Belief Quiz

You fit in with: Humanism Your ideals mostly resemble that of a Humanist. Although you do not have a lot of faith, you are devoted to making this world better, in the short time that you have to live. Humanists do not generally believe in an afterlife, and therefore, are committed to making the world a better place for themselves and future generations. 20% spiritual. 60% reason-oriented.

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Liberal Education

Draft mission statement of our lib ed task force...comments?

Liberal education begins with a spirit of free inquiry guided by deliberate development of critical thinking skills needed to make sound choices; it enhances quality of life by helping each person realize full potential while at the same time freeing people to move creatively, constructively, and competently beyond narrowly self-centered ways of living. A liberally educated person appreciates learning as a way of life and consequently remains open to new ideas and perspectives of others. Ultimately, liberal education encourages us to reflect deeply on what we value in matters of art, science, and social relations and to engage passionately our civic and ethical responsibilities. /dps

Plato's Republicans

To understand the Bush Administration, a good place to start is the work of Leo Strauss, ideological font of so-called neo-conservativism:

"Strauss asks his readers to consider whether "noble lies" (Plato) have any role at all to play in uniting and guiding the cities of man. Are certain, unprovable "myths" taught by wise leaders needed to give most people meaning and purpose and to ensure a stable society?" (from Wikipedia entry on Strauss).

For Strauss and his ideological heirs, the ability to tell well "noble lies" constitutes the essence of effective political leadership. With Plato and Strauss, the Bushites believe that democracy is doomed to fail because people are too stupid and/or too lazy to handle unvarnished reality. Republican attempts to dumb-down public education can only serve to make this belief a self-fulfilling prophecy. /dps

Listen to an account of neo-con war-on-terror fantasy...