This semester, like others, I’m teaching a course about the
social and historical context of American Education. One of the first readings
was a selection from Aristotle’s “Politics.” In Politics, as in other places,
Aristotle describes the importance of virtue and reason guiding the passions,
leading us to balance in every part of our life. These values and this approach
to education informed society about what is necessary for the good life, not
only as a guide for how to educate youth, but for individuals and Athens. Aristotle
is important for thinking about, and education in the context of, a democratic
society. This kind of education, as Hannah Arendt describes in her essay “Crisis
in Education,” is withering away in our society. The same virtues (and
problems) of that society informed the fledgling American state at its
inception. Aristotle’s golden mean may yet have some lessons for us today.
Especially as this society, not even finished with the wars of this last
decade, prepares―despite the many voices proclaiming no to war―to embark on yet another war. As always, some consider
that potential war reasonable, even moral. So, over the past few weeks I have
ruminated over this passage:
“They laud the constitution of Sparta and they admire the aim of the Spartan legislator in directing the whole of his legislation to the goal of conquest and war...”
Aristotle refutes the notion that Spartan society should be
admired, on the grounds that they lost their empire and they lacked happiness
because of this sole pursuit of war. Some may take my use of Aristotle, in some
ways and at some times, to advocate war, as he viewed war as sometimes
necessary for peace―a Just War perspective. But I depart from this view because
I find another of his arguments, about means-end, most compelling. Means
constitute ends. Do they not? Throughout history each war was touted as
necessary for ending war, since the goal was peace. Yet, each war has planted
the seeds of resentment and revenge, laying the foundation for future wars.
There are more lessons to be gleaned; there is importance in
the notions of balance in life and democratic education, as seen through the
example of Sparta.
First, lacking balance, Spartans focused all their efforts
on war, including educating the youth to be warriors. I find the same
connections in our society, where the potential and actuality seeps into every
aspect of our lives. Our schools are militarized with security guards, embedded
police, metal detectors, even proposals by some to arm teachers, school
shootings and even the acceptance of the murders of our most innocent. Why have
we not made significant steps toward reducing the availability of guns?
Second, the focus on war led to the downfall of Sparta. With
each war the U.S. loses credibility and acts of war elicit shameful behavior of
some of our citizen-soldiers.
Third, this focus on war reaches down into every aspect of
our society. Our society is addicted to guns, the concrete manifestation of
violence. The lack of economic prosperity, resulting most recently from Iraq
and Afghanistan are, in essence, the diversion of resources away from schools,
infrastructure development and social expenditures in ways from which we will
not easily recover.
Fourth, what lessons do war and violence teach our children?
In light of these examples, how do we expect them to solve conflict? We are on
the way to losing our balance before we have regained our footing.
My response to this belief in the necessity of war, and
indeed violence itself, is to look to history’s lessons. Wars have led to more
wars. They have detrimental effects on civilian populations and on all combatants.
Ask the veterans. Of those who returned, we count a myriad of post-traumatic
stress, other mental illness, self-harm, domestic violence and many other effects
on the lives of their families and friends. Our memory cannot be so short, can
it? War is not the way to peace. There are countless lessons where
nonviolence, dialogue and diplomacy have averted major crises, prevented war
and injustice, and gained civil and human rights for oppressed citizens. The
recent congressional authorization for limited force in Syria is shameful, for
it should remind us of the words MLK spoke:
“The ultimate weakness of violence is that it is a descending spiral begetting the very thing it seeks to destroy, instead of diminishing evil, it multiplies it. Through violence you may murder the liar, but you cannot murder the lie, nor establish the truth. Through violence you may murder the hater, but you do not murder hate. In fact, violence merely increases hate. Returning violence for violence multiplies violence, adding deeper darkness to a night already devoid of stars. Darkness cannot drive out darkness; only light can do that. Hate cannot drive out hate; only love can do that.”
There are other ways to address the humanitarian crisis in
Syria and in other places where there is violent conflict. We must let our
virtue and reason guide our passions so we can find balance. As Nathan Solomon
said, “War becomes perpetual when it becomes a rationale for peace.” Means do affect
the ends, making us unbalanced, easy to fall, like Sparta.
―end―
by David Ragland
