In arguing with Mike Petrilli on Bridging Differences on the centrality of democracy as the function of Public Education (and ideally of independent ad private schools too) I’m perhaps presenting a marginal viewpoint. Yes, there is a time and place, for preparing oneself for a articular vocation. But most of the habits of work and mind (and heart) that democracy rests on will go along way to making people good at their jobs too. So I’m not worrying abut that.

The idea upon which modern democracy rests–that we’re all members of the ruling class–is a shaky idea. It needs to be explored in many ways, and the governance of schooling is itself one place for exploring it. Ditto for every subject we teach. Math is important–but if we worry just about it’s employment repercussions we are ignoring its central function — to get us through daily life and to prepare us to contemplate the big issues that as citizens we need to be knowledgeable about. So we’re not so dumb when it comes to millions vs billions vs trillions, for example.

But–how iffy is it that we can persuade our fellow citizens about democracy. We’ve somehow confused it with being citizenly–picking up garbage on the sidewalk, going to the polls every few years, etc. It’s, as Winston Churchill said, an absurd idea, that only looks if you consider the alternatives. It’s not “natural”, we’re not born democrats. Furthermore, I believe that it’s every bit as counter-intuitive as modern science.

But it also, maybe, takes certain moral presumptions. That’s what I wonder about, and which sometimes makes me think that, indeed, I am a utopian. For example, I’m horrified when I read about what the really rich earn per hour, and how much of the wealth (aside from income) of the world they possess. Is the idea of approximate equality–sharing the pie more or less equally–a necessary part of democracy. If not, what do we have to strengthen so that money doesn’t trump all other forms of power?