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Practically Idealistic blog
 
The title for this blog originated with use of the term “practical idealist” in this 1996 opinion piece, which asked: “To what kind of work should a practical idealist aspire?” A century and a half earlier, Emerson, in his 1841 essay Circles, wrote: “There are degrees in idealism.  We learn first to play with it academically. . . .  Then we see in the heyday of youth and poetry that it may be true, that it is true in gleams and fragments.  Then, its countenance waxes stern and grand, and we see that it must be true.  It now shows itself ethical and practical.”  John Dewey and Mahatma Gandhi embraced practical idealism in the 20th century, as did UN Secretary General U Thant.  Al Gore invoked it in a 1998 speech. In the context of this blog, the term is meant to convey idealism tempered but not overwhelmed by realism: a search for the ideal on a path guided by common sense.
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Saturday, October 12, 2013

“Every Community Deserves a Public School”

Yesterday the Connecticut Mirror published my op-ed,  "Every Community Deserves a Public School" – an attempt to put a small-town budget debate into broader context.

7:04 am edt 

Sunday, October 6, 2013

“Why Read, Anyway?”

Informed by work including Kelly Gallagher’s Readicide, the Literacy Coalition of Greater New Haven and the New Haven Free Public Library will co-sponsor an October 23 event.

8:47 pm edt 

Saturday, October 5, 2013

A School Gets Its New Building

The new East Rock School, which opened in August and was used for a citywide kindergarten canvass, has its formal dedication tomorrow.  Compliments to everyone who made this new school happen.  It will be a boon to the city and the neighborhood.

This is progress; the old building, where I was dozens of times, was badly in need of replacement years ago.

A July 2008 (July 19) post treated school facilities.

12:50 pm edt 


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