Teaching Plato in Palestine Quotes

“Particularly conducive to this end are debates across boundaries—cultural, religious, political, and so forth. When Jews discuss with Jews, Christians with Christians, secular citizens with secular citizens, Palestinians with Palestinians, Israelis with Israelis, or Mohawks with Mohawks, they will likely only scratch the surface of the historical, religious, and political narratives they were brought up with. If, on the other hand, we engage others who do not share our cultural narratives, we cannot rely on their authority, but are compelled to argue for our views—as”
― Carlos Fraenkel, Teaching Plato in Palestine: Philosophy in a Divided World

“For the philosopher Charles Taylor, experiences like mine—of being displaced in Brazil or of engaging in disputes in Egypt—bring to light what he calls “the sources of the self”: the beliefs and values embedded in a culture that shape our identity and the way we live.4 Under normal circumstances these sources remain hidden and inarticulate. My claim is that we should welcome the disruptions that compel us to confront them.5 DEBATE AND TRUTH Can we be sure that our beliefs about the world match how the world actually is, that our beliefs about what is right capture true moral norms, and that our subjective preferences match what is objectively in our best interest? If the truth is important to us, these are pressing questions.”
― Carlos Fraenkel, Teaching Plato in Palestine: Philosophy in a Divided World

“we are fallibilists.13 And if we are fallibilists, we can see why valuing the truth and valuing a culture of debate are related. According to fallibilists, we can never be absolutely certain that what we believe and value is right.”
― Carlos Fraenkel, Teaching Plato in Palestine: Philosophy in a Divided World

“Can we be sure that our beliefs about the world match how the world actually is, that our beliefs about what is right capture true moral norms, and that our subjective preferences match what is objectively in our best interest? If the truth is important to us, these are pressing questions. We might value the truth for different reasons: because we want to live a life that is good and doesn’t just appear so; because we take knowing the truth to be an important component of a good life; because we consider living by the truth a moral obligation independent of any consequences; or because, like my Egyptian friends, we want to come closer to God, who is the Truth (al-Ḥaqq in Arabic, one of God’s names in Islam).6 Of”
― Carlos Fraenkel, Teaching Plato in Palestine: Philosophy in a Divided World

“Who should govern?” is the question we discuss next. In fact, Akwesasne is the spot with the greatest number of governments on earth (“we should have an entry in the Guinness book of records,” Angie says). As mentioned, it falls under two federal jurisdictions, Canada and the United States, and three provincial ones, Quebec, Ontario, and New York. Technically, the queen of England has the last say on the Canadian side. Add to this two governing bodies on the reserve: the Mohawk Council of Akwesasne that Canada recognizes, and its American counterpart, the St. Regis Mohawk Council. Finally, there is the Mohawk Nation Council of Chiefs and Clan Mothers, which the community sees as the only legitimate heir of traditional Mohawk governance, but which neither Canada nor the United States accepts.”
― Carlos Fraenkel, Teaching Plato in Palestine: Philosophy in a Divided World