Thinking Citizen Blog — Shakespeare, Abraham and Isaac, the Ukraine — Extracting the Core Syllogism

Thinking Citizen Blog — Monday is Foreign Policy Day

Today’s Topic: Shakespeare, Abraham and Isaac, the Ukraine — Extracting the Core Syllogism

In “The Seven Ages of Man” monologue (also known as the “All The World’s A Stage” speech) of the fool, Jacques, in “As You Like It,” Shakespeare writes of the fifth age of life being that of the “justice” full of “wise saws” and “modern instances.” Think of those wise saws as basic premises, and the modern instances as minor premises. That is perhaps the best summary in literature ever of the essence of critical thinking — it’s about distilling the core syllogism from the infinity of relevant facts and principles. Today’s post is my attempt to extract the core syllogism from the war in the Ukraine. Experts — please chime in. Correct, elaborate, elucidate.

MAJOR PREMISE — PEACE COMES THROUGH STRENGTH

1. Weakness invites bullies to attack.

2. If you want peace, you must show the willingness, ability, and determination to fight.

3. If you don’t remember the lessons of the Anschluss (March 1938), Munich (September 1938), and Prague (March 1939), well, perhaps you should brush up on your history.

MINOR PREMISE: THE INVASIONS OF THE CRIMEA AND UKRAINE FOLLOWED EVIDENCE OF WEAKNESS ON THE PART OF THE UNITED STATES

1. The invasion of Crimea followed President Obama’s failure to stand by his “red line” in Syria.

2. The invasion of Ukraine followed President Biden’s withdrawal of troops from Afghanistan.

CONCLUSION: REMEMBER THE STORY OF ABRAHAM

1. To win salvation Abraham had to be willing to sacrifice his son Isaac.

2. To achieve peace, we must be willing to sacrifice our young, too;

3. Sorry, that’s reality.

NB: Denial is so tempting. But denial has consequences.

https://www.poetryfoundation.org/poems/56966/speech-all-the-worlds-a-stage

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Isaac

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Binding_of_Isaac

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Russo-Ukrainian_War

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Annexation_of_Crimea_by_the_Russian_Federation

ATTACHMENTS BELOW:

#1 A graphic guide to justice (9 metaphors on one page).

#2 “39 Songs, Prayers, and Poems: the Keys to the Hearts of Seven Billion People” — Adams House Senior Common Room Presentation, 11/17/20Here is a link to the last four years of posts organized by theme: (including the

book on foreign policy)

PDF with headlines — Google Drive

YOUR TURN

Please share the coolest or most important thing you learned in the last week, month, or year related to foreign policy. Or, even better, the coolest or most important thing you learned in our life related to foreign policy.

This is your chance to make someone else’s day. And to consolidate in your memory something important you might otherwise forget. Or to think more deeply than otherwise about something dear to your heart. Continuity is the key to depth of thought. The prospect of imminent publication, like hanging and final exams, concentrates the mind. A useful life long habit.