America's neglect of civic virtue and rising tribalism have led to fewer and fewer broadly respected figures in public life.
"Are you ready to do your duty for Rome?"
From its first line, the most important scene in Gladiator, the winner of the Academy Award for Best Picture in 2000, explores the citizen’s responsibility in a republic. This is a timeless subject; indeed, the scene can help us understand, 2,000 years after the film’s setting, what civic duty means in America and why our country seems to be developing fewer and fewer leaders with public virtue.
Much has been written in recent years about how political polarization and tribalism have inflamed our politics, turning debates radioactive and making elections seem existential. But we’ve failed to appreciate how this era’s animosity has all but erased serious conversations about a common good, duty, and what we need in public servants.
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Andy Smarick is a senior fellow at the Manhattan Institute. Follow him on Twitter here.
Photo by Ken Goff/Getty Images
