Turning to Philosophy
Martha Craven Nussbaum, Ernst Freund Distinguished Service Professor of Law and Ethics in the Philosophy Department and the Law School of the University of Chicago, is a good friend of CSW. She is a former member of our board, she spoke at my installation as head, and her daughter, Rachel Nussbaum Wichert, is graduate of the Class of 1991.
A deep thinker and prolific writer, Martha’s books span an enormous range of topics. Two recent books, Not For Profit and Creating Capabilities, align strongly with our mission as a progressive school, and Martha’s focus on the role of the arts and the importance of democracy and democratic principles very much supports CSW’s approach to education.
A deep thinker and prolific writer, Martha’s books span an enormous range of topics. Two recent books, Not For Profit and Creating Capabilities, align strongly with our mission as a progressive school, and Martha’s focus on the role of the arts and the importance of democracy and democratic principles very much supports CSW’s approach to education.
Martha’s latest book, The Monarchy of Fear — a book she began writing on election night 2016 — was featured at her recent reading at the Cambridge library, and I was fortunate to attend. Nussbaum began by addressing the power, even the lure of fear, which blocks our rational thinking and seems to close out hope; how it rapidly moves into blame and how we then worry that things will be taken away from us. At the beginning of the talk, and in her book, Nussbaum contrasted Franklin Roosevelt’s “The only thing to fear is fear itself” with Barack Obama’s “Democracy can buckle if fear takes over.” If we fear fear itself, she explained, it means that our emotions have taken over, and we have allowed fear to poison our other emotions. As a result, blame sets in, and we need to be aware that under certain conditions, blame can become toxic.
So why turn to philosophy now? During her talk, Nussbaum referenced the famous Socrates quote about “leading the examined life,” and explained how this concept continues to be relevant in today’s day and age. She connected us to the current events we witness each day and the worries being raised about democracy here in the United States, while also encouraging us to think globally and in a deep historical context. Her references to Mahatma Gandhi and Martin Luther King Jr., for example, guided her messages of respect for humanity, goodwill, and hope.
Towards the end of her address, Nussbaum spoke about vigilance and forgiveness. While there is a place for legitimate fear, we need to be vigilant and look at where the discourse can take place. We should, in fact, seek out those spaces where discourse can happen and defend them; public art and architecture can provide those spaces. Unconditional forgiveness, such as that which Nelson Mandela gave to his guards, is rare, but does not mask the anger that conditional forgiveness holds.
In a school, emotions can ride high and be at the fore of so much that goes on between and among young people; turning to philosophy can be a luxury. In general, however, taking the time understand what is really going on beyond our emotions, is not. I hope that CSW is one of those places where we can frequently stop and think and consider together, a place indeed to defend and treasure.
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CSW—a gender-inclusive day and boarding school for grades 9-12—is a national leader in progressive education. We live out our values of inquiry-based learning, student agency, and embracing diverse perspectives in every aspect of our student experience. Young people come to CSW to learn how to learn and then put what they learn into action—essential skills they carry into their futures as doers, makers, innovators, leaders, and exceptional humans who do meaningful work in the world.