First Principles

One of the things I always meant to do much earlier in this blog is ruminate about movies from a political philosophy standpoint.  In law school, a good friend of mine and I would often argue over whether a movie was conservative or not.  It was an incredibly useful way to refine my own philosophies, get a little intellectual exercise, and have some fun – it sure beat studying civil procedure.

Recently, some of my favorite sites like Big Hollywood and National Review’s listing of their top 25 Conservative movies of the past 25 years got me thinking movies again, and spurred me on to put finger to keyboard on it.

It’s a good way to consider politics.  For one, the discussion can be had at a distance from the day-to-day policy arguments or candidate preferences.  Those are secondary considerations to the more foundational one of political philosophy. For another, it’s a lot more fun than complaining about tax policy.

Using any form of story telling is a way to see philosophy in action in a thousand different ways, and too see how different ideas resonate with characters and situations which speak to us – or which don’t.  That’s why literature is so important.  The idea of exploring the meanings and foundations of our culture is nothing new – we’ve been doing it since Gilgamesh taught us that sleeping with other guys’ wives is a bad idea.  It’s an incredibly useful way to have a political and philosophical discussion.

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So just what is it that makes a Conservative movie?  There are some very conservative movies that just plain aren’t very good (An American Carol, sadly), and quite well made ones which nonetheless insidiously extol the virtues of hippidom, cowardice, and collectivism.

So again, what makes a movie Conservative?  They’re the same things that make anything politically conservative.

1. It celebrates and respects the importance, power, and sovereignty of the individual.
2. It respects the founding principles of America, and the culture of freedom and liberty those principles reflect and nourish.
3. It recognizes that the rule of law matters more than might making right, but keeps in mind that the law and the lawmakers must be legitimate, and that force is often required to support, protect, and defend those laws.
4. Life matters, but so does self sacrifice in the protection of other individuals.  Self sacrifice is distinguished from someone else forcing you to sacrifice yourself for “the greater good.”
5. The idea that there exists something greater than ourselves (and not just The Collective) is not ignored.  Nihilism is not conservative.  That our individual sovereignty is an inalienable and divinely granted gift is.
6. Family matters.  A movie which paints weak fathers, “best friend” mothers, absentee parents, or punk kids as OK or even an ideal is not conservative.
7. Culture and tradition matter.  While not all traditions are good, ones that have survived for hundreds of years are, as often as not, “tried and true.”  Stories which ridicule American culture and tradition for no other reason than age miss out on universal truths which underlie our nation’s foundation, and which have ensured its continued success.
8. Fighting a war doesn’t make one conservative.  Fighting for freedom does.

I don’t know that this list is comprehensive.  But it’s a good start, I think.  Using the above criteria as a loose guide, I will rate the movies out of five (what else?) Reagans:

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Like any art form, movies can have many interpretations.  Some meanings are plain, and some require a certain prerequisite point of view.  So join the discussion, and have some fun!