Plato’s greatest contribution to western civilization was not his ruminations on the soul, nor his analogy of the cave, but his idea of the philosopher king.
Don’t tune out yet.
The concept basically argues that the best ruler is a philosopher, or “lover of wisdom,” in the original Greek.
It’s to say that society benefits best from leaders who concern themselves with big ideas, who wrestle with the big questions.
I’m not ready to call Bill Hightower, Republican candidate for governor, a philosopher king, but his form of politics is rooted in, well, the roots, the big ideas, of modern conservatism.
In his response to the first question on the Alabama Policy Institute/Yellowhammer News candidate questionnaire, Hightower wrote that his first interactions with conservatism were in reading National Review magazine. William F. Buckley, National Review’s founder, is arguably the voice who has shaped modern conservatism more than any other.
Hightower continued to name specific intellectuals who he reads or follows, including the economists – Friedrich Hayek, Ludwig von Mises and Milton Friedman – who developed modern free market economic policy.
All of this attribution shows that Hightower is not only familiar with, but interested in exploring further the intellectual foundation of conservatism. ‘Conservative’ is more than a buzzword that he expects to attract team voters. It’s a tradition of ideas and principles that have developed through years of intellectual and spiritual reflection on human nature.
Further, he is the one Republican candidate for governor who has tended to go beyond political tropes and self-congratulation and to make systematic arguments about policy.
Just about every response Hightower gave to the candidate questionnaires is three times longer than his opponents’ and three times more thoughtful. Depth doesn’t necessarily accompany length, but in Hightower’s case, it does.
Hightower has also prioritized certain issues, the importance of which other candidates have overlooked.
For example, he has devoted significant attention to making the case for budget reform, arguing that having a General Fund Budget and Education Budget is bad for Alabama.
He wants to see earmarks banned and has promised to propose a Sexual Harassment Commission for state employees.
No candidate is without weaknesses. Hightower’s position on civil asset forfeiture is notably disappointing, as he puts little pressure on law enforcement to ensure that innocent people don’t have their property seized and never returned.
Even still, Hightower has made his case for the governorship by making it larger than himself, or any series of things done under his leadership as a business owner and state senator.
What a candidate has done – or has taken the credit to have done – is secondary to what informs the candidate, and Hightower is committed to informing himself by conservatism.
@jeremywbeaman is a contributing writer for Yellowhammer News
Don’t miss out! Subscribe today to have Alabama’s leading headlines delivered to your inbox.