When I was in high school I napped in my Government class. My basketball couch taught it and well I thought "what good is this to me anyway!" At the time, I was many bricks shy of a full load! Caring more about sports, appearances and that girl in the next town. Yet, I consider my experience and attitude towards government to be the common experience of my generation.
Things changed for me when I took two classes back to back. The first 'Philosophy of Government and Law’ (at 7:30 am, yea I know, I had no life) the other "Wittgenstein, Foucault and the philosophy of language and culture'.(long name right! at 9 am). about half way through the semester I had an awakening of sorts. In-between reading Plato's republic and studying the French revolution while milling over Wittgenstein's language games, the thought dawned on me.
'What If someone redefined the way I understand words like democracy republic, freedom, federalism, ect. They just similar enough that you could change everything and people would be none the wiser. You could slowly take power and ….. Ha HA Cool!!'
Now 6 years later, I no longer think 'cool!' I realize now, that my naps some 15 years ago were one more boneheaded thing in a long line of boneheadedness! So, take it from a reformed bonehead. A clear understanding of the terms and ideas behind the American form of government is not trivial information to sleep through but necessary for the freedom of a nation that clams "we the people." Otherwise we may wake up one day to find our freedom was redefined as we slept.
Here is a nice little video I have found that gives a good primer in a classical overview of Government from a historical and philosophical perspective, giving special consideration to the American form of Government.
No comments:
Post a Comment