The process of virtue

2011 Year of the Photo Post

2010-12-31T10:16:00.000-08:00

The information age has reached a new level of mobility. I predict that in 2011 the spread of photo messages will increase 10 fold because the charges are now being absorbed by cell phone carriers.

Here is the most interesting photo that I looked at from Denver Post's annual year in review in photos.
http://tiny.cc/lz8uy

I find this photo interesting because the front three rows of the Afghan Armies graduating class of officers are all female.

I have often wondered how war would change if soldiers were primarily female. A deeper look at the photo reveals that the majority of the soldiers in the room are male, and the females were probably being accommodated as a minority for this ceremony. The photo still begs the question, "What would a primarily female war look like"?

In my opinion, I think it would change the way wars are fought in face to face interaction. Females are less likely to commit genocide because they understand the helplessness better of a new mother going through pregnancy and care of a small child. Those who start wars usually do it from an ideological belief network that both sexes would tend to embrace. So the actual cause of war would not change. However in the trenches things could look different. A man fighting along side another man will unite in solidarity with his comrade in arms to defend his own survival, and beyond that the protection of his family. If that means justifying the killing of innocent people then so be it. A man will tie his survival to his existence purpose. This purpose can reside in their own family's protection.

Women fighting along side other women would find it more difficult to justify the killing of the innocent. The fear of an attack against family is hard to justify when women are the very people being protected. It would also be more difficult for those attacking the women soldiers to kill them because they could easily represent the very people that they are attempting to defend within their personal ideological struggle.

What do I mean by ideology? The root of this word is idea. Ideology represents ideas that are launched in our minds and then made practical by expressing them in action. When the action is combined with emotion this process can become virtue or vice depending on the emotion and how we regulate it. An example of this taking the form of vice is Hitler's genocide of the Jewish people because of the fear that the pure race of the German motherland would become corrupted. The idea that the means are justified by the ends is de-motivating in the confounded scenario of irony above. Will the women of war bring about more peace because of their face to face interaction in the trenches? Perhaps only "Twitter and facebook" will be able to tell us in the next year in review of photos. Next year will certainly look different. There were only two blurry pictures from camera phones in this years review.

Perhaps next year the horrors of war will not be reduced by wiki leaks, but by cell phone pictures. Images have a way of connecting our emotions to our actions that words can not easily accomplish. These picture messages may connect us to scenes of conflict that make good men and women ask, "Why are we still doing these things"?

All we need is love

2009-06-06T09:40:00.000-07:00

The United States is founded on the virtue of freedom. From previous posts I have defined freedom as a synthesis of liberty and equality. In this paradox there is a tension that we must be mindful of. This tension has been referred to as conflict by Hegel. Tension is a better word for the process of virtue that I am trying to describe. When any one encounters this tension they immediately feel the need to resolve it. This is much like the experience of finishing a musical piece that is left unresolved. The hearer wants to finish the piece. It may even be painful for a person to leave it unresolved. This tension is created by unanswered questions and a desire to make sense out of a seeming contradiction.

This process of tension is crucial to the development of institutions. These societal structures ease tension by enhancing virtue. For example, the institution of education in the United States has embraced freedom. When I was in high school in the early 1970s the tension of liberty licensed a lack of academic discipline that made me very content, but incompetent as a student. To emphasize individual liberties at the expense of another's learning can also be selfish. Is giving into the tension of egalitarian cooperation any better? Would it have been better for me to have been enrolled in a curriculum designed to enhance my collaboration? This strategy could have produced a tolerant student without basic knowledge or skills to succeed. An education that stresses the choice of the individual or the collaboration of an elite community can produce educational blinds that can result in a capitalist society that is exploitative instead of sharing.

The trap of dualism can simplify all virtue into one component emphasized over another instead of a multifaceted strategy that prioritizes process over product. When I think of the synthesis of virtue I try not to think of it along a linear plane. An example of this could be the classical political spectrum. On one side is republican and on the other side is democrat. Both parties embrace freedom, but one leans more toward equality and the other more toward liberty. When we consider that institutions like politics and education are spheres with depth instead of planes it can make the reasoning process very complex. The complexity of this reasoning places an emphasis on process over the synthesis of product. If we consider that freedom is one point in a multi-faceted diamond, then blind spots from limited reasoning not fully explaining the paradox can be exposed.

