Arguing to Death: Socrates in America

Here's an excerpt from a superb article in the Dec. 17 edition of the "Economist."

In 1968 Stringfellow Barr, an historian and president of St. John's College in Maryland, wrote a Socratic critique of American discourse: "There is pathos in television dialogue: the rapid exchange of monologues that fail to find the issue, like ships passing in the night; the reiterated preface, 'I think that...,' as if it mattered who held which opinion rather than which opinion is worth holding; the impressive personal vanity that prevents each 'discussant' from really listening to another speaker".

Complete article:
http://www.economist.com/world/unitedstates/displaystory.cfm?story_id=15108704

The Artwork of Shepard Fairey

Contemporary artist, Shepard Fairey, is good at making a statement. His ability to attach irony to modern symbols, iconography, and themes in order to critique social and political ills is unmatched. From sardonic renditions of currency designs to satirical propaganda posters, Fairey's artwork is both visually engaging and thought provoking.

Every person needs four things

1. Something to do
2. Someone to love
3. Something to believe in
4. Something to look forward to

(From legendary college football coach, Lou Holtz)

The Idea of Progress

As we journey through the ages, we realize that our concept of progress inevitably falls short again and again.

http://www.economist.com/world/international/displaystory.cfm?story_id=15108593

Why Get an Education

I sometimes hear people reveal their esteem for education primarily in terms of how it can increase earning power. Yes, making a living is important and education is the best means to making a higher salary, but there are so many additional reasons why an education is important. A rigorous education provides the foundation for a conscious and fulfilling life as well as for responsible citizenship. If we are only educated in technical skills with a neglect for the development of our capabilities for reasoning and discernment, then we become mere cogs in the modern industrial machine. We fail to exercise the active agency and social resistance to make discriminating choices about what ideas or products we embrace, how we view others and behave towards them, what we value, and what we refuse to pay attention to. Education teaches us how to recognize and appreciate beauty. It helps us to question our assumptions and recognize our biases. It helps us to organize our thinking and develop the skills for communicating effectively. An education gives us the power to interpret our world from different angles, improve our relationships, and avoid the deception of those who would try to control us for their gain. For these reasons, it is important that mothers and fathers, artisans and business people, technicians and scientists are educated not only in the technique and best practices of their individual roles, but in a general understanding of the world in its physical, spiritual, and social aspects. Getting an education helps us to become better human beings.

Moral Discipline is the Foundation of a Civilized Society

"Self-discipline has eroded and societies are left to try to maintain order and civility by compulsion. The lack of internal control by individuals breeds external control by governments. One columnist observed that “gentlemanly behavior [for example, once] protected women from coarse behavior. Today, we expect sexual harassment laws to restrain coarse behavior. . . .

“Policemen and laws can never replace customs, traditions and moral values as a means for regulating human behavior. At best, the police and criminal justice system are the last desperate line of defense for a civilized society. Our increased reliance on laws to regulate behavior is a measure of how uncivilized we’ve become.” (D. Todd Christofferson, "Moral Discipline," LDS General Conference Oct. 2009)

Little Pleasures and Hard Work

You will understand that I am bragging when I say that my children are farmers...Last summer my granddaughter, Virginia, who was eleven, put in some long days on the [tractor]. She was good at it, and all of us are pleased with her. She told her mother: "What is good about hard work is that it teaches you about little pleasures." She said that when the weather was hot and a little breeze came, it made her happy and she was grateful. I think this is something very important to know. I hope that, when the time comes, this knowledge of little pleasures will preserve her from the common assumption that pleasures have to be big, expensive, and dangerous. I am thankful that she could learn this in the same way that her parents and grandparents learned it. I am thankful that we have continued so far. (Wendell Berry, "Citizenship Papers," 2004, Counterpoint Press)