The idea of positive and negative ideals calls to mind Isaiah Berlin's positive and negative freedoms (freedom from/freedom to), and strikes me of being well worth further development. The "ideal" (as an object) doesn't appear (after a very brief look) to have a good antonym.



If an ideal is like a pole star -- useful for navigation but impractical as a destination -- how should a "negative ideal" be captured in an equivalent simile?



Good, provocative essay. Would like to read more.