Our democracy is based upon the principal of self determination. The citizens of The US can fairly ask: Where is the blind spots in this institution? If our democracy is self contained there would probably be no bias, however our capitalistic economy interacting with democracy will not allow us to be isolated. The island of capitalism is imposing the tension of libertarian individualism on other countries. Americans see the opportunity to buy things in foreign countries at a cheaper price as a deal. Foreigners can interpret these actions as exploitation. If all countries were playing on an equal economic playing field, then the principal of self determined government should work. The world is far from an equal economic playing field. Here is a metaphor to illustrate this. The United States are professional athletes playing against amateurs and the prize is a higher standard of living. Much like this sports analogy, as long as we have a varied playing field, then nation building with a democratic model can be perceived as exploitative instead of enhancing world affluence.

The enhancement process is the process that brings depth to the virtue of freedom. This process is discussed by The Apostle Paul in I Corinthians 6: 9-20. D. A. Carson, a bible commentator, refers to the libertarian slogans of the day in New Testament times. One of them… success gives license for immorality” is countered by Paul with “all is lawful but not everything is beneficial”. The points of liberty, (to do what you want), is balanced by the facet of (the common good) when the tension is resolved with enhancing and not exploiting the other party. The process of enhancing over exploitation is discovered because another point is identified in the sphere of reasoning within this paradox. I think of this facet like a point in one of many diamonds comprising a sphere. The depth of this point creates another point of synthesis to resolve the paradox in an equitable way and still maintain individual choice. This point could be love. When love is combined with liberty and equality to form a freedom of self determination, then that self determination will maintain a win-win strategy which will enhance the standard of living of all.

In China this virtue of love is called harmony. This point in the sphere is a value to emphasize over liberty when we interact with our friends across the ocean. The virtue of harmony contains elements of both peace and love. Peace is another virtue that has been exposed through this enhancement process. If the Chinese learn to fully embrace capitalism they may end up seeing us as "a deal" to exploit. We should reach out with mutual unselfish interest in a win-win strategy. We may win their trust and discover additional points in the sphere like honor which will enhance our own values and build individual trust and genuine warmth of each others self interest.

--
Limited only by imagination!

Why did the United Nations fail?

2009-01-02T14:44:00.000-08:00

Why did the United Nations fail?

When President Woodrow Wilson conceived of a League of Nations he did not anticipate a universal group of rogue Democracies. When democracy does not contain a foundation of shared values, then self interest is likely to prevail. Wilson’s vision was one of trading blocks who had a vested interest in sharing resources or protection. To widen that net to fledging democracies which are really extensions of economic conquest will not lead to world peace. Neither will it lead to non-predatory trading practices. Self interest proceeds from this kind of jury rigged nation building. This is because the origin of these nations can be found in the special interest of an imperialistic initiative. Despite the proclamation of liberty and equality the founding fathers of these fledgling countries ultimately follow the example and not the propaganda of their conquerors.

I do not say this because I feel that the United States is an imperialistic power to be hated. The ideals of the United States are universal in acceptance but only truly embraced when self sacrifice is chosen over selfish interest. A self determined government without sacrificial participation by the population will produce an apathetic citizenship. Recently I visited Tiananmen Square in Beijing China. On one side of the square stands the entrance to the Forbidden City bearing Mau’s famous portrait. To the left of The Square as you face Mau’s portrait there is the hall of the people. I really wanted to see the hall of the people, but our tour guide had very little interest in it. In the hall of the people the representatives from various Chinese provinces caucus every year to set in place five year central planning. He could not tell me the name of his provinces representative, nor did he want to find out who he was. The lack of participation in government and the sacrifices associated with self determination can disconnect people from interest. The foundation of American freedom has components of liberty balanced against equality. The two great minds of Adams and Jefferson were in conflict over this paradox most of their lives. Madison was able to balance these values with a synthesis of freedom. His constitution balanced powers of self interest as well as unequal populations comprised of both the strong and the weak.

The foundation of peace is to protect the weak and innocent from the strong and powerful. When a person takes a stand for someone weaker he has invested moral capital into action that is not in his own self interest. A person who can push a selfish agenda and participate in this kind of action is living in personal conflict. This is why the United Nations must work at much more foundational level to implement change. Only when leaders create structures for people to participate in selfless sacrifice can the freedoms of democracy be embraced.

So how do we create these structures? The failure of both the United States and The United Nations has been to rubber stamp the already complete structures of United States Government. It is in the process of creating these structures that selfish interest can be discarded for the intangible value of self sacrifice. Short cutting this process is destined to produce self interest on the part of special interests. Of Rudyard Kiplings six honest serving men perhaps the most appealing is; “When” can we cheat the process? When has the population embraced the process long enough that we can begin to short cut the sacrifices necessary to embrace democratic principals? This is the wrong question because this question is a testimony to the instant society that we currently live in. In the days of text messaging and fast food instant gratification there is little patience for slow solutions to problems.

