2008 Writing Prompt
Baron de Montesquieu wrote that "Rome was a ship held by two anchors, religion and morality, in the midst of a furious tempest" (Montesquieu, Charles-Louis. The Spirit of Laws , Chicago: The University of Chicago & Great Books, 1952, p.55). Is morality necessary for a healthy society? What institutions and philosophies preserve virtue and morality from generation to generation? How can Montesquieu's statement be applied to the United States today, if at all?