Opinions of mankind: Why world opinion matters as the U.S. pursues the war on terrorism.

America's conduct in the war on terror has been perceived abroad as arrogant and cavalier, and world opinion regarding the U.S. has fallen. That has left many of us wondering why we should care about world opinion.

Conservative commentators in particular have been quick to ask "Who cares what the French think?" and "Why should we care about the attitudes of the U.N. and Old Europe?"

These are fair questions. Independence Day is a good time to address them directly. And the Declaration of Independence itself helps answer them.

Most of us remember the stirring words from the Declaration about self-evident truths and inalienable rights. Fewer of us, however, remember the first sentence of that document. It is a long sentence, and rather difficult to parse:

"When in the Course of human events, it becomes necessary for one people to dissolve the political bands which have connected them with another, and to assume among the Powers of the earth, the separate and equal station to which the Laws of Nature and of Nature's God entitle them, a decent respect to the opinions of mankind requires that they should declare the causes which impel them to the separation."

The subject of that sentence is "a decent respect to the opinions of mankind." Stop and think about that for a moment.

Because of respect to the opinions of mankind, the Founders thought it necessary to state their reasons for declaring independence.

Those reasons begin with a statement of fundamental principles. They are important because America is founded on ideas and principles rather than ancestral traditions or divine revelation. And those ideas bind us as well as others, they summon us to those better angels of our nature.

Respect to the opinions of mankind expressed the Founders' faith in reason, their belief that reasonable people of goodwill and common sense would be able to see the justice of the revolutionary cause.

Jefferson wrote to Henry Lee that the Declaration was intended to "place before mankind the common sense of the subject, in terms so plain and firm as to command their assent, and to justify ourselves in the independent stand we are compelled to take."

Sadly, we have fallen far short of this standard in the war on terror. Rather than submitting facts to a candid world, our government has at best relied on faulty intelligence, and at worst it has deceived us all. Jefferson called the Declaration "an appeal to the tribunal of the world." Rather than making a respectful appeal, President Bush expresses disrespect for the opinions of mankind in saying that he doesn't need to explain what he says.

Disrespect for the opinions of mankind sends the signal that we no longer place constraints upon ourselves, that principles may apply to others, but not to us. It signals that we treat questions of right as questions of power. It is reminiscent of Stalin's contemptuous question "How many divisions does he have, this pope?" That, I trust, is not the America we celebrate this Independence Day.

Why should we care about the opinions of mankind?

Because ours is a nation based on fundamental principles that apply to us as well as to others.

Because we hold ourselves to a higher standard.

Because that's the kind of nation we aspire to be.

Hamner Hill of Cape Girardeau is chairman of the Political Science, Philosophy and Religion Department at Southeast Missouri State University in Cape Girardeau, where he is a professor of philosophy and environmental science.