A Short Course in Rule-Breaking

In my home, my girls and I have many philosophical discussions, dealing with political and social theories and topics. We've touched on this concept of rule breaking often -- “when rules take the place of principles” – through the years, in age appropriate, bite-sized pieces. I think it is important for them to develop critical thinking skills and conscious discernment, particularly when it comes to rules and their relationship to principles. There are some rules that are wrong, some rules that must be broken in order to be ethical and principled. We discuss, for example, the Underground Railroad during the era of American slavery. There are some rules that must be obeyed in order to be an ethical person. We talk about how to determine whether a rule should be broken or not. Imagine, if millions of parents were having these discussions, how much more secure our liberty would be.