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The Ethics Class by Bob Hausladen 264 pages; quality trade paperback (softcover); catalogue #03-0924; ISBN 1-4120-0555-8; US$23.00, C$25.97, EUR19.00, £13.50 Using conversation, poetry and metaphor, "The Ethics Class"" is an open-ended exploration of the depth and complexity of what it might mean to be "educated".
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About the Book
Within the United States and throughout the world, there is an abundance of rhetoric about the importance of education. The idea that education is vitally important seems obvious. However, often missing in the rhetoric is a true appreciation of the depth and complexity of what it actually means to be "educated." How does education happen? The Ethics Class offers no clear cut answers. What it does offer is an open-ended exploration of this depth and complexity through conversation, poetry, and metaphor. It is simply one possible exploration. Topics include, among others: responsibility, character, indoctrination, acting vs. being, emotion, spirituality, relationship, and rationality.
At this moment in human history basic questions about humanity and the state of the world seem particularly poignant. Addressing these questions intelligently may be necessary for all of our survival. The Ethics Class ponders what it might mean to "intelligently address."
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About the Author
After graduating from Stanford University and playing professional baseball for two seasons, Bob Hausladen has worked extensively with children and adolescents as a teacher, therapist, and corrections professional for over twenty years. He has also chronicled over fourteen hundred pages of his experiences as a father of two wonderful girls. Bob currently resides in Colorado, often dancing with the bears and gliding through the woods on cross-country skis.
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Sample Excerpts
43.
"I see....I see a connection," Sam began prophetically, slowly waving his
hands through the air in front of his face as if to clear a mist which obscured his
budding insight. "It has to do with twins.., yes.., that is it, TWINS."
"Wow, that's really profound Sam," Carol exclaimed, alternating wonder
with sarcasm. "Twins! WHY didn't I think of it before? It explains everything.
The world is saved!"
"Now I have two answers for my Dad," John added mischievously, "No
goals, and, twins, he'll love it!"
"Patience my dear fellows and fellowettes," Sam began again.
"Revelations can not be rushed. I was not finished. Ernest Becker spoke of a
'TWIN ontological motive' which, if I remember correctly, he characterized as
follows. The first motive is the need to affirm oneself, to somehow set ourselves
apart. The second is to yield oneself, to give ourselves up to the overwhelming
power of 'transcendent nature'.
This conception of 'twin ontological motive' relates to our current
discussion. Relinquishing to the moment can relate to 'yielding oneself', to
becoming one with the world and nature, to being part of a larger meaning. On the
other hand, having vision can relate to affirming oneself, to 'the urge for
individuation, to 'realiz(ing) my distinctive gifts, to mak(ing) my own contribution
to the world through my own self-expansion'.
So to squabble over this is silly, both are basic needs of man. We can only
hope to constructively fulfill one without hindering the other."
"Sam I'm tempted to say that you might be on to something," Marty said
warmly. "However, I would differ by saying that both 'motives' are vital, integral
parts of spirituality, of faith. Therefore, we don't have to set up a competition
between the two. Its not helpful, and its soooo American."
"You and you're anti-American dogma," Carl exclaimed, "in spouting off
all of your criticisms of America aren't you creating the very dualism or
competitive mindset you're railroading against?"
"Whoooa," Judy shouted. "Let's not go gallivanting in all directions.
What does everyone think about Sam's 'revelation'?"
"To me it speaks of the need to strike a balance between humility and
arrogance, or, perhaps more appropriately, between humility and confidence," Curt
answered. "People need more than the humility necessary to yield to the moment.
They also need the confidence to do so. Without it, as Mr. W. described a moment
ago, they will be unable to truly yield themselves to seeing the moment because
their self-doubt causes them to create self-defeating diversions.
On the other hand, the person with the confidence to have a vision, and
make 'true' what she imagines, must also have humility. Without it, their vision
can become a means of denying their inevitable relationship to the whole. Full
transcendence is impossible. One can't run away from life through their
accomplishments, they can't transcend life. Further, it would be interesting to note
how accomplishments reached within a mindset lacking in humility hold up within,
and contribute to, the context of that person's entire life. What type of relationships
do they form? What kind of character do they have? Are they at relative peace
with themselves and the world? What is the value or quality they offer the world?
A lack of humility likely produces life-defeating diversions that, although
possibly less tangible than those produced by a lack of confidence, may be just as
prevalent. The old karma trick."
"Oh hogwash!!" Carl exploded. "Some jerks contribute things of
wonderful value. And, some jerks enjoy the pleasures of life. It's just easier for
many of us to believe in some sort of poetic justice, to hold on to the belief that if
someone is not really nice, no matter how much success and pleasure they enjoy,
they're also enduring some kind of private or subtle hell. I don't think so. Life is
not fair no matter how often nine year old children complain about this fact, and no
matter how much we as adults might like it to be otherwise."
"I would like to take a break for a moment," Mr. Weisenheimer said
quietly. "Take a deep breath.., stand up.., walk around if you like."
129.
"Another day, another dollar," 'the man' said with grim satisfaction.
"I didn't make a dollar today," 'other man' said.
(Was that a hint of guilt in his voice?)
"Are you sick or on vacation or something?" 'the man' asked.
