The Affirmation of Citizenship

I affirm to uphold the office of citizen of the United States and the State of Minnesota; to assume the rights and responsibilities thereof; to educate and keep myself informed regarding public affairs; to engage my fellow citizens in the establishment of liberty, justice, and dignity for all; and to preserve representative democracy by serving as a legislator, juror, or elector when called.

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The symbol of the Ethic of Citizenship consists of the yin and yang balanced on the scales of justice. The yin and yang represent the numerous polarities and contradictions of our modern society. The scales represent the various theories of justice through which we attempt to resolve these contradictions.  The tension between the individual and community is one of the most fractious of these polarities, and it is through an Ethic of Citizenship that we can bring it into balance. In a similar vein, the symbol represents the tensions inherent in the paradox of freedom. The combination of a universal symbol that originated in the east with a universal symbol that originated in the west also represents the integration of the eastern and western philosophical traditions.