Lincoln on Government

Lincoln’s belief that “joint effort” or “combined action” by government was required to help the weakest members of society.  Five years later he would admit that “government is not charged with the duty of redressing or preventing all the wrongs in the world,” but he added: “Government rightfully may, and…ought to, redress all wrongs which are wrongs to the nation itself.”

The legitimate object of government, is to do for a community of people, whatever they need to have done, but cannot do, at all, or cannot, so well do, for themselves— in their separate, and individual capacities.

In all that the people can individually do as well for themselves. Government ought not to interfere.

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The desirable things which the individuals of a people cannot do, or cannot well do, for themselves, fall into two classes: those which have relations to wrongs, and those which have not.  Each of these branch off into an infinite variety of subdivisions.

The first—that in relation to wrongs—embraces all crimes, misdemeanors, and non-performance of contracts.  The other embraces all which, in its nature, and without wrong, requires combined action, as public roads and highways, public schools, charities, pauperism, orphanage, estates of the deceased,  and the machinery of government itself. 

From this it appears that if all men were just, there still would be some, though not so much, need of government.

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Government is a combination of the people of a country to effect certain objects by joint effort.  The best framed and best administered governments are necessarily expensive; while by errors in frame and maladministration most of them are more onerous than they need be, and some of them very oppressive.  Why, then, should we have government?  Why not each individual take to himself the whole fruit of his labor, without having any of it taxed away, in services, corn, or money?  Why not take just so much land as he can cultivate with his own hands, without buying it of any one?

The legitimate object of government is “to do for the people what needs to be done, but which they cannot, by individual effort, do at all, or do so well, for themselves. “  There are many such things—some of them exist independently of the injustice in the world.  Making and maintaining roads, bridges, and the like; providing for the helpless young and afflicted; common schools; and discomposing of deceased men’s property, are instances.

But a far larger class of objects springs from the injustice of men.  If one people will make war upon another, it is necessary with that other to unite and cooperate for defense.  Hence the military department.  If some men will kill, or beat, or constrain others, or despoil them of property, by force, fraud, or noncompliance with contracts, it is a common object with peaceful and just men to prevent it.  Hence the criminal and civil departments.

Source:

To Do for the People What Needs to Be Done, Fragments on Government

[July 1, 1854] in Lincoln on Democracy:  His Own Words, with Essays by America's Foremost Civil War Historians. (New York, NY: A Cornelia & Michael Bessie Book, HarperCollins Publishers, 1990).  Eds. Mario M. Cuomo, & Harold Holzer, pp. 63-65.

Critical Thinking and Information Evaluation - An Old Topic To Be Revisited Several Times

We need to train children how to think independently and critically, because this is a survival skill in the Information Age. Such a training can be introduced early, possibly during kindergarten years through daily practice with the simple question-and-answer method. Do not ask children to follow or accept anything blindly and passively. Instead, encourage them to ask and answer questions about new things and events they encounter every day. Then allow them to test and see the result for themselves. In other words, kindle their curiosity, let them think, explore, get actual experiences, and evaluate the experiences by themselves under some guidance. In that way they can learn effectively.

As children grow up, they need to know how to hone their skills of observation, evaluation and judgment. One of the best ways to teach children critical thinking during their elementary years is to ask them to read, and to keep a journal (diary) to record their feelings and thoughts about what they have just read, and about their daily life at home and in school. Compare and contrast what they read with what they observe and experience in real life.  That is a good starting point to develop keen observation, critical thinking, and also meta-cognition, all of which are essential for scientific inquiry later on.

Children need encouragements and feed backs about what they have accomplished. Therefore, responsible adults (i.e., parents and teachers) should read the children's journal entries with them, and provide some positive feed backs and comments. Children need someone to listen to them and to provide them with guidelines.

In the Information Age, children need guidelines regarding Internet and information use and usage. Without responsible adults' guidance, children might become vulnerable victims of Internet crimes, or unintentionally get confused about values. They may even get the wrong messages about life values. Children, therefore, need to be taught information evaluation as early as first grade, or even earlier. Learning values, life skills, and information use and evaluation is a must through all school years, and even beyond.

Most Webpages found from search engines are self-published with some motives. Even Webpages by well-known national or international institutions, organizations and government agencies may have flaws or errors which the organizations, institutions or agencies might have overlooked. That is why Web users need to cultivate critical thinking and healthy skepticism.

Besides knowing your own topic and searching purpose (What information you look for and why you need it), you may rely on some of the following evaluation criteria to decide whether or not you should use the information you found:

1. Authority: What is the original source of information? Who is the author?  His/Her credentials? Is s/he an authority on the topic?
2. Currency: When was it first published or last updated?
3. Reliability and verifiability: Any bibliography, documentation, or additional links to resources to authenticate the information?  Is the image/the video clip/the sound authentic, or is it manipulated, distorted intentionally?  Photoshop has been doing a marvelous job in manipulating information.
4. Point of view or bias: What point of view does the author represent? Conservative or progressive, or affiliated with some advocacy group?  Read between the lines. 
5. Appropriateness and Coverage: The scope (breadth and depth) of the information item, and whether it meets your search purpose.

Finally, don't hastily share the information to others without checking it first. It is better to compare, contrast, and use many sources on the topic before you decide if the information item you have found meets your information purpose.

Information and technology alone cannot save the world.  Only TRUTH and WISDOM can  better the world.



Resources:

http://olinuris.library.cornell.edu/ref/research/webeval.html
http://www.lib.berkeley.edu/instruct/guides/evaluation.html
http://www.lib.berkeley.edu/TeachingLib/Guides/Internet/Evaluate.html
http://www.library.jhu.edu/researchhelp/general/evaluating