This is not to say that the dynamics of change are absolute. Process is certainly a continuum. What are the stress points of conflict resolution? Peace can not be achieved with out participation in resolving conflict. When government invents structures to build this kind of participation it has backfired on them. The self interest of the people running the initiative can get in the way of the true democratic principals. When non-government organizations take these kinds of initiatives there have been more favorable results. When outside forces like the United States or United Nations support the weak to create non-government structures, then the process instills the kind of values that make the virtues of democracy consistent and permanent. So one stress point that has been successful to outside manipulation has been the creation of non-government organization by the weak or oppressed. An example could be the women in India who benefited from micro loans to start their own businesses. This has served to equalize two different populations that have been unequal. When women in India are empowered to become self sufficient, then they can exercise greater liberties of choice over traditional male dominance.

Another strategy that has been effective is to employ technology as a bridge of resolution. The process of exercising greater choice can come from a technological break thorough. For example a new optical breakthrough can give people with poor eyesight the ability to read. Technology could also be used to protect. For example a new burglar alarm system could be used to protect a senior citizen who could be exploited by a younger foe. In both of these cases technology has served people by bridging conflicts or increasing opportunity. When I was in China I attempted to purchase a new pair of reading glasses. Because my prescription is only 1.5 I could not find any. I have made the judgment that the Chinese believe that if my eyesight is that good, then I should not require glasses. This is not the case. I can assure you that I need glasses as I type this essay in the shadows of the Greater Philadelphia International Airport. My point is this. So far in China, technology has not been necessary for people like me to participate on an equal footing with others when it comes to reading. In the future when individuals like my self to choose to read or a labor need with reading ability increases, then a new optical technology can help to resolve the potential conflict.

Democracy is a word that means different things to different people. If this concept implies self determination, then it can be confounding to see that the values that some people selfishly cling to may be defined by some as an abuse of human rights. An example will help clarify my point. When I was in Panama I noticed that the government had given aid to indigenous people which did not produce its expected results. The indigenous chieftain used the aid for selfish purposes, like expensive automobiles and did not distribute the wealth in the way that they expected. The balance of liberty and equality with freedom is universally perceived as good as long as time and effort are applied to instill values. This effort will require indoctrination at young ages and the cycle may not be broken for two generations. So if we break apart the word liberty and equality there may be value in attempting to introduce change on more primitive levels. The foundation of liberty is choice and change. When change becomes too uncomfortable we look for equality to bring these forces back into equilibrium. Equality can also be broken down into primitive forces. Equality is a complex word, and for the purposes of this essay it can be defined as protection from disorder. It is this protection from change that makes the process of instilling democratic ideals such a resistant task. Everyone embraces choice but change happens unequally across diverse populations of people.

When sacrifice is introduced as in the sacrifices of the American Revolution, then the process of conflict can instill values more quickly. This is because in the midst of conflict the desire and need for protection from change is increased. Choice is more desirable when all of our basic needs are met and we look to meet needs that are higher up on Abraham Maslow’s hierarchy. These values are on a continuum. The greater the desire for change and choice the less there is need for protection and order. So sacrifice is a way to introduce equality into a country just as technology can introduce choice. Are sacrifice and technology the only processes that instill democratic values? These processes are located in Western thought. Eastern thought may have a different process to accomplish similar ends.

I have found emotion to expedite change in my recent visit to China. I visited Shirjazwung, a moderate sized city by Chinese standards of ten million people. Our students stayed with Chinese residents in their homes. They had the rich experience of cultural and language immersion. I was able to get to know some of the parents that were housing our students. I witnessed one Chinese man break down into tears to get his way. He was manipulating his emotion to keep the current order of home stay he had with one of our students. I could only imagine how he might also do this in a board room of a business meeting that he attended. His emotion was a kind of self inflicted sacrifice that showed people that he was openly suffering. Whereas in the west sacrifice was used when protection was increased here choice was expanded by implementing this strategy. One man actually cried when we decided that the home stay was not working out. These emotional outbursts were choreographed to reach selfish ends. In the US this type of outburst would be thought of as effeminate and he would lose the respect of other men. In China this strategy was used with quite opposite effects. The dynamic process of increasing choice by self sacrifice was similar to sacrifice that increased order and protection in the West.

