MIKAEL GOOD
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ON THE PROBLEM OF F U TILITY
On the Problem of Futility Mikael Rose Good
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certain world-weariness pervades some conservative thought. Conservatives have put away the incandescent dreams of youth—no one can deceive them now. They know that power corrupts, institutions crumble, and utopian dreams fail. They see goodness in the world, to be sure, but they see its inherent precariousness just as clearly. They also know that the best intentions to bring heaven to earth often end in disaster. With the hard lessons of history in mind, conservatives content themselves with a humble political vision: that of rescuing at least some good things from the ravages of decay and corruption. This is a worthy goal, but one that warrants further probing into the heart of things. Why do loftier and more idealistic visions of politics seem destined to fail? What is it about our world that makes this so? A key culprit is time, which subjects all human achievements to decay. It seems, then, that any human pursuit must be characterized by a condition of futility. The problem of futility is one that we must encounter—both intellectually and emotionally—in the quest for political wisdom. Perhaps one of the only ways we can transcend the futility of the temporal is through love. Love of the other enables us to discern something of eternity, of infinite worth, and of imperishable goodness in another immortal soul. Love is inescapably practical and particular in its manifestation and, as such, is one absolute that conservatives can afford to hang their hats on. Time and Its Difficulties Temporal experience, considered in itself, is unmoored from anything to Vol. III, No. 2
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