Ideas and Philosophies that have shaped United States Political Thought
Jefferson presents an eloquent manifesto about human nature:
We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness.According to Jefferson, while people are different in abilities, skills, and even social station - each are "equal" with the other in that no person has a greater right to life, freedom, or the ability to seek out and work for their own vision of success.
Jefferson then laid out the proper role of government:
That to secure these rights, Governments are instituted among Men, deriving their just powers from the consent of the governed, ... laying its foundation on such principles and organizing its powers in such form, as to them shall seem most likely to effect their Safety and Happiness.
According to our founders then, the role and purpose of government are three: (1) preserve the rights to life, liberty and ability to pursue our dreams; (2) Government gets its authority from the consent of the governed; and (3) Government must preserve our safety.
These principles were not invented by Jefferson. They are the culmination and embodiment of political philosophy and debate from the previous hundred years as citizens of Europe began questioning the impositions and restrictions demanded by Monarchies and Church Hierarchy. This timeframe was called, The Age of Enlightenment which marked the time that people began questioning the role and nature of government.
Thomas Hobbes
Hobbes published a book called The Leviathan, about the role and nature of government in 1651 following a nine year English Civil War between the Monarchy and the Representative Government led by the Parliament. It was one of many steps England took, beginnning with the Magna Carta in 1215 toward transitioning from a Monarch with absolute power to a representative government with the Monarchy serving as a ceremonial head of state.
Hobbes put forth three main ideas:
State of Nature - also called Natural Law. Hobbes said that at the beginning, humans lived in the state of nature. In this state we were free to do as we pleased. This is the default state of being. However this free state of being is hardly joyous or carefree. Hobbes wrote:
In such condition, there is no place for industry; because the fruit thereof is uncertain: and consequently no culture of the earth; no navigation, nor use of the commodities that may be imported by sea; no commodious building; no instruments of moving, and removing, such things as require much force; no knowledge of the face of the earth; no account of time; no arts; no letters; no society; and which is worst of all, continual fear, and danger of violent death; and the life of man, solitary, poor, nasty, brutish, and short.
Social Contract. Hobbes argued that people enter into government as part of the an exchange. People give up some of their liberties in exchange for safety provided by the Government in order to increase their enjoyment from retained liberties. For Example: I will give up my right to take my neighbor's property in exchange for the Government providing a police force protecting my property rights. This allows me security to develop a farm, or factory now that I am not spending time defending my life and property.
Source of Government Power. Government gets its proper authority therefore not from God, or from might - but rather from the consent of the governed.
John Locke
Locke wrote about the nature of Government in the late 1600s. He also subscribed to the social contract philosophy. Locke wrote that in the "State of Nature" people had the right defend their life, health, liberty and possessions. Many of the themes Locke advocated found their way into the Declaration of Independence and the United States Constitution. Locke put forth three main ideas:
Separation of Powers. Unlike Hobbes, Locke argued that government should be limited in its powers, and that one way to limit the exercise of absolute power was to break up the power of government into separate units.
Separation of Church & State. Locke argued that the State should not be in the business of determining which religion was true. Even if the State could determine the true religion - belief could not be compelled with the threat of violence. Finally the State would create more disorder attempting to coerce religious uniformity.
Right of Revolution. Locke argued that people had the right - if not the duty - to overthrow government which breaks the social contract and impairs the basic human rights of its citizens.
Source of Government Power. Government gets its proper authority therefore not from God, or from might - but rather from the consent of the governed.
John Locke
Separation of Powers. Unlike Hobbes, Locke argued that government should be limited in its powers, and that one way to limit the exercise of absolute power was to break up the power of government into separate units.
Separation of Church & State. Locke argued that the State should not be in the business of determining which religion was true. Even if the State could determine the true religion - belief could not be compelled with the threat of violence. Finally the State would create more disorder attempting to coerce religious uniformity.
Right of Revolution. Locke argued that people had the right - if not the duty - to overthrow government which breaks the social contract and impairs the basic human rights of its citizens.
•••
Having some familiarity with the basic philosophy that inspired the American Revolution and Constitution. Hobbes and Locke were not the only philosophers during The Age of Enlightenment, however their ideas formed the backbone upon which our Government is organized.
No comments:
Post a Comment