Cooperation is a trait that I have found prevalent in the indigenous American tribes. School teachers on reservations have found that typical competitive strategies to motivate students can have reverse outcomes when implemented with indigenous school children. The desire to cooperate was much higher than to compete against one another. For example a student would choose a lower grade rather than willingly make a fellow student lose face. When a population would place a strong value on the land and its creatures it is natural for them to imitate what they observe. The vast majority of dogs, wolves and horses are known to follow more than they choose to lead. To be a leader it takes strong competitive skills. To be a follower it takes superior cooperation skills. Does it make sense when so much emphasis is placed upon fitting in to their surroundings that indigenous children would also choose to fit in?

The strategy to increase collaborative skills among the school children of the West is an example of a practical way to groom cooperative values in competitive culture. Perhaps if the Native American and Chinese students place a stronger emphasis on individual achievement strategy in a competitive environment this will serve them well. The global connectivity of the world has produced a by product of shared diversity that can lead to better strategies in conflict resolution and education. It is my hope to take this diversity dividend and use it to learn new skills of conflict resolution.

This is all wonderful rhetoric, but a practical example could be helpful here. I currently serve as the advisor for the Student Government organization at our high school. The Council is an advisory body. They can only make school policy decisions when the administration of the school empowers them. When our organization was created I was careful to not spoon feed existing structures for the students to duplicate. What they did was invent an organization that is very similar to our country’s government through trial and error learning. This process of learning allowed our students to embrace self sacrifice in creating structures to regulate speech, create initiatives, and establish rules by which they made decisions. Many student councils are just popularity contests and not representative of the student body’s opinion. Many times the election process is dominated by popular student body cliques. I teach at a cyber school. Most of our students do not interact socially. For this reason we have had fewer problems with our students creating initiatives dominated by a special interest group’s private agenda. The individual emphasis of our students learning platform has contributed to apathy and also made it harder for one or two students to dominate the organizations election process. This apathy however is also the most destructive determent to student directed collaborative learning.

A keystone of self directed learning is for students to feel as if they are making a difference by applying the lessons that they have learned. Apathy can make a student feel like their input will not contribute to anything or make a difference. A more hybrid model of learning could also include project based learning and seasons of face to face interaction. This face to face interaction can minimize the damage of apathy. The leadership center at our school has introduced, individual and group projects retreats, international and domestic trips, and conferences to increase the face to face interaction with students. When education becomes experiential then it is very difficult for students to feel that what they have learned does not matter. Experience also includes those from diverse backgrounds because they work out the solution to project problems in a specific way that reflects their past experience.

A peace conference could be one exercise that could directly examine the issue discussed in this essay. The preparation, planning and implementation of this event present a wonderful opportunity of applied learning along the way. Even one teacher and their students can make a difference on a subject like world peace. The alternative may be to have our students read a critical thinking book like “Making Peace” and be tested on comprehension as well as some problem based scenarios. Can education be directly connected to the problems that it addresses? Why not?

Pat Parris

Animal Farm - Synopsis

2007-03-17T06:46:00.001-07:00

Immigration, Simlarity and Diversity!

2006-12-12T17:23:00.000-08:00

"Give me your tired, your poor,Your huddled masses yearning to breathe free,The wretched refuse of your teeming shore.Send these, the homeless, tempest-tossed to me.I lift my lamp beside the golden door."

The desire to be similar

When my daughters were young my second daughter Noele used to delight in finding things that looked similar. She like matching out-fits. When she saw that we were wearing similar colors she would say with delight, “We are twins”. Have you ever experienced this kind of simple delight?If you have then you will understand this next post better. The desire for homogeneity, which means wanting thing to appear and be the same, is strong throughout history. Although most societies value homogeneity, Tribes’ countries and peoples with geographic features that isolate them tend to hold onto homogeneity longer. For example Japan maintained feudalism much longer than Europe. They did not develop a constitutional form of Government until Douglas Mac Arthur forced then to. When you look at the map below you can see the trends of immigration and emigration in the world.

The United States is one country that has many immigrants every year. Generally the more affluent a country is the better they are able to embrace diversity. This is because technology can ease the conflict of change by creating safe harbors of protection for those that would resist change. The blue portions on the map need to have structures in place to facilitate change in their institutions. The yellow countries are very stable and can continue to use existing institutional structures.

