Harold's Socio-Centric Governance Philosophy

Key Insight

Harold's 'soft side' philosophy contends that the cognitive revolution reveals human beings emerge from relationships, thus societal health depends on robust social bonds, not merely maximizing individual choice. He proposes that freedom should not be the ultimate political end, but rather the character of society, as political, religious, and social institutions profoundly influence unconscious choices. This necessitates a shift from an 'economo-centric' to a 'socio-centric' era, where the health of social networks becomes central to thought, aiming to reintroduce 'character talk' and 'virtue talk' into political discourse, recognizing that material inputs alone are insufficient without cultures fostering self-control and trust.

He envisions a revitalized 'socialism' that prioritizes social life over the state, fostering communitarian politics. This approach would focus on economic community, bridging class divides, and reinforcing a common culture. While conservatives might emphasize the state's difficulty in altering culture, liberals would argue for pragmatic attempts. Both would speak the language of fraternity, promoting shared purpose. Harold believes government should not control lives, which weakens civic responsibility, but rather influence the settings in which lives are lived, nurturing fraternal relationships and the citizenry's spirit, viewing state power as beneficial when contained but fatal when excessive.

This constructive governmental role involves fulfilling elemental state tasks like ensuring order, security, and rule of law, while simultaneously reducing programs that weaken culture and character—such as welfare policies discouraging work or earmarks separating effort from reward, which erode social trust. Conversely, government should foster decentralized power and community self-government through initiatives like infrastructure projects that create downtown hubs, charter schools, civically engaged universities, national service programs, and locally administered social-entrepreneurship funds, all designed to encourage an active and cooperative citizenry. As Aristotle noted, legislators inevitably habituate citizens, affirming that 'statecraft is inevitably soulcraft.'