Thursday, September 21, 2006
A Final Indication of moral decline?
A final indication of moral decline, say advocates of this approach, is that the value of sacrifice is conspicuous by its absence. Self-restraint, once considered an honorable character trait, is widely considered quaint and unnecessary. The dominant cultural lesson—reinforced by an endless stream of media messages—seems to be: Grab all you can. Why wait? Make your own rules. Don’t worry about the next generation.
To advocates of this first perspective on what has gone wrong with America’s public life, these developments are different facets of a single, fundamental problem: the erosion of the moral foundation on which public life in a democratic society depends. Many have begun looking for ways to restore these foundational values to the place they deserve. Choosing to take seriously the values on which democracies depend will require a series of changes in family life, in the schools, in the messages featured in American culture, in our preference for favoring individual rights over collective responsibilities.
You can read rest of Approach One in the (Democracy discussion guide) online.
Remember, the questionnaire for the “Revitalizing Democracy” forum is now online. After reading the content of this blog and submitting comments (to foster further discussion) please take the online questionnaire. Click here to take survey.
What do you like, or dislike, about this stated position so far?
To advocates of this first perspective on what has gone wrong with America’s public life, these developments are different facets of a single, fundamental problem: the erosion of the moral foundation on which public life in a democratic society depends. Many have begun looking for ways to restore these foundational values to the place they deserve. Choosing to take seriously the values on which democracies depend will require a series of changes in family life, in the schools, in the messages featured in American culture, in our preference for favoring individual rights over collective responsibilities.
You can read rest of Approach One in the (Democracy discussion guide) online.
Remember, the questionnaire for the “Revitalizing Democracy” forum is now online. After reading the content of this blog and submitting comments (to foster further discussion) please take the online questionnaire. Click here to take survey.
What do you like, or dislike, about this stated position so far?
Comments:
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No one said it better than John Adams: "Our Constitution was made only for a moral and religious people. It is wholly inadequate for the government of any other."
# posted by 
: 2:32 PM
: 2:32 PM
Every society has two choices: whether ir wants to be ruled by an authoritarian ruler or whether there can be a set of shared values and certain things we hold in common that give us the philosophical underpinnings of our value system in our life.
Without that value system a society cannot exist.
The reason we have the most terrible crime problem in the word in America today is simple: we've lost our moral consensus. We are people living for ourselves.
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Without that value system a society cannot exist.
The reason we have the most terrible crime problem in the word in America today is simple: we've lost our moral consensus. We are people living for ourselves.
# posted by : 2:36 PM
: 2:36 PM << Home
