This fall, in our 25th year of Tomorrow’s Voices classes, 32 high school students will read the Phaedo. In it, Socrates argues that in an age of widespread disinformation and political corruption, it is far too easy to become misanthropic and misologic — hating reasoning and introspection. Ultimately, the dialogue speaks to the power of humility in the pursuit of intellectual integrity and truth, and the existential benefits of rigorous conversation. Socrates urges us to critically examine arguments rather than blindly accept them; not to “win” but to protect the spirit of our well-being.
He counsels that we must not choose a purely materialistic, power-centered worldview over one that asserts the existence of objective truth, nature and knowledge. The “immortality of the soul” is necessary for the political body (polis) to endure. A civilization that values only material or temporal things will eventually decay and die, he writes, as the cardinal virtues of justice, temperance, courage and wisdom are requisite to the immortality of the soul.
The United States today is a civilization in mortal danger. Our administration, driven by sanctimonious greed, is effectively destroying our historically democratic structures and smothering our proud and courageous attempts to become a more perfect union. While politicians warp the spirit of America to suit their ambition and placate their benefactors, our administration’s blatant consolidation of power is making legal or moral recourse extremely difficult. And every day they continue “righteously” inflicting harm on those who rightfully stand in their way, all the while grandly trumpeting that these attacks on our nation’s soul and spirit are the formula for greatness, bequeathed by God. It is a staggering hypocrisy.
How do we respond to such callous destruction of what has thoughtfully been built over 300 years? We must remind each other of who we are as Americans: people who have pledged allegiance to equal rights and due process, to respecting laws that are voted for, not dictated. We remind each other that dignity is the coin of democracy. And that IF we are resolute in our dedication to a vital democratic system, no autocratic clique can smother the continuing revolution of our social contract: to recognize the inherent worth and dignity of ALL people. We are a young nation, but a visionary nation, a nation that can change, that has lofty goals and will continue to move toward them — unless our greed is truly stronger than our integrity, our cynicism more compelling than our wonder.
The students in our new class reminded me of who Americans are, at our best. Afterwards, I wrote them a letter:
“Thank you all for a great first class. Thank you for your energy and willingness to speak up, to offer your thoughtful and courageous responses to our questions, and your personal and heartfelt insights into complicated issues. Your thoughts on the power of capitalism, the power of technology, and whether we can hold these fundamental aspects of our society in some kind of ethical check, pique your teachers’ curiosity. We came away appreciative of our opportunity to spend the next few months with your energy and kind-hearted, spirited intellect. Please know that we profoundly care about the process of learning being attached to choosing to challenge ourselves, to delight in courageous self-reflection, and to put yourselves in places where you are willing to be moved — because you all and the world are just that spectacular.”
“Wonder is the beginning of wisdom,” said Socrates. I recognize this truth, as for 50 years I have witnessed wonder and its magical alchemy on the faces and lives of my students. Jane Taylor, a recent student, off to MIT this fall, said in her high school valedic-
torian speech:
“To channel ourselves toward solving problems and making change we care about in an authentic way, we must open ourselves to experiencing wonder … This is how we truly learn; this wonder allows us to find deep personal meaning in everything we learn and open ourselves to being changed by it. If we are in touch with our authentic identities and embody what we value as we work toward our passions, we will make a positive impact on the world around us throughout the process, while living a life that is meaningful to us.
The author Maria Popova recently wrote:
“Wonder — that edge state on the rim of understanding, where the mind touches mystery — is our best means of loving the world more deeply. It asks of us the courage of uncertainty because it is a form of deep play, and play, unlike games, is inherently open-ended, without purpose or end goal, governed not by the will to win a point but by the willingness to surrender to a locus of experience and be transformed by it.”
I believe that if we put ourselves in places where we are existentially moved — as my students do, over and over again — we will spark an indomitable collective flame that honors the most profound and primal facet of our human spirit: wonder. Which might engender courage, humility, passionate conversations and a sweeping national craze of truth-telling! And then, perhaps, our communities and country will make real the dream we’ve carried all these years. If we want to move toward justice, we must lean toward justice; if we want to implement justice, we have to act.
“Find an honest and vital spirit that offers a sense of hope!” Bryan Stevenson says. “Hope is what gets you to stand when other people say sit down. Hope is what gets you to speak when other people say be quiet.” Because our children and the world are just that spectacular.