[1/1997] ‘Democracy’ has essentially (i.e., in vision/aim) to do with an egalitarian way of being together in which individuals and community are in harmony. Being together in a democratic way (or approximating it) depends on grasping/practicing an enriching integration of individual freedom and individual restraint. In United States history, our experiment with democracy (formally launched with the Declaration of Independence and the Constitution) began with two critical and profound deficits -– i.e., (1) slavery and (2) an inferior/vulnerable status for women and children. Tremendous energy, resources, and time have been expended and continue to be expended to minimize, to resolve, to overcome the consequences of these two deficits. In order to do so, ‘individual freedom’ has had to be so accentuated that ‘individual restraint’ by comparison remains much less developed as a cultural/social value or responsibility.
‘Holistic’ and classical education (i.e., education that nurtures students into informed, discerning, courageous, self-disciplined, empathetic citizens) is a sine qua non for ‘democracy’ to thrive. In the United States experiment with democracy, efforts to expand/establish ‘holistic’ and classical education have met with limited and uneven success due (1) in part to chronic inequalities (e.g., economic, ethnic, gender) that reflect disagreements re the criteria for full/free participation in the society and (2) in part to the difficulties associated with challenging/removing the place of ‘religion’ (with its pre-modern and non-democratic traditions) as the presumed tutor for society.
A ‘non-religious’ interpretation of Jewish scripture and Christian scripture is necessary in order for the vision and experiment of ‘democracy’ to be pursued. ‘Democracy’ – which emphasizes and is anchored by individual freedom/autonomy/accountability, the rejection of any monarchy/nobility, the necessity of public education, a confident view of human beings’ ethical/spiritual capacity, . . . -- is both absent from and in radical (i.e., to the root) conflict with Jewish scripture and Christian scripture and with traditional/orthodox (T/O) theologies of the ‘religious’ sphere.