and honing our leadership and "followership" skills.
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Of course the best advisors may help the bungler but they are useless for a fool or someone unwilling to engage in self-criticism. Comenius therefore starts off his discussion of this issue with a nod to the Sine Qua Non of everything, personal integrity.
"It is essential that those who are appointed to rule over others should themselves be honest, wise, pious, brave, and vigilant, since nothing can rule unless it is right, nor enlighten unless it is full of light."
This is not a minor problem, and the higher we go in human governance the more difficult it becomes. Indeed the most cogent objection to a world government is that if its members are corrupt (as lower levels already are corrupt) we will have no appeal to a higher authority. The whole world will rot and there will be no escape. Stark and other world federalists are suggesting that we avoid even a suspicion of corruption by subjecting high public servants to almost constant surveillance. Video feeds of their every move should then be made available live for any and all to view on the internet. They argue that since security cameras are already recording our every move in public places, why make an exception for all-too-corruptible politicians? Some go so far as to argue that bathroom activity, and even their sex lives be included.
Comenius on his part would probably weigh in against such paranoid counter-measures to corruption. For one thing, the worst corruption in the world is not individual but systemic. Families are weak, and that weakens institutions on every other level. The reform that Comenius puts forward is based on well-ordered households that in turn would raise the bar for their members.
"Finally all will be well in city, state and kingdom if all is well at home and individual families are as well-ordered as I recommended ... Since this depends on the wise self-control of individual people, all magistrates will be vigilant to see that individuals promote the safety and peace of the state by leading pious, righteous, and sober lives." (Panorthosia, Ch. 24, para 1, p. 111)
In other words, as the general standard of virtue at home is raised, so will that of the leaders that emerge from them. What is more, a leader's sincerity and probity are hardly bolstered by the external overview of a security camera. This ends up as interference, since it comes from outside the close feedback loop of a successful family household. A leader has to be one who has demonstrated family leadership skills, already proving that they can be trusted to take the reigns and lead in more universal matters. If they do not, a committee is a better answer than an individual leader.
We are used to hiring only individuals today, who are then expected to sacrifice family interests and ties for the job on offer. However, in future entire households as working units will be hired for many jobs, including political leadership. It would then be in the interest of all members to cut out the slightest hint of corruption before it defeats all their aspirations. Then a leader's ability to work in groups and lead a family enterprise, rather than individual talent, would be the operating principle. Comenius holds that we do not need passive representative of outside interests, even the holy of holies in a democracy, the will of the people. We need creative, autonomous leaders.
"It is absurd for kings to be ruled, or for leaders to be led by other men. The real sun does not need oil poured into it. The real fountain does not need water poured into it."
In this Comenius followed Paul, Peter and other early Christian thinkers, who, influenced by Jesus' example of associating with winebibbers in order to help them (a principle I call "going to the need"), repeatedly made the point that the external law is not there for believers but sinners. Being responsible, believers do not benefit from outside supervision. They are already subject to a much more strict and exacting standard, the intrinsic law of the love of God. For them, improvement comes from devotions, prayer, fasting, alms and personal sacrifice, combined with regular, daily self-assessment. Outside purview does more harm than good because it distracts from a far closer and more exacting trial going on within the heart. A true leader is like the Good Samaritan doing good outside the box, performing pure deeds for goodness's sake and not for social reward.
But as we have seen the principle of leadership autonomy does not mean that it is impossible for the sincere believer to make mistakes. Examination and self-criticism are, therefore, the foundation of justice. From justice come all good and all wisdom. Nor does it preclude taking advice. As Baha'u'llah's meta-advice says, "Consult in all things." Knowledge can never be complete. For that reason the two subsequent steps, volition and action, benefit from more ample data. Here is how Comenius, in his inimitable way, makes this point,
"Nevertheless great magnates (who have many heavy responsibilities) are allowed to have assistants who co-operate with them in drawing up their policies and putting them into action, as a safeguard against error and its ill-effects, just as our mind, which rules its own body like a queen, is provided with a guard of senses, such as sight, hearing, smell, taste, and touch." (Panorthosia, Ch. 24, p. 110)
I think that a leader integrated in a family unit that incorporates a set of good advisors would be immune to corruption. This system constitutes a far more dependable "safeguard against error" than any number of twenty-four-hour-a-day surveillance cameras could provide.
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John Taylor
email: badijet@gmail.com
blog: http://badiblog.blogspot.com/
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