New School Civics

workin offered a solution to these threats. He proposed a mandatory course on contemporary political issues in every secondary school. But the course would not be a current events or civics class. It would examine the political debates of the day from an ethical standpoint. Instead of asking “Will this provide us with more wealth and money-making opportunities?” or “Is this a smart political move?” or “Is this stance cost-effective?,” the questions would be “Does this aid society as a whole?,” “Is this law just?,” “Is this opinion fair?” and “Is this the right thing to do?” Tough questions, yes, but ones that are fading and must be revived. Dworkin acknowledged that it would be difficult to implement such a course, and that the temptation would be great to slip back into the fashionable discourse the class is designed to combat. But, he said, if we had the right people constructing the course and choosing the readings, the task would be possible.