According to Menand's The Meta-physical Club Story, ideas are tools, not inspirations. People devise ideas to cope with the world. They are born out of social interactions and depend on the environment, human carriers, and their own adaptability for survival. Democracy began as an idea. The Civil War began as an idea. Why do people die for ideas?
Did the Civil War occur because our democracy failed? Why/Why not?
After the Civil War, Holmes, James, Pierce, and Dewey understood that beliefs have consequences. Name 2-3 beliefs that guide our school systems today. What are the consequences of those beliefs?