Citizens as Agents of Moral Change
W.E.B. Du Bois, a renowned American researcher, made a significant global contribution to social research. Among others, the researcher promoted anti-discriminatory values. Apparently, the system had meted out discrimination against black communities in America (Dennis & Dennis, 2015). Dubois resisted systemic discrimination because it blocks marginalized communities from accessing basic needs like healthcare and income. Du Bois also dedicated his research life to promoting fairness, arguing against people’s classification based on race. According to the University of Massachusetts Amherst (n.d.), another value the researcher promotes is self-determination, whereby he argues against colonizers controlling their former colonies. Du Bois’ advocacy for the black community and self-determination demonstrates his dedication as a moral agent.
One of the values that emboldened his stance as a moral agent is the decision to promote self-determination. The US had set on a journey to limit liberties at home and abroad, using the Cold War as an excuse. Du Bois advocated for the need to allow nations to decide which side they would be aligned to, which led to his prosecution in the US and consequent relocation to Ghana. In this respect, Dubois shows joint intentionality, whereby individuals are focused on community benefits (Tomasello, 2018). The decision to sacrifice the comforts in the US shows his commitment to morality (Kluger, 2007). If he had not valued morality, he would have remained in the US after the unfair treatment.
A key lesson from Du Bois is that conflict has no benefits. He presents the case of the US, which maintains overseas troops at the expense of local citizens. Du Bois attributes unemployment, low wages, limited healthcare access, and other social problems to the costly war (DuBois, 1919). The US would be better off if true globalization were allowed. The argument corresponds to the call for globalization, where nations are allowed to interact freely with the rest of the world without limits (Bailey, 2015). If the US let people decide their affairs independently, American citizens could be spared from unnecessary military spending.
Du Bois’ escapades show that we can use personal experiences to set an example for others. As a leader, one should be willing to get their hands dirty, not necessarily because they know better, but as a desire to go the extra mile and sacrifice (DuBois, 1919). Du Bois was willing to get into loggerheads with the system as long as he advanced the interests of the black community.
According to Sugarman (2005), ordinary citizens may become extraordinary moral agents of change by demonstrating responsibility and social care. Responsibility is demonstrated through day-to-day routines at home and at the workplace. For instance, parents may demonstrate moral agency by treating their neighbors with dignity and avoiding gossip. That way, their children will practice the same. Also, a moral agency may be demonstrated by being there for others. Even when one is not likely to profit from service to humanity, one should take the fulfillment the challenge presents.
References
Bailey, R. (2015, April 30). Globalization Is Good for You! Reason.com. https://reason.com/2015/04/30/globalization-is-good-for-you/
Dennis, R. M., & Dennis, K. N. (2015). Du Bois, W. E. B. (1868-1963). The Wiley Blackwell Encyclopedia of Race, Ethnicity, and Nationalism, 1–6. https://doi.org/10.1002/9781118663202.wberen191.
DuBois, W. E. B. (1919). W.E.B DuBois, “Returning Soldiers” (May 1919) | The American Yawp Reader. https://www.americanyawp.com/reader/21-world-war-i/w-e-b-dubois-returning-soldiers-may-1919/.
Kluger, J. (2007, November 21). What Makes Us Moral. https://content.time.com/time/specials/2007/article/0,28804,1685055_1685076_1686619,00.html.
Sugarman, J. (2005). Persons and Moral Agency. Theory & Psychology, 15(6), 793–811. https://doi.org/10.1177/0959354305059333.
Tomasello, M. (2018). How We Learned To Put Our Fate In One Another’s Hands. Scientific American.https://www.eva.mpg.de/documents/Nature/Tomasello_Origins_SciAmerican_2018_2638814.pdf
University of Massachusetts Amherst. (n.d.). About W. E. B. Du Bois. Www.library.umass.edu. Retrieved February 15, 2023, from https://www.library.umass.edu/about-w-e-b-du-bois/.
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Question 
This week’s assignment is a case study about people who were agents of moral change. For either of this week’s assignment options, students are instructed to engage in their research. One or more primer articles have been provided to start your research. However, students are to include at least two unique external articles pertaining to their study subject. Students may use Wikipedia as a reference for this assignment.
Citizens as Agents of Moral Change
Specifically, for either of these assignments, students are to use and cite two external documents, at least one Primer (or provided article), the article by Oldenquist, Kluger, or Tomasellos, and an assigned reading article from a previous week.
Option One:
Subject to the note above, research the life and accomplishments of one of the following moral agents of change: Malala Yousaf Zai, Standing Bear, W.E.B. Du Bois, Mitsuye Endo, Hannah Arendt, or Cesar Chavez. For this assignment, examine the life and actions of one of these individuals and then answer the following questions:
- What value(s) did your research subject demonstrate?
- How did this value help them become a moral agent of change?
- What can we learn from this model citizen?
- How can we use our choices and behaviors to set positive examples for others?
- How might ordinary citizens become extraordinary moral agents of change?