How does patriotism look north of the 49th parallel? In this article, the author explores the answers to this question and examines the "quiet nationalism" that characterizes Canadians' views of themselves and their nation. One of Canada's best-known philosophers, John Ralston Saul, argues that Canada's contribution to the world has been…

Contemplating the root of the word "idiocy" leads the author to explore the challenge that democratic societies face of developing public-minded citizens. The schools, he argues, are the most likely institutions to succeed in that task. Schools in societies that are trying in various ways to be democracies, such as the United States,…