The British government are gathering various points of view on “what it means to be British”, and the Humanist Philosophers’ Group (part of the British Humanist Association) recently submitted their position paper, A British Statement of Values. It begins: “The core value which we believe can bring people together in this country is the ideal of an open, inclusive and cooperative society from which no group or individual is excluded, and from which no group deliberately excludes itself.” The whole thing is worth reading, and reinforces my sense that, even after all these years in the US, I’m still essentially British in my views and values.
It would be interesting to read a comparable piece on “what it means to be American”. Any offers?