The Soul of Democracy: The Philosophy of the World War in Relation to Human Liberty — John Shaqi
The Soul of Democracy: The Philosophy of the World War in Relation to Human LibertyGriggs, Edward Howard
Philosophy
The Soul of Democracy: The Philosophy of the World War in Relation to Human Liberty
Griggs, Edward Howard
Democracy; World War, 1914-1918 -- Influence
Herein is the significance of those various extensions of education,
developing and spreading so widely to-day. University-extension and
Chautauqua movements, civic forums, free lectures to the people by
boards of education and public libraries, summer schools, night schools
for adults--all are illustrations of this movement, so vital to the
progress of democracy. Through these instrumentalities the popular
ideal may be elevated, the public mind may be trained to more logical
and earnest thought, citizenship may be made more serious and
intelligent, and finally a most helpful influence may be exerted on the
academic institutions themselves. It is an easily verifiable truth that
any academic institution that builds around itself an enclosing
scholastic wall, refuses to go outside and serve and learn in the larger
world of humanity, in the long run inevitably dies of academic dry rot.
In the endeavor to solve the problem of democracy cannot we do more than
we have done hitherto in cultivating reverence for moral leadership--the
quality so much needed in democracy at the present hour? This may be
achieved through many aspects of education, but especially through
contact with noble souls in literature and history. History, above all,
is the great opportunity, and, from this point of view, is it not
necessary to rewrite our histories: instead of portraying solely
statesmen and warriors, to fill them with lofty examples of leadership
in all walks of life?
Women as well as men: for surely ideals of both should be fostered. A
colleague, interested in this problem, recently took one of the most
widely used text-books of American history, and counted the pages on
which a woman was mentioned. Of the five hundred pages, there were
four: not four pages devoted to women; but four mentioning a woman.
What does it mean: that women have contributed less than one part in a
hundred and five to the development of American life? Surely no one
would think that. What, then, are the reasons for the discrepancy?
There are several, but one may be mentioned: men have written the
histories, and they have written chiefly of the two fields of action
where men have been most important and women least, war and
statesmanship. Surely, however, if American history is to reveal the
American spirit, exercise the contagion of noble ideals and develop
reverence for true moral leadership, it must present types of both
manhood and womanhood in all fields of action and endeavor.
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