Politics > Determining Political Choice > Review Political Choice > Paradoxes of Choice

Paradoxes of Accepting & Striving

An interesting finding in the Tree is the emergence of a contrast between acceptance of situations and determining possibilities.

The odd levels seem to suggest acceptance of imperfections in the status quo; while even levels suggest investigating and enabling improvements. This is a manifestation of an oscillating duality, found in all THEE 7-level hierarchies.

See a Table

Tree Level	Label [Type Level]	Feature in Tree	Oscillating Duality in Spiral
	Pluralist-III [L-I]	SPIRAL ONLY: Participative devolved politics	Determine community strengths and enable political change
7	Communalist [L-V]	Human needs, that are intrinsically personal and communal.	Accept differences amongst communities and tolerate inequalities amongst individuals.
6	Transcendentalist [L-VII]	Personal principles and cultural identity.	Determine inner convictions and enable integrity.
5	Conventionalist [L-II]	Public opinion, social sentiment and the practical adaptations of individuals.	Accept public sentiment and tolerate conventions, herding and common practical choices.
4	Rationalist [L-1]	Government seeking solutions to problems in a rational consultative way.	Determine the nature of problems and select a socially acceptable resolution.
3	Individualist [L-IV]	Individuals’ own interests, social obligations and responsibilities	Accept differences amongst individuals related to growing inequalities in wealth.
2	Legitimist [L-VI]	Rule of law and equality under the law.	Determine the extent of enfranchisement and organize the redistribution of powers and wealth.
1	Pluralist-1 [L-III]	Differential benefits & power struggles to sustain these.	Accept existing elite classes & tolerate inequalities in power and privilege.

The Table can also be represented as interlinked diamonds in the TET-Spiral diagram as shown below.

Progressive political challenges showing the two diamonds of inquiry-initiative and acceptance-adaptation.

More on choices in authoritarian regimes.

Originally posted: July 2009; Last updated: 27 Jan 2010

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