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| National Archives ‘We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness.’ |
Since the vernal equinox passed a minute ago, I think it’s okay to look to an event coming in late spring. This is far outside my orbit, but Arizona Lodge of Research 1 will host a discussion at its quarterly stated meeting on June 10 that’ll be very timely, with the Declaration of Independence’s 250th anniversary only several weeks afterward.
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| W. Ted Cross |
This will connect with the course, created with the National Constitution Center, he teaches at Arizona State University. This class, available free of charge online, is a “guided exploration of happiness, virtue, and democracy,” says ASU, describing the subject thusly:
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| ASU |
What does it mean to live a virtuous life in a free society? This course invites learners to explore happiness not as the personal pursuit of feeling good but as an idea closely tied to character, civic responsibility, leadership, and participation in a constitutional democracy. At the heart of this is the belief that self-government begins with government of the self.
Through letters, speeches, essays, and stories from the founding era, learners see how key figures in American history understood happiness as the cultivation of virtue and self-mastery, and how they wrestled—often imperfectly—with questions of moral judgment in both public and private life.
By engaging with these historical examples, learners consider how ideas about character, leadership, moral responsibility, and civic duty shaped the American experiment in self-government and continue to resonate in our civic life today.
12 Self-Paced Modules
Each module combines primary source texts, interpretive essays, and guided inquiry reflection to support reflection on how ideas from the past can inform judgment, responsibility, and participation in a constitutional democracy today, including:
► What does it mean to pursue happiness in a society shaped by competing values and interests?
► How should character and virtue shape leadership, citizenship, and public decision-making?
► What responsibilities accompany individual freedom in a democratic society?
► How can virtue formation, historical understanding, and self government strengthen civil dialogue and civic life, rather than deepen polarization?
On the Masonic side, this research lodge in its social media says:
What Did the Founders Mean by Happiness? What did the Founders really mean by the “pursuit of Happiness?” Not comfort, but character, virtue, and purpose.
Explore these ideas in a new free online course from ASU and the National Constitution Center. Then join Dr. Ted Cross on June 10 at the Arizona Research Lodge 1 Quarterly Stated Meeting, where he will speak on the course and its connection to Masonic philosophy and practice.
At ASU in Tempe, Cross is the Assistant Vice President, Principled Innovation, in the Office of University Affairs, where he “centers on advancing ASU’s ninth design aspiration—Practice Principled Innovation. Ted collaborates with university leaders to embed practices that draw on values, character, civic and intellectual assets to drive human flourishing at ASU and beyond.”
Check out Bro. Cross’ other Craftsmen Online appearance, from December 15, on “The Masonic Mind” here.
