Arizona State University Schools Teach Americans to Be Proud to Be American Discussion – Description
I am including the readings and the following is the suggested way to write for the most points. After that the post to comment on will follow.;Each reply will get 3 points if it engages the post to which it responds in a meaningful way and based on the readings. The purpose of the reply is to discuss the way the post understands or applies the reading. Suggestion: your task will be easier if you read through a number of the posts and choose the ones to which you have meaningful things to reply. Reading just two posts at random and responding to them might appear as an easier shortcut, but it may make it more difficult to actually write the reply.The best replies are the ones that encourage reflection, for example by saying things like (these are illustrations, not templates!): I think that you got this particular part of the argument from the readings not fully accurately…Your post made me rethink the way I understood the reading in that….I agree with the way that you understand this piece of argument from the reading but I don’t think that it applies to the example you bring up…I think that the two authors that you mention actually present different arguments….
People usually are attached to the country where they are born and where they grow up. It is a natural feeling that does not need to be taught. Walzer (1989) writes that “patriotism is a kind of love (p.521).” Love happens naturally and it is not taught. Nobody teaches us how to love our mother, our children, or our girlfriend or boyfriend. It happens naturally. So, patriotism does not need to be taught in schools. In my opinion, when schools teach Americans to be proud to be American, they are taking the risk of making the students believe that America and Americans are better than the rest of the world. Teaching Americans to be proud to be American and to value their communities more than other communities is dangerous. Walzer (1989) writes that when nations think that they are the best, they might want other nations to be like them (p.536). We saw that happening in Vietnam, when the United States went to war in Vietnam to prevent communism in the country. I think that by teaching people to value their communities more than other communities you are contributing to the mutual-benefit logic in which Goodin says “rich get richer and the poor get poorer (p.685).”The mutual-benefit society model is harmful to certain individuals. Goodin(1988) writes that some societies explore “guest workers” denying them certain rights (p.677). This is a very common practice in many countries. In addition, non-citizens of a country usually do not have the same rights as citizens even though they pay taxes and contribute to the economy by working and purchasing goods. Moreover, Goodin(1988) concludes saying that it is wrong to give priority to our fellow citizens (p.686).In my opinion cosmopolitanism should be taught in schools in the United States. I am glad I read the article by Nussbaum(1994) in which he writes that schools in the United States should adopt a cosmopolitan education( para. 1).” According to Nussbaum(1994) “…while they themselves happen to be situated in the United States, they have to share this world of human beings with the citizens of other countries ( para. 1).” I did not know about cosmopolitanism before I read the article. I think that Americans should be taught that all races and ethnics should be treated with respect and equality. In addition, by teaching cosmopolitanism to students they would value all human beings not only their country people. It is important to teach students that other nations that are different than the United States also offer good things to their citizens. For example, some countries have universal health care which works well. Moreover, a country might not have the same living standards as the United States, but they might offer other things that are good. An example of this is that in some poor countries people really help each other. In conclusion, I do not think that schools should teach Americans to be proud Americans, and I do not think that we should encourage people to value their own community over other communities. ReferencesGoodin, Robert E. 1988. “What Is So Special about Our Fellow Countrymen?” Ethics 98 (4): 663–86.Nussbaum, M. C. (1994). Patriotism and Cosmopolitanism [Boston Review, October/November].Walzer, M. (1989). Nation and Universe. The Tanner Lectures on Human Values.
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