Homogeneity has its benefits. When everyone has the similar desires, then value systems change becomes undesirable. An example of this could be sports entertainment in the countries of Japan and the US. In Japanese baseball a team member is praised for his ability to be a team player. In the US the praise goes to the individual. Individualism lends itself to diversity and homogeneity lends itself to team dynamics. Because of this dynamic we could say that the United States values purpose over belonging as a need and chooses Identity over intimacy or even Generatively.

Diversity demands that change take place in political, educational, economic and social institutions. These built in conflicts and its resulting pressures can slow down progress in fields like politics and religion and speed up innovative progress in fields like Science and technology. Old structures that are meant to facilitate progress become road blocks when they conflict with the existing structures they were designed to help when immigrant’s desires and needs are hindered. Sometimes these road blocks become acceptable in certain areas of the country. These are the roots of prejudice that can also be viewed as a reactionary desire for what is traditional.

The Immigration and integration of Middle Eastern people into the Western world has set up the need for unprecedented institutional change. The Middle East is a diverse cross section of many tribes and three sects of Islam. In The United States the stereotype in New Jersey of the Middle Eastern Gas station attendant is good example of an immigrant taking a less desirable job. This is genuine service that the immigrant has provided to the people of New Jersey. Unfortunately from the previous post it is evident that the stereotype breaks down into a form of racial profiling for Middle Eastern Airline passengers.

Immigration forces us to nurture the values of tolerance and institutional change. Institutions are not easily changed but, the messy immigrants with their foreign and dissimilar ways can force change. One current change occurring in education is the cyber schooling movement in the US. In this case the immigrants were families of the religious right who chose to educate their own children. When this was just home schooling it did not drastically affect the public school system. Now that is funded by government money there are changes taking place that border on a revolution of American Education. I am very much a part of this revolution. My wife and I home schooled our 5 children and we are now teaching in a cyber school funded by public monies. In many ways we feel like immigrants in a foreign land. It is the author’s opinions that embracing change in institutions that are brought on by technology and choice can create values that better reflect our ideals in a world filled with change. Perhaps this is the golden door of opportunity for people outside of traditional institutions clamoring to get in.

Terrorism, Virtue and Peace

2006-10-07T10:07:00.000-07:00

You are invited to the Hajj for Peace.

Probably the most significant problem in the west today is the spread of terrorism. The most common source of these attacks in recent years is from extremist elements in Middle Eastern countries. My wife spent her early high school experience in Beirut, Lebanon just before the six day war. I have probed her for information about Middle Eastern values. From a previous post we have learned that obedience was the culminating virtue of the Ottoman Empire. The Ottoman Sultans were able to out mullah the mullahs in their development of a heavily regulated, orderly, and reverent society. In this post I will attempt to apply the principles discussed in the civil war and diversity post to understand and reverse the process of terrorism in the west.

The stages of conflict that lead to genocide are here…

1. The prejudicial stage
2. A predatory stage
3. Revolution
4. Civil war
5. Genocide

If we identify the parties in the current conflict in Iraq, then we may be able to place them in their relevant stage. If we can do this, then we may find compromise in the common ground of virtue. In the prejudicial stage we have the United States and countries in Western Europe which we will call “The West”. There are also Islamic dominated countries in the Middle East like Saudi Arabia, Iraq, Iran, Jordan, and Syria who also hold onto prejudice equally divisive. Many people in the United States and some western European countries have adopted the prejudice of Orientalism. In this mythology the west marginalizes the strengths of Middle Eastern countries by concentrating on their weaknesses. Specifically a trait of uncompromising ruthlessness and intolerance toward outsiders can be a stereotype of these societies. Certainly the west’s knowledge of Middle Eastern countries many times amounts to a cursory reading or watching of “Ali Babba and his 40 thieves”. Michael Sells in his book, “A Bridge Betrayed” has coined the term “Balkanism” to label the prejudice of The West toward the plight of Bosnia. Perhaps the best summary of balkanism is a quote from US Secretary of State, Lawrence Eagleberger in July 1995, “They have been killing each other with a certain amount of glee in that part of the world for some time now.” Both the Clinton and Bush Administration have struggled with supporting Bosnia because of these stereotypes. So the prejudice of “The West” could be defined as an expansion of Balkanism to include countries like Afghanistan, Lebanon, and Iraq. The prejudices of Orientalism and Balkanism have contributed much to the distrust by Middle Easterners of The West.

The people in these Middle Eastern countries have reciprocated with prejudices of their own. They have called The West “Imperialists” because they wish to manipulate the world’s oil reserves. Well intentioned evangelical Christians who wish to convert Islamic people are seen as “Jihadish” in their motivations. This second prejudice is not easily spotted by people in the west and may represent a “blind spot” in Western tolerance.

