Americans claim to care about character. Over four fifths want it
taught in public schools, and 95 percent think that a president's
character is important. And historically, philosophers, educators,
politicians, religious leaders, judges, and the general public have
agreed that character should be valued and reinforced. Yet in the
United States, the institutions charged with that mission have
consistently fallen short. Simply put, too little effort has been
made to understand the importance of character and the strategies
that can best develop and support it. After first exploring the
history of the concept over time, Deborah Rhode turns her focus to
the institutions that have traditionally fostered good character:
families, schools, youth organizations, civic groups, and political
organizations. However, as we have increasingly de-emphasized the
subject-a trend that is most evident in our politics-our awareness
of its shaping influence has waned. Indeed, we often focus on the
wrong things when it comes to fostering good character. For
instance, almost a third of the workforce is covered by licensing
laws requiring good moral character, even occupations where the
need for screening is not self-evident: florist, fortune teller,
and frog farmers. Character also plays a pivotal role in the
criminal justice system, in defining guilt, punishment, and
eligibility for parole. All too often, these legal requirements are
idiosyncratic, inequitable, and subject to race and class bias.
Millions of Americans who have convictions for minor offenses are
excluded from a vast range of occupations and benefits without
evidence that such exclusion serves the public interest. We can do
better, she stresses, and outlines a powerful program for reform.
Rhode punctuates the book through a series of portraits of
exemplary individuals whose good character made them who they were:
Ida B. Wells, Jane Addams, Martin Luther King, Mother Teresa,
Nelson Mandela, Albert Schweitzer, and Thurgood Marshall. All of
these individuals had flaws, but through their commitments to both
social justice and helping the less fortunate, they all demonstrate
the power and importance of strong character.
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