Winston Churchill: Thought and Action

Winston Churchill is someone who took Life seriously. But are men split by two different paths toward a great Life?

“But now I pity undergraduates, when I see what frivolous lives many of them lead in the midst of precious fleeting opportunity. After all, a man’s Life must be nailed to a cross either of Thought or Action. Without work there is no play.”

Churchill has “pity” for undergraduates who waste their schooling; pity is different from disdain or holding anger. He actually has sympathy for them because he was once the same way – Churchill was often faced with academic probation and worse in his early education.

Later, Churchill talks about his own Republic, recalling Plato’s ideal society. If Churchill had it his way, only people who truly wanted to learn would be in school. ‘Life’ is not something to be taken lightly. Likewise, there is a difference between ‘thought’ and ‘Thought,’ as there is also a difference between ‘action’ and ‘Action.’

Socrates comments that justice might be something like “minding your own business.” In Plato’s dialogues like the Euthyphro, Socrates, as a thinker on the highest plane, can never really act out on his Thought. This explains why one must be “nailed to a cross” either of one or the other.

As political beings, we need utility, which is why Congress doesn’t merely think all day about what should be done, but tries to make a good decision. There are no Socratic figures in DC. However, we also don’t want a bunch of Oedipus types running around, who act without knowing what they are doing.

When Churchill liberated undeveloped British territories, he felt that he was shining light into a dark place; the civil British life was a gift, and it took Winston going into the breach to give it. This type of ‘Action’ was more meaningful than the technical trade employed by a mason or welder. I think Churchill sees the necessity for these kinds of people, but they just have to realize that there are higher things in life they could be doing.

The problem is deep ‘Thought’ is required to inform the decision to ‘Act.’ It’s not clear that we can have both, but Churchill seems to think he had done it.

More on this later...