Politics and Ethics...(sigh) what a difficult topic! How to consider this in the society we live in, where a political campaign is based on discrediting one another, where politicians make promises they never fullfil? Is there room for Ethics? In my opinion, Ethics is the answer...
Saveter wonders what's the best political organization in order to achieve a good life and proposes different aspects to take into account: freedom and the responsibility that being free entails; being fair, which encompases recognising everybody's dignity and, therefore, recognising each other as unique; and the ability to empathise and help those who are needed but in a way that still considers them free and worthy.
What about our country? What about the people we vote for? Have we ever thought about these aspects when deciding on who to vote? Are we free to choose and use this freedom in a resposible way? (once more, I sigh...)
A good political organization should consider the abovementioned aspects... should strive for real equality and toleration. I once read a comic strip from an American newspaper that read "Patriotism means no questions..." how wrong this is! It's high time we questioned every single thing we do!!!
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3 comments:
Can I sigh by you, Andrea? ;-)
Just joiking, both you and I are unlikely to remain "passively reflecting" for long, don't you think so?
Have you asked yourself: "as a teacher, what kind of politician am I?"? If you find the question puzzling, I invite you to read Alan Shapiro's reflections about his first steps in teaching, and then comment once again!
I wish you a happy life!
Gladys
I think I'm a committed "politician" :-)... I do believe that the only way in which the current state of affairs can change is through education. I don't believe in changing things through a violent revolution... I firmly believe that we can promote a change from our workplace, by raising awareness in our students, by encouraging them to think critically... there's more to teaching than just a simple subject! we're educators and as such we have a huge responsibility towards the people we educate, whatever their age is. You know I'm currently teaching adults, and it never ceases to amaze me how much "education" they need: they seem to have forgotten about many things, being so concentrated on their careers... but they always feel grateful whenever we have the opportunity to reflect together!
Well, remember when we said "education is a lifelong process"? Good adults are still eager learners!
In the second part of the year, we'll keep discussing what kind of ethics we teach in our daily practice... Get ready!
Big hug,
Gladys
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