Abstract
This essay suggests that political discourse ought to specify goals of social life, rather than argue about means unrelated to goals. When goals are specified, they can serve as frames of reference for designing policies aimed at their realization, and as criteria for evaluating the compatibility of alternative policies with specified goals.
The essay illustrates the suggested approach by specifying as a goal for policy design the optimum development and well-being of every human being. It explores requirements for the realization of such a goal and derives policy principles conducive to its realization. Finally, it comments on short-term and long-term political strategies toward the chosen goal.