"No," 'other man' replied bluntly, anger, insecurity, and exasperation rising
in his belly.
"So what do you got against work? Are you lazy, weak, or just plain
stupid?" 'the man' asked sharply.
"I've got nothing against work," 'other man' returned, wondering who had
pooped in 'the man's' fruit loops that morning. "As a matter of fact, I worked for
most of the day, first drawing, then volunteering at an old folk's home."
"Sounds pretty tough," 'the man' said sarcastically. "Workaholics die
young you know. You should learn to take care of yourself."
'Other man' simply walked away , briefly wondering whether 'the man'
was a direct descendant of John Calvin.
...'Other man' hadn't been walking long before he crossed paths with
'wonderfully warm lady', the friend of a friend. 'Other man' and his wife had
always liked 'wonderfully warm lady'.
"How goes it 'wonderfully warm lady'?" 'other man' asked.
"Oh, pretty good, but the old job's a hassle and the kid's with the flu,"
'wonderfully warm lady' answered, seeming a bit more tired and less sparkly than
'other man' remembered.
'Wonderfully warm lady' shared some of the happenings in her life before
asking, "What are you up to 'other man'?"
"Well, I'm still drawing," 'other man' answered. "I'm enjoying it but I
haven't been able to earn much money up to this point. I've also been trying to get
involved in the politics of retirement homes. And, of course, I'm taking care of our
little chitlins while doing quite a bit of the househusband thing. Lately, however,
'wife' has been getting a bit frustrated about my not making money."
"I can't blame her," 'wonderfully warm lady' said bluntly.
"Yeh, I can understand you saying that," 'other man' answered. "After all,
here I am just screwing around, doing whatever I want, contributing squat to the
family coffers, and leaving all the hard work to my wife. It's understandable that
she feels I'm not pulling my weight.
And to think, 'wonderfully warm lady', I almost believed that your
identification with wife's frustration was based on nothing but ignorance. Given, of
course, that you don't know squat about the dynamics of daily life in my family, or
about who offers what kind of value.
How foolish of me to think that you were being presumptuous to pop off
in such a manner, and that, perhaps, you were just transferring some personal
frustration or ignorance onto my situation. You, being 'wonderfully warm lady',
must know instinctually that I am taking more than I am giving, and, that wife
should be upset about me not making money, even though we have plenty of it.
"Boy it sounds to me like you feel guilty about not working and being a
slacker," 'wonderfully warm lady' returned defensively.
"Yeh, you're right, I do feel guilty. Yet, I'm trying to overcome this. After
all, guilt doesn't help me see any clearer or act with any more integrity. In the
meantime, I'll try to sort out that portion of my guilt which comes from a lack of
quality in my 'work', versus that which I've internalized as a member of the
'wonderfully warm' society we live in.
Oh and by the way," 'other man' continued, now remembering a section
from Hermann Hesse's 'Sidhartha' he felt was vitally pertinent, "You're not going
to convince me that I'm eating 'wife's' bread simply because I'm not making any
money. I eat my own bread. Moreover, we all eat the bread of others, everybody's
bread.
Good day, 'wonderfully warm lady', see ya in the future" 'other man'
concluded, then strolled away.
'Other man' went about his day, exchanging warm banter, warm smiles,
and occasional heartfelt chuckles and laughs with the people he came across-the
butcher, a mom with a little girl, the lady who worked at the coffee shop, the
checker and bagger at the grocery store, the man who worked at the recreation
center, fellow basketball players (with whom his exchanges were not always so
pleasant), two old fellows who frequented the coffee shop, a couple kids down the
street, a couple of adult neighbors, a few other friends, and his wife and two sons
(with whom his exchanges were not always so pleasant).
Joyful living, and spreading a bit of sunshine. This certainly wasn't all of
his 'work', but it was an important part of it.
Being a 'fly in the ointment' seemed to be an important part of his 'work'
also. He thought of himself as a relatively informed and thoughtful skeptic, yet
also as a sharer of warm enthusiasm with youngsters and with life in general. An
apprentice in the art of facilitating interconnections.
However, sometimes 'other man' turned his skepticism inward. In these
cases, he often beat himself up and indulged in doubt, or sent his skepticism hurling
outward smashing angrily into his image of others. A job hazard.
Further, 'other man' fancied himself an explorer of relationship. Not
someone particularly adept at relationship, but an explorer of them nonetheless.
Of course, not making any money in his 'work', nor having connected
himself in any tangible way to community systems, other man realized that, in
truth, he was a worthless tramp, wasting his potential. "Oh well," he thought to
himself, "I guess everybody's inner truth can't be glorious."
A man-woman came to him and snarled in his ear, "You're running away
from reality. You're running away from life. You don't have the courage to put
yourself on the line, and this means you're a selfish, self-indulging, weakling. Act
fool, act!!"
"Another man-woman came to him speaking with calm reassurance, "You
are acting. Have faith in yourself and your path. Patience... Of course it's not
easy, nor do you take every step smoothly. If you think you need to act, have faith
in your ability to do so and do it. One foot in front of the other. Finally, do not
judge my snarling man-woman friend too quickly, he-she is vital, and nicer than
she-he seems."
Catalogue Information
