Pluralism is defined as an engagement that draws a common society from a diversity which comprises of given society. The principle is a very critical aspect of our livelihood that calls for everyone to celebrate diversity. In supporting this principle, the American Constitution in the First Amendment states that; there is no establishment of religion, thus calling for a free exercise of religion. This amendment, values the relationship between the various members that make up the American society, rather than trying to achieve an agreement on matters concerning faith (Levy, 2017).
The spirit of pluralism was well exhibited in an email sent by Siena’s President, Sister Peg Albert when she highlighted that the university and Catholic education by extension has had a long history of teaching students from different backgrounds whose aim is to contribute uniquely to the American society, the church and their personal formation and growth (Jeffers, 2007).
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Pluralism comes with a mixture of both the positive and the negative consequences attached to it. One positive aspect of pluralism in education art is its ability to make us see things as a whole (Harris, 2010). It tries to limit the effects of a single narrative as a result of issues such as exclusion. This is because pluralism equips us with a perspective for all knowledge and not just a particular area of interest. Pluralism would thus water down one’s perspective while acknowledging that others see it differently. This is necessary to achieve a unified wholeness, as every other perspective is a part of the unified wholeness.
Religious pluralism also produces a new era of building bridges with other religions. This can be seen in most of our institutions of learning where we are most likely able to find worship areas for all the different types of religions available in the society (Eck, 2006). This fosters exceptional relationships with each other, which is the aim of pluralism.
One major disadvantage of pluralism is that it weakens our own individual values in society while putting more emphasis on our relationship with each other with the aim of ensuring diversity. Pluralism is thus a very fundamental aspect in our society, however there is a need to strike a balance between the needs of society with our own values.
References
Eck, D. L. (2006). „From Diversity To Pluralism “(The Pluralism Project at Harvard University). Posećeno , 11 (1), 2010.
Harris, R. (2010). On the purpose of a liberal arts education. VirtualSalt, http://www. virtualsalt. com/libarted. htm (accessed July 2, 2011) .
Jeffers, C. D. (2007). A case study of Sister Mary Margaret “Peg” Albert, OP, Ph. D.: Her first year as president of Siena Heights University (2006–2007) (Doctoral dissertation, Capella University).
Levy, L. W. (2017). The establishment clause: Religion and the First Amendment . UNC Press Books.
