Wednesday, March 23, 2005
Opportunitism - My Very Own Political Philosophy
Here is my humble attempt at engineering a philosophy in governing a country. Well, maybe not just any country, but more specifically, Singapore. I believe that there is no one “perfect” political philosophy that can be applied to all the nations in the world, because we are different in so many aspects, be it physical, mental or spiritual. I am not trying to change the world with my philosophy because I am far from qualified to do so. I do not know much about the other nations in the world, but I know a little bit more about Singapore.
My idea is quite simple and straightforward, actually. Firstly, I did not misspell the word “Opportunitism”. It is deliberately not meant to be “opportunism” because then it may suggest using unfair means to achieve one’s goals. I meant it as it is – “Opportunitism”. Opportunitism is a concept that advocates the individual’s entitlement to a fair provision of opportunity that will bring about self-actualization. I am not talking about equal opportunity, but rather, a “fair” provision of opportunity given to an individual to realize his true potentials. To illustrate this point, consider the case of a person who has just been released from prison. He only possesses a secondary level qualification. Now, if I am applying “equal” opportunity, he should be given the same opportunity as a degree holder to apply for a managerial position in a company, which is unrealistic. However if the management were to apply the concept of “Opportunitism”, the man will not simply be turned down, but he will be given a “fair” opportunity to apply for a position in the company, but in the production department of the organization, despite his criminal record. This concept can be applied to the working environment in general because in many countries, many repentant ex-criminals face unemployment because they are not given the fair opportunity to work.
In fact, the concept of Opportunitism can be applied in almost any aspect of human life – be it political, social or economic. Let us bring the concept of Opportunitism to the context of Singapore. As I have mentioned earlier, the minorities like the Malays and Indians lag behind the Chinese in terms of social status largely because they are not given the fair amount of opportunity in military, working environment and in education. I refute the notion that it is the intrinsic nature of a particular race that causes them to not be as capable or as intelligent as another race. How can that be? They have all been brought up in the same country, under the same government, sharing the same values and culture. I believe it is due to the subtle discrimination and the lack of opportunity in society that the minorities have to face that has caused them to lag behind. Thus, applying the concept of Opportunitism, the government should provide a fair opportunity for the brightest Indian and Malay students by establishing SAP schools for them too. Include the Malays in the elite forces of the military because they too should be given the fair opportunity to serve their country. Provide the fair opportunity to the media to provide constructive criticism on the government. These are some of the steps the government can take to create a more wholesome society where everyone is given the fair opportunity to participate in the country’s decision making.
Opportunitism, as with John Stuart Mill’s “Utilitarianism” concept, can be applied to just about any aspect of our lives. It depends on how constructively we apply it to everyday situations. The key point to note is that Opportunitism is not about providing “equal” opportunity, but rather, a “fair” opportunity to an individual. I believe that only if a person is given the opportunity to prove his worth, can he really discover his utmost potential and in turn, give his best to society.
Lovefoolosopher
¶ 12:51 PM My idea is quite simple and straightforward, actually. Firstly, I did not misspell the word “Opportunitism”. It is deliberately not meant to be “opportunism” because then it may suggest using unfair means to achieve one’s goals. I meant it as it is – “Opportunitism”. Opportunitism is a concept that advocates the individual’s entitlement to a fair provision of opportunity that will bring about self-actualization. I am not talking about equal opportunity, but rather, a “fair” provision of opportunity given to an individual to realize his true potentials. To illustrate this point, consider the case of a person who has just been released from prison. He only possesses a secondary level qualification. Now, if I am applying “equal” opportunity, he should be given the same opportunity as a degree holder to apply for a managerial position in a company, which is unrealistic. However if the management were to apply the concept of “Opportunitism”, the man will not simply be turned down, but he will be given a “fair” opportunity to apply for a position in the company, but in the production department of the organization, despite his criminal record. This concept can be applied to the working environment in general because in many countries, many repentant ex-criminals face unemployment because they are not given the fair opportunity to work.
In fact, the concept of Opportunitism can be applied in almost any aspect of human life – be it political, social or economic. Let us bring the concept of Opportunitism to the context of Singapore. As I have mentioned earlier, the minorities like the Malays and Indians lag behind the Chinese in terms of social status largely because they are not given the fair amount of opportunity in military, working environment and in education. I refute the notion that it is the intrinsic nature of a particular race that causes them to not be as capable or as intelligent as another race. How can that be? They have all been brought up in the same country, under the same government, sharing the same values and culture. I believe it is due to the subtle discrimination and the lack of opportunity in society that the minorities have to face that has caused them to lag behind. Thus, applying the concept of Opportunitism, the government should provide a fair opportunity for the brightest Indian and Malay students by establishing SAP schools for them too. Include the Malays in the elite forces of the military because they too should be given the fair opportunity to serve their country. Provide the fair opportunity to the media to provide constructive criticism on the government. These are some of the steps the government can take to create a more wholesome society where everyone is given the fair opportunity to participate in the country’s decision making.
Opportunitism, as with John Stuart Mill’s “Utilitarianism” concept, can be applied to just about any aspect of our lives. It depends on how constructively we apply it to everyday situations. The key point to note is that Opportunitism is not about providing “equal” opportunity, but rather, a “fair” opportunity to an individual. I believe that only if a person is given the opportunity to prove his worth, can he really discover his utmost potential and in turn, give his best to society.
Lovefoolosopher
