A Model Citizen

Today in class we talked about what it means to be a model citizen. Brighouse suggested that there are three criteria for defining a good citizen. The first criteria is abiding by the law. The second is political participation to achieve justice. The last component needed to make a good citizen, according to Brighouse, is participating in political endeavors in pursuit of personal interests. We were asked to think of someone that we viewed as a model citizen. I found that there were a lot of people that I could think of that encompassed the qualities the Brighouse deems important for the ideal citizen to posses. But I found that I didn’t actually think of these people as good citizens just because they met those requirements. As discussed and brought up by couple other students, I think there is definitely more involved in defining someone who is a good citizen. Other factors that I think are defining characteristics would be respect for other people and for the environment. I don’t think anyone should refrain from stating their viewpoint in fear of offending someone, but I also think these things can be coined without being overtly offensive. Having respect for others doesn’t mean agreeing with them and never creating controversy, it simply means acknowledging that other valid perspectives exist and presenting your opinions in a way that doesn’t diminish others. I found that it was a lot harder to think of people who meet the expectations of a model citizen as outlined by those five characteristics.