The devil is in the details
In the David Brooks column that appeared in the Observer-Reporter March 20, he argues that for individuals “…to avoid a constant state of anxiety, people’s identities have to be based on standards of justice and virtue that are deeper and more permanent than the shifting fancy of the crowd.”
I agree, but the devil is in the details. We need to distinguish carefully between “the shifting fancy of the crowd” and the moral discernment that derives policy from the standards of “justice and virtue” that Brooks applauds.
Respect for the dignity of all humans has evolved in recent years to address issues of racism, sexism, and sexual orientation. Much of that discernment has proceeded from asking what the Two Great Commandments of the Judeo-Christian faith tradition require. “Shifting fancy” or moral discernment and growth?
Henry Huffman
Eighty Four
Huffman is professor emeritus of character education at California University of Pennsylvania.