Beyond Left and Right

'To mitigate the penalties of failure, without weakening the incitements to success, and to effect an insurance against the disasters incident to advance, without weakening the forces of advance themselves, is the problem which civilization has not yet solved.'

(Philip H. Wicksteed, The Common Sense of Political Economy)

If you've read A Guide for the Perplexed by E.F. Schumacher, you may recall the metaphors he employs to distinguish between philosophical investigations and scientific ones. The latter can/do "converge," whereas the former "diverge." Hence in science we observe cumulative insight, progress. Philosophy often seems like hopeless disagreement.

To my mind it's an open question whether the dialectical tension which Wicksteed notes represents a "divergent" problem or not; perhaps this is a variation on the theme of the age-old antagonism between Liberty and Equality.

But I think we can effect a more harmonious accomodation of stability and change, safety and encouragment of risk-taking - and to do so might lead beyond Left and Right.