His political philosophy sincerely emphasizes inclusion, social justice and general benevolence. Paradoxically, an overall philosophy of compassion can be a problemIt seems paradoxical since compassion is a good thing. But a particular vision of justice that dispenses with supposedly rigid and heartless rules in favour of “situational ethics” necessarily has profoundly harmful effects that become worse over time. And because they must be unconstrained by rules, including the rule that you will do what you said, they create not just individual unfairness but pervasive, demoralizing, systemically unfair uncertainty. But both compassion and justice require that government should create standing rules for citizens to live by, and politicians too.

Source: National Post October 10, 2017 16:07 UTC