Evaluate evidence from sources, question assumptions, and as necessary, develop refutation.

Amanda Garcia
Mr. Kikos
March 07, 2015
Ethical Reasoning – James Madison
In his letter to W.T. Barry, President James Madison wrote, “Knowledge will forever govern ignorance: And a people who mean to be their own Governors, must arm themselves with the power which knowledge gives” (1822). This quote, in particular, refers to the complicated issue of transparency and accountability – the maxim that a government must be able to tell its citizens everything in order to have an informed citizenry (Kubey, 2004). This can be a dilemma, as transparency is a double-edged sword; oftentimes, governments can make decisions their citizens do not know about under the presumption that they should not know about them for their own safety. The question then becomes what to choose between: the people’s right to know or the presumption that those in the know can make the best decisions.
Despite these conflicts, however, Madison’s credo that knowledge should be provided and pursued at all times is the correct one. Governments that do not tell their citizenry everything are not truly working for them, but for themselves (Fiorini, 2004). While governments may feel the need to operate independently of their citizens, these same citizens are the ones making the decisions regarding who gets to be in power through voting and elections. In a democratic society, complete knowledge is paramount, as citizens must make decisions on how they would like to be governed with all the data available to them (Emerson, 1976). To remove that from them would be to eliminate the very concept of open, free societies altogether. To that end, Madison’s declaration that a democratic society must “arm” themselves with knowledge is the most sensible one.

Works Cited
Emerson, Thomas I. “Legal foundations of the right to know.” Wash. ULQ(1976): 1.
Florini, Ann. “Behind closed doors: Governmental transparency gives way to secrecy.” Harvard
International Review 26.1 (2004): 18.
Kubey, Robert. “Media Literacy and the Teaching of Civics and Social Studies at the Dawn of
the 21st Century.” American Behavioral Scientist 48.1 (2004): 69-77.
Madison, James. Letter to W.T. Barry (August 4, 1822).