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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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Sunday, June 8, 2014

Interfaith Efforts, Global and Local

Anticipating today’s Vatican prayer meeting among the pope and the presidents of Israel and the Palestinian Authority, I wrote a related op-ed last week.

10:06 pm edt 

Saturday, June 7, 2014

“Everyday Democracy”

The organization Everyday Democracy has developed a discussion guide, “One Nation, Many Beliefs: Talking about Religion in a Diverse Democracy.”

8:24 am edt 

Sunday, June 1, 2014

The Concord Review

The Concord Review – which promotes “varsity academics” – has published the latest issue of its journal of high-school history students’ essays.

9:18 am edt 


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