PERSPECTIVE NEEDED — Policy, Philosophy, Practical Economics
After viewing this presentation one might just think differently about questions that trouble us.
Without quibbling about small details, this graphic (not sure what its TITLE is) could, hopefully, pull us out of our privileged navel-gazing to consider our issues against a broader perspective.
POLICY — In nation states, who does policy?
In democratic settings is it the elected representative politicians, the dynamics of catering to influential vested lobbies, strong central control vs subsidiary local decision-making or other forms of problem-solving that should provide the governing mechanisms?
PHILOSOPHY — Do social norms arise from belief systems or practical daily realities?
Where do values that fuel action come from? Live and let live or . . . ? Do they need to be entrenched and declared in Constitutions and Charters of Human Rights and Freedoms?
PRACTICAL ECONOMICS — Do the notions of truth and science inform decisions? On a binary continuum do things veer to the objective or the subjective?
In the field of education it is so heartening to see so-called “research” being seriously questioned. Increasingly we are seeing an emphasis — a movement — on “evidence-based” indicators in choosing methods, approaches and policies — very different from mission statements about “changing the world”. Once goals are agreed upon it’s the demonstrable results that matter when proven standard practices are followed.
[NOTE: GRATITUDE FOR LITERACY — At this stage, and after viewing the above-recommended presentation, we should be so grateful that we are enabled through reading to grapple with the complexities of the day and the uncertain futures ahead. For the sake of posterity we ought become humble pioneers — based on knowledge we know and learn from history and the written word — in developing guiding principles for the current and future eras.]