SHAWVILLE, QUEBEC | Our Liberal riding association seems firmly in support of Michael Ignatieff, and, no matter what anyone may think of Mr. Ignatieff -- as a potential prime minister -- one thing we should all accord him is his integrity. Ignatieff is well known on the world stage as a historian and thinker dealing with political rights, nation states, minorities, and so on. He could have remained within his stimulating and comfortable life as a public intellectual -- as did his famous mentor, Isaiah Berlin -- content to influence his world through his teaching and effect on others.

Instead, he has put this aside and entered the world of realpolitik where there's as much mud as mind at play, where he and his wife will be subjected to public scrutiny by the usual collection of talking heads, whose own lives might not be too inspirational. Other politicians may be or have been as brainy as Ignatieff and maybe as accomplished (I can't think of any, however), but these others entered the fray almost out of necessity. Most who enter politics are either driven by their convictions and support from others or who find the pace and the stakes exciting and challenging.

Maybe Ignateiff unites both elements; he has the convictions, but his motive for leaving the ivory tower may be the challenge of putting those principles into action.

Mr. Ignatieff may even unintentionally have ambitions of being a philosopher-king, the iconic leader who combines intellect with action for no self-gain. There have been very few philosopher-kings in history -- more often the opposite.

Pierre Elliott Trudeau was one, since he was able to accomplish many long-range goals, as opposed to being intelligent but mired in daily battles, as most political leaders seem to be, mired and intelligent.

As for other philosopher kings, most are such distant historical figures, that their reality and their accomplishments are shaky. Thomas Jefferson, for example, or Gandhi.

There is a second point.

As exciting as it may be, this prospect of a sharp intellect heading our government, someone able to unite as well as lead, the second consideration is that a philosopher-king, by definition is going to change things. There will be change.

Trudeau gave us change from bedroom legislation to constitutional repatriation (no comment on his methods or on the compromises these accomplishments required). An equally intelligent leader who is not a philosopher king, in other words who is more a horse-trader or a manager, may keep the ship of state nicely afloat, with little change (which means not changing some of the inequities and deregulations which wreak their toll on our society). Harper started off as the ideologue, but the force of world events may have converted him to a horse-trader.

The very force of events that have turned Harper may also bend Ignatieff, but if he is a true philosopher-king, those events will point the way to what has to be changed.

Which wouldn't be bad.

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Copyright © 2009 Fred Ryan/Log Cabin Chronicles/03.09