老司机视频

An opinion piece by Eileen Servidio-Delabre, Ph.D.
Professor of International Law and President of the American Graduate School in Paris

One鈥檚 set of values should be the roadmap one uses to live by. This is true not only for individuals but Nations also. The notion of natural law with its corresponding natural rights was essential during the colonial period and certain values found their way into the Declaration of Independence such as the right to life, liberty and pursuit of happiness. However, there are other values that Americans put importance on; creativity, efficiency, the spirit of adventure, honesty and so many, many more.

This piece will not attempt to demonstrate if these values are respected in today鈥檚 America. I will leave that up to the reader to judge. It rather would like to mention just one value that I hold dear and share with Francis Parkman; the value of education. Parkman, 19^th century historian, referred to formal higher education and its importance to a true democracy. [1]

I, on the contrary do not use the notion of education in the formal sense of the term but the importance of the responsibilty of citizens to educate themselves to make valid decisions be it through formal education or otherwise. I suggest that this essential value is not given the respect today that it merits and that ignorance is detrimental to a true democracy.

Parkman wrote about the harm that ignorance can cause:

鈥淚n a country where the ruling power is public opinion, it is above all things necessary that the best and maturest thought should have a fair share in forming it.鈥�

He underlines the importance of 鈥渁 class of strong thinkers鈥� as the 鈥減alladium of democracy鈥�. 鈥淭hey are the natural enemies of ignorant, ostantatious, and aggressive wealth, and the natural friends of all that is best in the heart鈥�.

He envisioned the existing civilization of his time as 鈥渁 creature with a small and feeble head, a large, muscular, and active body, and a tail growing at such a rate that it threatens to become unmanageable (鈥�).

According to Parkman, what he refers to as 鈥減artial education鈥� produces 鈥渁 prodigious number of persons who think, and persuade others to think, that they know everything necessary to be known, and are fully competent to form opinions (鈥�).鈥�

These he proclaims are the 鈥減ersons who make the most noise on the most momentous questions of the day, who have the most listeners and admirers, and who hold each other up as shining examples for imitation, their incompetence becomes a public evil of the first magnitude鈥�.

The only solution for Parkman is to 鈥渋nfuse into the disordered system the sedative and tonic of a broad knowledge and a vigorous reason鈥�.

This is of course assuming that the majority can be capable of a broad knowledge and a vigorous reason. Nevertheless, education in civic, social and political matters as early as possible can only permit and help public opinion to be as informed as each person can be.

One does not expect the great majority of the people to be what he refers to as 鈥渆fficient thinkers鈥�. However, it is only through education, formal or not, that one can hope to come close to this ideal.

Parkman blames the lack of increase in the number of what he refers to as 鈥渆fficient thinkers鈥� to the 鈥渁scendency of material interests among us (鈥�) A prodigious number of persons think that money-making is the only serious business of life (鈥�)鈥�. He adds that the 鈥渄rift towards material activity is so powerful among us that it is difficult for a young man to resist it鈥�. Add to this today, 鈥渁 young woman鈥�. I could not agree more with him.

The public did not demand reason according to him but 鈥渆locution rather than reason (鈥�) something to excite the feelings and captivate the fancy rather than something to instruct the understanding鈥�. In other words the public want sensationalism and it is certainly receiving its share of it today.

As already mentioned Parkman referred mostly to higher education, a certain educated elite. However, this is not in my sense what one should be working towards. If taught as early as possible鈥攎ost children and then adults can think for themselves. They do not need to 鈥渂uy鈥� what is given as facts but to constructively think through what they learn and take the time to question it and to discuss it and to keep their minds open. One does not have to be part of the educated elite to achieve this. But it takes work. Democracy is a gift. Democracy is not something that comes easy, it needs to be worked at; to be earned. I suggest that today we are far from earning it.