The article is based on the hypothesis that the right and left wings always organize themselves around the contradiction of property and freedom. The author expounds the idea that neither of these two extremes is suitable for becoming a principle of organising society, thus he argues in support of the validity of guidance by the centre. He joins the "pendulum" theory followed by many, which says that if politics swings in one direction for a long time, then social balance (which in the author's view is the balance of property and freedom) can only be restored if it then swings back in the other direction. The article is followed by some remarks of the Editor.