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Heroes & Villains HEROES & VILLAINS Answer Key Defining Civic Virtue (p. v) connection between the U.S. constitution and 1. Answers will vary. Some students may say that a constitutional republic, as well as to the ideas when they encounter the term “civic virtue,” about human nature and the constitutional they assume it refers to religious morality, or republic as addressed in the reading. some sort of general morality. Others may be more specific, saying that it refers to personal Identifying and Defining Civic Virtue (p. xi) conduct that affects society in a positive way. Student responses will vary; accept answers 2. Answers will vary. Encourage open and that make a reasonable connection among the thoughtful discussion of responses. civic virtue, the person or character, and the 3. Sample responses: Because human beings are justification based on the definition. imperfect, no one person should have too much power—hence, separation of powers. Benjamin Franklin and Civic Virtue - Questions to Because no one group should have too much Consider (p. xix) power—limited government. 1. Franklin understood virtue to be habits or traits that would reflect good conduct (“rectitude of Clarifying Civic Virtue (p. x) conduct”) and bring a person closer to moral 1. Students’ responses should expand on their perfection. He refined his understanding as previous answers and incorporate historical he concluded that moral perfection was not and philosophical context, perhaps including possible, but that the ambition and attempt Aristotle and indicating that it may include, toward it made him a better and a happier but does not require, religious belief. Some person. students should also note that it involves a 2. Franklin ordered the virtues because he balance between extremes, action rather than thought that working on all of them at the same just ideals, regular habits, and must be related time would be distracting and that focusing on to just purposes. one at a time would be a more effective way to 2. If student response did change, response should work on them. He put them in an order so that be a reasoned explanation of what points in virtues he acquired earlier might help him to the reading contributed to this change. If the develop others that were later on his list. student response did not change, response 3. “Contrary Habits” or “Inclination” led him to should provide a reasoned explanation for why, keep slipping into habits that were not virtuous. based on the text, it did not. 4. Given how frequently Franklin refers “habit” as 3. Student responses should have expanded a part of his attempt to become more “morally beyond their first response and make a direct HEROES & VILLAINS: THE QUEST FOR CIVIC VIRTUE perfect,” and the system he devised in order • Responsibility – Resolution. Responsibility to increase his practice of virtues, he appears – Frugality. Responsibility – Temperance. to have agreed with Aristotle that virtue was, • Self-Governance – Silence. Self-Governance indeed, a habit. – Order. Self-Governance – Moderation. 5. Franklin intended to master one virtue at Students may find several differences, including a time, focusing on each one for a week and that some of Franklin’s virtues may not seem marking in his book the number of times he to correlate to those in the “Identifying and failed at that virtue. His goal was to keep each Defining Civic Virtue” list. Students may also week clear of marks indicating when he had identify differences in the definition of virtues failed. that may otherwise seem similar. 6. Franklin has difficulty living as virtuously as 12. Accept reasoned student responses. was his goal. He had difficulty keeping his weekly lines “marked clear of spots.” He did, Tanks in the Square (p. 3) however, see his faults diminish. 1. Students may be somewhat familiar with this Moral perfection: Student responses will vary, scene, including the fact that it is often referred but should be reasonable and related to the to as “Tank Man” and that it took place in China. student’s overall beliefs and understandings. Some may know the decade or year it took Challenge students to identify the bases of their place. Some may also know something about motivations to act virtuously. the political context and its place in history. Use 7. Franklin’s words are based on assumptions that responses to inform instruction. right and wrong are universal and absolute, 2. Student responses will vary. Use responses to even while moral perfection may not be inform instruction throughout the rest of the humanly impossible. activity. Provide answers, to students’ additional 8. Franklin did not accomplish his initial goal questions, or provide a means for them to of moral perfection because he never did rid research them in class. himself of the faults he sought to eliminate 3. Accept reasoned responses that are based because he found himself “so much fuller of on what can be observed in the photograph. Faults” than he had imagined. Students should spot the man standing in front 9. He did eventually begin to see his faults of the tank. diminish, and he did become a happier person 4. Students should identify the man standing in than he would have been if he had not made the front of the tank on the left side of the photo. attempt, and he believes he was made better for In the context of the size of the Square, and having tried. the size and number of the tanks, he appears 10. Student responses will vary, but should be quite small—and could almost be missed by based on the text. someone not looking closely. 11. Similarities students may find are: Students may say that he is making a statement • Contribution – Industry. about his determination in his protest, about • Integrity – Sincerity. his lack of fear of the tanks and troops, or • Justice – Justice. of his willingness to sacrifice for what he is • Perseverance – Industry. demanding. • Respect – Chastity. © THE BILL OF RIGHTS INSTITUTE 5. Franklin did appear to see a difference between 5. Responses will vary; accept reasoned responses being humble and appearing humble. In that address his key points. applying the question to themselves, accept 6. Accept reasoned answers that are based on the reasoned responses and follow up with texts. questions that encourage further, honest self- 7. Accept reasoned answers that address Shaw’s examination. quotation. 6. Franklin saw social benefits in appearing 8. Student responses may vary, but should include humble. His conversations with people became references to other texts that they have studied, more pleasant, and people were less apt to and to an appropriate understanding of the contradict him. Constitution and republic. Student responses to the additional questions 9. Students should state a connection between will vary. Encourage a transfer of understandings freedom and responsibility. They may, in beyond Franklin and to themselves and their addition, note principles such as checks and own actions. balances, separation of powers, and limited government, and note a relationship between Frederick Douglass and Responsibility: Discussion human nature and those checks on power that Guide (p. 25) are intended to curb lack of virtue. 1. Historically, enslaved were prevented from 10. Some students may mention part-time jobs, learning to read because literacy was the domain household chores, community service, or of free people, and because of a concern that if extracurricular responsibilities. (Ideally, slaves were exposed to the ideas of philosophy someone will mention homework!) In five and politics, they could revolt. years, they may be responsible for increased 2. When Douglass was eight years old, his master’s work responsibility, college or graduate wife began to teach him the alphabet and basic school studies, or volunteer responsibilities. reading skills. Some students may also mention family responsibilities, car ownership, or having to 3. Douglass found time to spend with peers who provide for their own food and home. helped him by showing him how to read in exchange for his bread. He also challenged 11. Answers will vary; accept reasoned responses. boys to writing contests, and when the other boys wrote letters he didn’t know, even though Jourdan Anderson and Justice: Discussion Guide he lost, it was his way of learning more letters. (p. 32) 4. Students may reason that Douglass’s actions 1. Responses will vary, but may include confident, were virtuous because they were done in the honest, straightforward, just. pursuit of justice. Others may say that breaking 2. It was written in August 1865, in response to the law is never virtuous. Some may note a letter he had received from his former master that the law he was breaking was unjust, thus (Col. Anderson) asking him to come back to making his act virtuous. Some may also refer to work for him as a paid servant. Students may the statement “Virtue require a just end,” from identify a sarcastic or derisive tone and infer the What is Virtue? handout in the Virtue that he aimed to remind Col. Anderson of the Teaching Tool chapter. injustice of his enslavement. HEROES & VILLAINS: THE QUEST FOR CIVIC VIRTUE.
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