The definition of a statesman has been debated since Plato’s time. Historian Charles A. Beard defines a statesman as someone who prepares their country for the future, takes risks, and exits with respectability. Style and results are important, but it often takes time for statesmanship to emerge. A statesman is above partisan politics, forward-looking, persuasive, composed, and accomplishes things that end up in history books.
No one may run for the office of statesman, nor is it per se an elected office. The question “What is a statesman?” it’s been debated since the days of Plato, who wrote a long play called “The Statesman” (one of the stars of which was Socrates) but couldn’t quite nail the term.
Historian Charles A. Beard, writing in the American Mercury, observed: “The statesman is one who divines the long future, foresees the place of his class and nation in it, works intelligently to prepare his countrymen for their fate, combines courage with discretion, takes risks, is prudent when necessary, and exits the scene with a reasonable degree of respectability.
President Harry Truman, with his Missouri dry humor, defined a statesman as “a politician who has been dead for 15 years.” Indeed, most statesmen are associated with government in some form, though not always as elected officials. Some are appointees, such as the US Secretary of State, some are private citizens.
Actions and results are important in achieving statesmanship, but style also enters the mix. Thus, Franklin D. Roosevelt is seen as a statesman by almost everyone, while Harry Truman is not; the same with John F. Kennedy and Richard Nixon.
However, as Beard has pointed out: “The same person who is a statesman to one part of the public is a demagogue and a charlatan to another.” Hence, the Truman waiting period. It often takes time for statesmanship to emerge.
At the risk of assuming success where Plato and others failed, here is a short list of what appear to be statesmanlike qualities.
1. A statesman is generally above partisan politics.
2. A statesman takes a forward-looking view of things and tries to consider what is best not only for his nation or group, but for all concerned.
3. A statesman possesses the power of persuasion, not only vis-à-vis other national and international leaders, but also his own constituency. Plato referred to his ability to “graze”.
4. A statesman can be tough when needed, but never loses his composure or perspective.
5. The things a statesman accomplishes often end up not just in the newspapers, but in the history books.
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