#445 Musings Beyond the Bunker (Thursday September 1)
Good morning,
CIVIC FRIENDSHIP
I attended a class in the Aspen Institute Socrates program earlier this summer. Twenty of us, plus a moderator, were engaged in a fascinating three-day colloquium on Americanism. I won’t bore you with the details, but the readings ranged from the Federalist Papers through the expansion of the notion of Americanism and what it takes to be an American. One idea of Americanism that was most attractive to me is the idea of civic friendship, even among those who disagree. What is important for this civic friendship:
“… for Aristotle civic friendship involves sharing a common opinion, though the coincidence of opinion is not sufficient grounds for this (or any other kind of) friendship. The shared opinion among citizens must be of a certain sort – the kind that involves agreement about what is advantageous and just, which in turn forms the basis for public decisions and actions.”
Throughout the trials and challenges of America’s history, there was a sense of agreement about “what is advantageous and just.” It is a longer discussion whether what is just is universal or relative. Certainly, even slaveowners knew the institution of human servitude was unjust. And while there was a segment of the population that resisted racial equality during the Civil Rights era, there was a national consensus about right and wrong. In the present day, I don’t think there is much disputing that basic health care is something society should provide to its most vulnerable, there remain legitimate disputes about how it is distributed and at what cost. And until very recently, Americans’ concept of what the nation stood for in the world and the furthering of democracy, civil rights, and free trade were part of a general national consensus, certainly among the leaders of both parties.
But today, it is not at all clear we all share basic values. Many of the youth no longer count democracy as a critical and essential factor to a free society. Many among our populace speak of Mr. Trump in reverential terms generally reserved for despots and monarchs. Some seek criminal justice reform, while others seek maximal retribution and prolonged prison terms. Some embrace the richness that diverse cultures bring to the American experience, while others deplore the dilution of white America and perceived values and rights exclusive to them.
If we are to survive as a stable democracy that offers economic and social opportunity, we need greater communication, compassionate listening, and an acknowledgement of the good will of those with whom we may disagree. What we need is a good dose of civic friendship.
MUSINGS COMPILATIONS
Some of you have asked about some prior Musings and getting a hold of them. While many of the policy discussions have yet to be compiled, here are a few, which can be downloaded. As I have reread these, I have become particularly fond of the Books of the Decades and the Poetry and Quotations:
1. Books of the Decades—the 1940s through 2020s:
5. Nonprofits and Philanthropy
DISTURBING QUOTATION OF THE MONTH
“Today we wake up in a state where the church doors are open and the abortion clinic’s [sic] doors are closed. All Glory to God the Father! Amen!”
--Governor of Mississippi Tate Reeves
Have a great day,
Glenn
From the archives: