Four Reasons Why You Should Be Civically Engaged
Near and dear to heart is the topic concerning civic engagement. The American Psychological Association defines civic engagement as “individual and collective actions designed to identify and address issues of public concern.” I like to think that I have many passions in my life, but I think most people that know me would point to civic engagement as one of my most prominent interests and pursuits. The topic of civic engagement is wonderful because it combines perfectly my other prominent passions: politics and philosophy. Now, I know buzzwords like “philosophy”, “politics”, and “civic engagement” are huge turn offs for some people, but I contend that everyone should be concerned about their own level of civic engagement and about their community’s level as well. Here are a few reasons why you should think the same:
1. Freedom is not passive.
This is a packed statement and it is fundamentally Hegelian, but the rationale behind the statement and its consequences are significant. Essentially, people actively express their freedom. The recognition of freedom can only be achieved when free individuals express their freedoms. Therefore, when a person does not express their freedom, other people cannot affirm that that person is a free being himself or herself. This is worrisome because if people think that a person or thing does not express freedom because the person or thing is not free, then society does not extend the rights and protections of freedom to that person or thing. The upshot from freedom being an active event is that in order to remain free individuals, we must express our freedoms. Civic engagement encompasses those freedoms, so we should be civically engaged.
I do not argue that we have the freedom to be civically engaged, and so we should be civically engaged. This common argument is more happenstance because it supports expression based on the simple fact that the right to expression exists. The Hegelian message is stronger this coincidental fact—the lack of expression is a self-denial of freedom, which is a logical contradiction for a free being.
2. I learn from what you think and do.
Depriving others of your valid opinion and experiences hinders the community conversation and its quest for communal knowledge. Even if your opinion echoes the opinion of someone else, the fact that your opinion has a unique phenomenological focus from your point of view makes your opinion invaluable and irreplaceable. Your opinion matters. Engaging with others is the only way that I know what your opinion is.
3. You are already civically engaged.
The public realm is comprised of the social and political spheres. Civic engagement is not inherently political; it can be social. Again, the definition for civic engagement is “individual and collective actions designed to identify and address issues of public concern.” The massive influx of technological innovations continues to expand the public sphere at the expense of the private sphere. Humans are more publically involved than they have ever been. There is a very high probability that you are already socially and/or politically involved. The only relevant question is how much should you be involved and where should you dedicate your involvement. I think this question is best answered by the next reason.
4. We are not isolated creatures impervious to outside influences.
What others do affects us. Our social behaviors and the existence of laws prove this statement. Where you dedicate your involvement and how much you involve yourself should reflect the type of influence you want others to receive and the type of influence you yourself want to receive. Remember: your opinion matters. How you want your opinion to matter depends on what your public concerns are. Identify what matters to you in order to best convince society why it should matter to everyone. Civic engagement is contingent on the spheres of influence we want others to have on us and vice versa.
By no means is this an exhaustive list of reasons to be civically engaged. However, these are my personal reasons for being civically engaged and I hope that they are convincing to everyone who reads them. In sum, everyone should be civically engaged.
Lastly, in the spirit of political discourse, if you disagree, please openly disagree! I learn from what you think! Tell me what you think.
Picture Credit: http://www.govst.edu/Service/