The Civically Engaged Reader assembles more than 40 provocative and diverse readings that range across literature, philosophy, and religion. These selections invite reflection on all kinds of civic-minded activities—from giving and serving to leading and associating—and on the vital connections between thought and service. Appendices with questions for discussion and tips for making those discussions meaningful make this anthology a ready-to-go resource for service and volunteer groups, as well as high school and college classrooms.
Part I: Associating
- Politics*
- Waiting for the Barbarians
- I Shall Not Beg for My Rights
- The Boy Without a Flag
- They'll Say, "She Must Be from Another Country"
- Fellowship
- Earliest Impressions
- He Sits Down on the Flor of a School for the Retarded
- The Theory of Moral Sentiments*
Part II: Serving
- Luella Miller
- Dry Dock
- Saving the Crippled Boy
- The Eleventh
- The Moral Equivalent of War
- The Subjective Necessity of Social Settlements
- The Drum Major Instinct
- The Book of Ruth
- The Bible
- Specimen Days*
- The Lovers of the Poor
Part III: Giving
- Where We Were
- The Reveries of the Solitary Walker*
- The Sweetness of Charity
- The Lamb and the Pinecone
- The Gospel of Wealth, Part I
- Self-Reliance*
- Compassion: The Wish-Fulfilling Jewel
- A Bed for the Night
- Four Traditions of Philanthropy
- Mishneh Torah*
- Moses Maimonides
- If All Who Have Begged Help
Part IV: Leading
- The Wife of His Youth
- II Samuel, Chapters 11–12
- The Destructors
- The Hemlsman
- The Lesson
- The Use of Force
- The Autobiography of Benjamin Franklin*
- The Ones Who Walk Away from Omelas
- The History Teacher
- Second Inaugural Address
- The Minister's Black Veil
*Indicates a selection taken from a longer work.