These prejudices have become irreconcilable which has led to predatory stages in both the East and the West. In the East we are probably most familiar with Al Qaeda and Osama Bin Laden. This group has made significant progress toward the revolutionary sage. There is a much larger group which they can recruit from that embraces the radical teachings of “Jihad” that include groups like the Mujahideen. In Iraq itself some have questioned that they have already reached a state of civil war. As long the prejudicial ideologies are confined to Iraq there should be no logical jump to a revolutionary stage. But, the saber rattling in Iran has hastened progress toward an Islamic revolution.

The West has entered into its predatory practices with the US military. In 1990 the US entered into the Gulf War known as Operation Desert Storm. In 2001 a predatory attack upon the World Trade Center and the Pentagon killed 2,973 people in the US. This was followed by the Second Gulf war in 2003 which resulted in the present occupation of Iraq. So far from a revolutionary perspective the West’s anti-Islamic ideology has been interpreted as Zionism and racial profiling. For this reason the support of modern Israel by the “The West” is perceived by the east as a predatory practice.

So the stage is set for terrorism to develop into civil war and even genocide on both sides. It is not beyond “The West” to employ genocidal strategies in war circumstances such as the My Lai massacre. The eastern powers being the weaker of the two may use this strategy earlier because it does not require many resources and it is infinitely effective.

As we saw in the last post the virtue of diversity can create a middle ground where both parties can embrace each others virtues and celebrate them. In the case of our eastern friends the west could embrace obedience in the practices of devotion, giving alms, fasting, and even pilgrimage. The east may reciprocate by embracing the equality and liberty of their freedom. The language of virtue is a process of resolution between two different but not irreconcilable values. The means are never justified by the end when the process of reconciling virtues becomes the end itself. Since the adoption of virtue is the process, then peace becomes the end as well as the means. Perhaps an international pilgrimage to the Holy Land could be one step toward the middle ground of process to reconcile these virtues. I am hoping to put together a trip to the middle east in 2008 or 2009. Will you join me?

The Language Of Virtue.

2006-09-04T11:43:00.000-07:00

The Language Of Virtue.

Knowledge conflicts with Emotion
to form Virtue.

There are culminating virtues in every civilization and there is usually one virtue that sets them apart from other people groups. Language is the basis of all communication and words are the elements of language. Virtue represents a synthesis of mind and emotion that sets up the rules for self government. If there is such a thing as… heaven, utopia, or paradise then I suppose its language is composed of words of superlative virtue.

My speculative mind would inquire if the tower of Babel’s demise or Aquinas’s revelation were following this track of wisdom. It is my desire as a World History teacher to identify and catalogue these virtues and then write a story combining them together as a recipe for moral law. This is not to say that I believe that man is naturally good. I am an optimist, however. It is easy to identify negative stereotypes in most civilizations. It seems to be more difficult to find positive traits. I will call this, “The search for a reverse stereotype” for lack of a better term. I have done my best to identify the strength in this weakness to separate people groups with a positive trait rather than a negative one. For example the modern British could easily be saddled with a cold and stodgy label, but if we consider the strength in this apparent weakness then a desire for clarity prevails. Certainly clarity and excellence in little things are admirable characteristics.

When Inuit parents infantasize their children they are not doing something virtuous. They are following what Hobbes would call the evil nature of man. However, with a sharing of ideas we have come to realize and change core values in our civilizations. It is these changed virtues that I wish to concentrate on in this project. In some cases these virtues have not progressed; they have regressed and if we can remember, then we may profit from the wisdom of the past.

This work is expected to produce a love for history and what we can learn from studying virtue throughout the ages. This BLOG is a work in progress. I request your help in adding or editing literary, artistic or scientific breakthroughs reflecting on the choice of each of these virtues in the civilization discussed. I invite your collaborative suggestions as I continue to write. Allow me to finish this prologue with a literary accomplishment that I am very fond of.

Ecclesiastes 1: 9 – 11

What has been is what will be, and what has been done is what will be done, and there is nothing new under the sun. Is there a thing of which it is said, “See this is new”? It has been already in the ages before us. There is no remembrance of the former things, nor there any remembrance of the latter things yet to be among those who come after.

Philippians 4 : 8

Finally, brothers whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is just, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is commendable, if there is any excellence, if there is anything worthy of praise, think about these things.