Brad, you included a statement that there is no such thing as the "public", just individuals. I find that this concept, in itself, is a HUGE stumbling block for many of my blue friends. They feel that they were lucky enough to be born into the US with all its benefits, and they owe something to the society that provided these benefits. I have pointed out that "society" is not a real thing, it's just a term used by sociologists when describing overall patterns of large numbers of individuals, but they're not convinced. They see their freedoms, the overall quality of life they enjoy, etc. and they have a strong emotional desire to pay back. I get it. When you receive something you want to exchange value for value. But that sense of justice, in this case, is badly misplaced. I'm no philosopher (just an engineer) but I think this deserves to be addressed. (Of course, for all I know it has - but I don't know where.)
Thank you for a very informative piece. When I moved to Washington State, I was shocked to discover that private religious schools in Washington State and Oregon required their teachers to be state certified. What's the point of being private if they don't have the liberty of choosing their instructors? And I was even more dismayed to read about the changes in California regarding private schools. As a former government school teacher and now private tutor, I second your sentiments that government schools ought to be abolished. Thank you for taking the philosophical lead on this revolutionary idea.
Brad, you included a statement that there is no such thing as the "public", just individuals. I find that this concept, in itself, is a HUGE stumbling block for many of my blue friends. They feel that they were lucky enough to be born into the US with all its benefits, and they owe something to the society that provided these benefits. I have pointed out that "society" is not a real thing, it's just a term used by sociologists when describing overall patterns of large numbers of individuals, but they're not convinced. They see their freedoms, the overall quality of life they enjoy, etc. and they have a strong emotional desire to pay back. I get it. When you receive something you want to exchange value for value. But that sense of justice, in this case, is badly misplaced. I'm no philosopher (just an engineer) but I think this deserves to be addressed. (Of course, for all I know it has - but I don't know where.)
Thank you for a very informative piece. When I moved to Washington State, I was shocked to discover that private religious schools in Washington State and Oregon required their teachers to be state certified. What's the point of being private if they don't have the liberty of choosing their instructors? And I was even more dismayed to read about the changes in California regarding private schools. As a former government school teacher and now private tutor, I second your sentiments that government schools ought to be abolished. Thank you for taking the philosophical lead on this revolutionary idea.