America's Moral Crisis

Oscar B. Johannsen

[Reprinted from The Gargoyle, May 1973]

It may be a bit wearisome to hear once again of America going through a moral crisis. It is so apparent. In the entertainment world, the emphasis on sex and vulgarity is so patent as hardly to deserve comment. In politics the scandals come so thick and fast that one is hardly shocked to read of a new one. In business, such scandals as Equity Founding, which issued thousands of bogus life insurance policies is almost looked upon as the normal thing. The churches seem perplexed, hardly knowing what to make of it all.

If all of this is a crisis, it may not be bad. After all, a crisis is precisely the thing which brings in its train action. If you have a heart attack, that crisis forces you to take heed in the future. Possibly, it may mean an entirely new departure to your life. The reforms you may have to institute in order to maintain your life may lead to a better one -- certainly, may lead to a better appreciation of life and the intelligent enjoyment of it.

There is nothing particularly new in crises in nations. Ancient Athens in the Fifth Century went through a moral crisis. When one reads about it, one is reminded of the close parallel with our own crisis and with solutions offered.

Athens was supposed to be a democracy ruled by the people. But the people felt they had little real control over the decisions made. What individual American feels he controls such decisions as war in Vietnam? In Athens, its conduct of foreign affairs with other states seemed to be of more importance then attempting to make Athens a nation imbued with a concept of justice. Success was worshiped, as the success and honor were necessarily synonymous. America is preoccupied with foreign affairs, and success in whatever field seems to be the goal of most.

Of course, the young are disillusioned and many of them are skeptical of this worship of success. But this was the same in Athens, and the young and old grew away from one another.

Socrates was one of the few -- one of the remnant -- who seems to have tried in his calm, depreciating manner to point the way to a better society by reforming the individual rather than society. Know thyself was his injunction. The better you know yourself, the better you make yourself, the better will society be.

In order to know yourself, you must have knowledge. The more you learn, the better you should be the better example you will be for others, the more you can impart to others.

Today, of course, as in Socrates' time, most of the agitation is on some objective reforms. Reform the money system, reform the political system, reform the family, the church, reform, reform, reform. Georgists are guilty of that too. Many of them naively think that with the institution of a reform of our land tenure system, a virtual paradise will be here on earth. But this is far from being necessarily true. In order for men to use their potential to the fullest extent possible, they must have the highest degree of freedom possible, due consideration being given to all. To attain this freedom, it is imperative that a system of land tenure be adopted which grants to each individual his birthright -- right of access to the earth. But it does not follow that if this is done, that men will use their freedom wisely nor well.

It is still necessary for each man to know himself, to develop himself and to live his life so as not to hurt any man.

So, if America's moral crisis leads to a greater understanding of each individual's own life, potential and ethics, it may be a turning point for the better for all of us.