[Listen to the audio version by using the player below.]

In the course of our lives, we learn from those who have come before. A master cabinet maker, using the tools of his time, may teach an apprentice everything he knows which becomes the foundation of skill and knowledge that apprentice takes into the future. So, it is with every trade and every skill which has led many to proclaim that their accomplishments were only achieved by standing on the shoulders of giants. Technical knowledge has passed through the ages in this manner. We have always built on the accomplishments of those who have come before.

We focus so much on our technical advancement that we give little attention to core attributes of our species; our moral and ethical development. This facet of human evolution resulted in the creation of civil societies with art, music, and cultural expressions in innumerable forms. Our moral evolution as a species also gave rise to mutual definitions of ideals that are shared by civilizations throughout the world. These are expressed in founding principles and laws that regulate society.

However, if as apprentices, we patiently learned from master craftsmen, so too can we learn and build on the moral and ethical tenets that have been passed to us. In the course of our growth as citizens we must also stand on the shoulders of giants as we seek to make our contributions. There are many we can look to in human history, including recent history, to serve as exemplars. Pick one or pick ten, but we must choose to grow into the ideals to which we aspire if our social development is to keep pace with our technological progress.

by Kevin Deeny