"The best education, they held, was one that equips a citizen for genuine choice of a way of life; this form of education requires active inquiry and the ability to contrast alternatives."-Nussbaum, page 54
The above quote comes from a piece of writing by Martha C. Nussbaum, titled Citizens of the World. This quote refers in particular to the Athenian way of thinking. These people considered freedom of choice and the ability to see and think critically about alternatives extremely important. These values are the same that we as Americans hold dear-the freedom to choose. The freedom to learn and see what choices are out there to make, and then, when we have made a choice, to carry it out. Unfortunately, not everyone, even in America, enjoy this ability. This is not only unfair, unjust, it is devastating. Especially since signing up for this class, Sustainability, I have seen and read of people that live in extreme poverty, without clean water, shelter, a steady and healthy supply of food, diseases run rampant, infant mortality rates are sky rocketing. Who would choose to live like this? I hear about all this from the comfort of a well lit classroom, surrounded by fellow college students and my professor, day dreaming about what I am going to eat for lunch, or about how much I want to go shopping, or about how much my life sucks because my boyfriend and I broke up. It's difficult to imagine living as these people do. The people of wealthy nations balk at the thought of giving up any semblance of their affluent lifestyle; and really, it wouldn't make things any better to subject others to that sort of poverty. The real solution is to give these people the ability to make a choice, to live as they would choose to, where they are. Simply giving these people clean drinking water, giving them the land they need to work and make a living, the materials they need to build sturdy houses...not everyone would choose to live as Americans do. More money, more "stuff" doesn't equal more happiness. That much is obvious in our society, with the number of suicides and depression cases in our nation. People have the right to make their own choices; no one should be robbed of that right.
I completely agree with Gloria. I loved how you not only talked about the Athenians, and their freedom of belief, but how you tied that thinking into your life, and present day. I didn't think about the concept of the freedom of choice, and thinking critically would relate to America until you brought it up. I truly understand what you mean now. America is viewed as the free country. The country that escaped the Great Britain, and made a new name for themselves, and had a completely different view on freedom. And not to mention, our constitution even talks about our liberties in freedom. I do love that you pointed out how not everybody appreciated the freedom America has given us. We view it a a petty object, and that it's not of value. What we don't realize is that not everyone else in the world has to fight for their say, and freedom. We were just given this freedom as it was a birthright. I think that people certainly need to be educated a lot more to appreciate what our "genuine choice of life" really is.
ReplyDelete