Spring Break
Public discourse, modern life
Robert Sanchez
Issue date: 8/13/08 Section: Forum
One could argue that we live in a miasma of contradictory options, a fog toxic to learning, purposefully poisoned by skewed presentation and interpretation of fact. Corporate news, industry-sponsored experts and modern day sophists (we call them pundits)all present information designed to sway or influence public opinion, rather than presenting facts in as complete and unbiased a manner as possible.
Is abortion legalized mass murder, an unacknowledged genocide in our midst, or is it a vital human right?
Should education and health care be affordable for everyone, or only for the upper middle class and the rich?
Is our current war on terror the fulfillment of a moral responsibility to fight terrorism, a reasonable and necessary response to genuine and imminent threats, or is it a form of modern economic colonialism, an overkill response to a problem that could be better addressed by diplomatic means?
We are all subject to our ideologies, our beliefs about what is right and proper, which is the way things should be. Without reference points explaining what we believe to be the fundamental nature of reality and humanity, we wouldn't be capable of functioning. Having an ideology or a bias is not in itself a problem.
If, however, we allow this bias to shut our minds and close our ears to diverse viewpoints, then it becomes a problem.
The degree to which one's mind is open to change is the degree to which one can learn. The best we can hope to do, perhaps, is to seek always to approach truth by engaging in active dialogue that includes the widest range and diversity of perspectives, to learn from each other by talking and thinking about what we hear, especially if we disagree with what we hear.
The concept of public discourse is rooted in Athenian participatory democracy, and this sort of horizon-expanding debate is essential for informed decision making, both in personal matters and in larger political decisions.
What it means to be a citizen and what we imagine government should be is dynamic, evolving in response to a social and physical context that changes over time.
Is abortion legalized mass murder, an unacknowledged genocide in our midst, or is it a vital human right?
Should education and health care be affordable for everyone, or only for the upper middle class and the rich?
Is our current war on terror the fulfillment of a moral responsibility to fight terrorism, a reasonable and necessary response to genuine and imminent threats, or is it a form of modern economic colonialism, an overkill response to a problem that could be better addressed by diplomatic means?
We are all subject to our ideologies, our beliefs about what is right and proper, which is the way things should be. Without reference points explaining what we believe to be the fundamental nature of reality and humanity, we wouldn't be capable of functioning. Having an ideology or a bias is not in itself a problem.
If, however, we allow this bias to shut our minds and close our ears to diverse viewpoints, then it becomes a problem.
The degree to which one's mind is open to change is the degree to which one can learn. The best we can hope to do, perhaps, is to seek always to approach truth by engaging in active dialogue that includes the widest range and diversity of perspectives, to learn from each other by talking and thinking about what we hear, especially if we disagree with what we hear.
The concept of public discourse is rooted in Athenian participatory democracy, and this sort of horizon-expanding debate is essential for informed decision making, both in personal matters and in larger political decisions.
What it means to be a citizen and what we imagine government should be is dynamic, evolving in response to a social and physical context that changes over time.
Note: writers will not reply to comments.
Viewing Comments 1 - 3 of 3
jackkatewinslet
jackkatewinslet
posted 9/15/08 @ 9:36 PM PST
Now a days education and health care be affordable for everyone,not only for the upper middle class and the rich.....youth coming from good education implementing good ideas. (Continued…)
jackkatewinslet
jackkatewinslet
posted 9/15/08 @ 9:38 PM PST
Now a days education and health care be affordable for everyone,not only for the upper middle class and the rich.....youth coming from good education implementing good ideas. (Continued…)
ginkgo
Weblog
posted 9/23/08 @ 4:36 AM PST
When people study to be a rabbi, most of their reading is not the bible, but the Talmud. The Talmud is a discussion or debate of many rabbis searching for the best way to look at things. (Continued…)
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