That was Thoreau’s question in his Essay on Civil Disobedience.  His answer was, “Under a government which imprisons any unjustly, the true place for a just person is also a prison.”  Philosopher Bertrand Russell countered, “I would never die for my beliefs because I might be wrong.”  Psychologist Carol Gilligan counters further, (paraphrasing her), “Why … Continue reading Which Do You Cultivate – Respect for the Law or Respect for the Right?

Conscience and Democracy:  Should they work together?  What do the world’s wisdom traditions say about the spiritual world of conscience, tthe political world of government, and the in-between world of community?

Happy Charles Darwin’s Birthday (February 12) and happy Evolution Weekend!  If the Unitarian Thomas Jefferson was right that the major goals of people are safety and happiness (and should be the goals of their governments) – and if the Unitarian Margaret Fuller was right that the purpose of life is to grow – how can … Continue reading Nature, Safety, & Happiness