In his recent New York Times op-ed column "What Moderates Believe" David Brooks sketches a thoughtful vision of civil society, beginning with an image:

... politics is a voyage with a fractious fleet. Wisdom is finding the right formation of ships for each specific circumstance so the whole assembly can ride the waves forward for another day. ...

His eight-fold way:

• The truth is plural ...
• Politics is a limited activity ...
• Creativity is syncretistic ...
• In politics, the lows are lower than the highs are high ...
• Truth before justice ...
• Beware the danger of a single identity ...
• Partisanship is necessary but blinding ...
• Humility is the fundamental virtue ...

_{^z - 2017-08-26}