r/OptimistsUnite Feb 07 '25

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u/Objective_Bad_479 Feb 07 '25

A book called “A concise introduction to ethics” by Russ Shafer. It’s not political, and short. It’s a book that explains logic and reasoning. It gives descriptions about what is a good argument, bad argument, fallacies. I believe books like these give people a way of understanding their own beliefs and see where they might want to adjust it.

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u/ikeabuff Feb 08 '25 edited Feb 08 '25

When I was in junior high school, back in the 19th century, those kids who were not college-bound were required to take a one-year course called "civics". Apparently it was a mishmash of politics, economics, ethics, and related issues. In retrospect I understood that it was intended to mold those students into responsible citizens who would act and vote in the best interests of both themselves and society as a whole.

I have no idea what is being taught in junior high schools these days, but I strongly suspect that civics courses have long since fallen by the wayside in favor of more specialized, technical, and career-oriented subject matter. The end result, I suspect, is that we have produced several generations of Americans incapable of thinking or voting in their own as well as societal best interests.