ABSTRACT
Political institutions and practices are always a manifestation of a view of human nature and society. Life in a decentralized society with a proliferation of small and vigorous groups tends to foster habits of self-restraint and concern for others. Most generally, a decentralized society shapes an entire attitude towards life, a way of thinking about how to deal with human beings at home, in the local community, in the nation, and abroad. In the West, the decentralized society is deeply rooted in Christian ideas of community and virtue, which are akin to earlier Greek ideas, especially those of Aristotle. Traditional Western morality creates a strong presumption that man's primary moral obligation is to deal with problems at close range, starting with self. An interest in neighboring countries and the rest of the world comes naturally to any civilized society; the benefits of contacts across borders are numerous and varied: commercial, cultural, political, and military.
