George Will and the founding ethos

I’ve enjoyed this book by George Will. It’s been an education for the mind, and a challenge for one that is missing many pieces (thank goodness for ai!) .

Here’s a bit.

There is, however, something more, something exceptional about American patriotism, something complex and demanding because it involves assent to a creed that says rights are natural to, meaning inherent in, our humanity. A rights-centered society, must, however, take seriously the fact that duties are not natural. They must be taught. Self-interest is common and steady; virtue is rare and unpredictable. A society devoted to guaranteeing a broad scope for self-interested behavior must be leavened by virtue. So measures must be taken to make virtue less rare and more predictable. Among those measures, Americans have always considered education crucial.

I feel like there has been a neglect of the sense of duty. Sometimes shockingly so. I’m not sure if it is due to the decline of jobs with implied duties of service. Or if it is fashionable for those who were once revered for service work, to now want tangible income.

How to feather duties into ones course of life more readily occurs with role models. And then once individuals feel the reward of watching a flourishing, hopefully it will self-ignite in a virtuous cycle.