Yesterday John Updike, a giant of American literature, passed away at the age of 76. He left behind 24 novels and nearly 200 short stories. Among many tributes offered to the late author, this one caught my attention: a re-broadcasting of Updike’s essay originally presented in 2005 as a part of NPR’s This I Believe series. Updike was more of a commentator of social life and personal travails than political philosophy. In this essay, he talked about the human value of creative writing, the power of science, and the reality of subjective sensations. But he also talked about believing in democracy – simply and forcefully.
- “To govern with the consent of the governed”: this spells the ideal. And though the implementation will inevitably be approximate and debatable, and though totalitarianism or technocratic government can obtain some swift successes, in the end, only a democracy can enlist a people’s energies on a sustained and renewable basis. To guarantee the individual maximum freedom within a social frame of minimal laws ensures — if not happiness — its hopeful pursuit.
Couldn’t have been said better.
Published Date: January 28, 2009