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The Religious Foundations of Civic Virtue THE RELIGIOUS FOUNDATIONS OF CIVIC VIRTUE A Dissertation by CHRISTIE LEANN MALOYED Submitted to the Office of Graduate Studies of Texas A&M University in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of DOCTOR OF PHILOSOPHY August 2010 Major Subject: Political Science The Religious Foundations of Civic Virtue Copyright 2010 - Christie LeAnn Maloyed THE RELIGIOUS FOUNDATIONS OF CIVIC VIRTUE A Dissertation by CHRISTIE LEANN MALOYED Submitted to the Office of Graduate Studies of Texas A&M University in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of DOCTOR OF PHILOSOPHY Approved by: Chair of Committee, Cary J. Nederman Committee Members, Elisabeth H. Ellis Judith A. Baer Jennifer R. Mercieca Head of Department, James R. Rogers August 2010 Major Subject: Political Science iii ABSTRACT The Religious Foundations of Civic Virtue. (August 2010) Christie LeAnn Maloyed, B.A., Emory & Henry College Chair of Advisory Committee: Dr. Cary J. Nederman Scholarly accounts of the history of civic virtue in the modern era have with few exceptions been wholly secular, discounting, ignoring, or even outright rejecting the role religious thought has played in shaping the civic tradition. In this dissertation, I focus on the influence of religion on the civic tradition, specifically in the eighteenth century in Scotland and America. I examine the ways in which the religious traditions of each nation shaped the debate surrounding the viability of civic virtue, the place of religious virtues among the civic tradition, and the tensions between using religion to promote civic virtue while protecting individual religious liberty. In the Scottish Enlightenment, I examine the influence of Francis Hutcheson’s moral sense philosophy and Adam Ferguson’s providential theology. In the American Founding, I contrast the New England religious tradition exemplified by John Witherspoon and John Adams with the public religious tradition advocated by Benjamin Franklin, Thomas Paine, and Thomas Jefferson. This work demonstrates not only that religion influences the civic tradition, but also that this influence is neither monolithic nor self-evident. In order to understand how religion shaped this tradition, it is necessary to take into account that different iv conceptions of religion produce different understandings of what it means to be a good citizen. v ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS This project would not have been possible without the assistance of many teachers, colleagues, and friends. The errors that remain are my own, but this work has been much improved due to their instruction and guidance. Though I cannot possibly give them all the credit they deserve, I would nevertheless like to offer my gratitude for their help. I am deeply indebted to the members of my dissertation committee including Cary Nederman, Lisa Ellis, and Judy Baer for their boundless advice, patience, and friendship during this process. Lisa pushed me to work through many of the challenging nuances of my argument and her attention to detail improved this work. I am especially grateful to Cary for his unwavering support during this process. His willingness to read multiple iterations of my arguments and provide sound criticisms and suggestions tremendously improved the quality of this project. Other friends have also helped me with this project over the years. Joe Lane inspired my interest in political theory, taught me the craft of argumentation, and saved me from law school. I owe much to his tutelage and friendship. Erik Godwin provided a wealth of advice and encouragement that helped me see this project through to completion. Ben Freeman, Doug Kuberski, and Ted Brown engaged me in numerous conversations and debates over the ideas contained within this work and provided encouragement and support throughout this process. Mary Beth Sullivan, Dan Betti, Peyton Wofford, and Brad Goodine helped to sharpen many of my arguments by reading vi various versions of chapters, refining my better ideas, and never hesitating to point out deficiencies. I am also grateful to the Melbern G. Glasscock Center for Humanities Research for their financial and intellectual support. Finally, I would like to thank my family for their love and support: my mother, Cherrie, my brother, Wesley, and my father, Bob, who passed away before the completion of this work. I also owe an eternal debt to my husband, Kelton Williams, for without his support I would never have begun nor finished this project. vii TABLE OF CONTENTS Page ABSTRACT.......................................................................................................... iii ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS ................................................................................... v TABLE OF CONTENTS....................................................................................... vii CHAPTER I INTRODUCTION: THE RELIGIOUS FOUNDATIONS OF CIVIC VIRTUE............................................................................................ 1 The Civic Tradition...................................................................... 5 The Scottish Enlightenment ......................................................... 12 The American Founding Era........................................................ 22 Conclusion................................................................................... 34 II FRANCIS HUTCHESON: THE MORAL SENSE OF CIVIC VIRTUE............................................................................................ 37 Moral Sense Theory..................................................................... 38 Hutcheson’s Political Thought..................................................... 44 Religion....................................................................................... 51 Conclusion................................................................................... 57 III ADAM FERGUSON: PROVIDENTIAL ORDER AND THE CIVIC TRADITION..................................................................................... 60 Adam Ferguson ........................................................................... 62 History of Civil Society ............................................................... 65 Providential Progress ................................................................... 75 Conclusion................................................................................... 85 IV A PIOUS REPUBLIC?...................................................................... 87 John Witherspoon........................................................................ 88 John Adams................................................................................. 102 Conclusion................................................................................... 117 viii CHAPTER Page V PUBLIC RELIGION IN THE AMERICAN FOUNDING ERA ........ 119 Benjamin Franklin ....................................................................... 122 Thomas Paine .............................................................................. 136 Thomas Jefferson......................................................................... 150 Conclusion................................................................................... 162 VI CONCLUSION ................................................................................. 165 BIBLIOGRAPHY ................................................................................................. 172 VITA..................................................................................................................... 184 1 CHAPTER I INTRODUCTION: THE RELIGIOUS FOUNDATIONS OF CIVIC VIRTUE When a task force for the American Political Science Association reported on the state of American democracy in 2002, its conclusions were sobering: “democracy is at risk” and that risk comes from “an erosion of the activities and capacities of citizenship.”1 The same could be said of the majority of industrialized liberal democracies worldwide. Scholars have generally noted decreased civic engagement in both political activities and voluntary associations, most famously Robert Putnam, who argues that this decrease in engagement is undermining the role of civic virtue in society.2 Some scholars, philosophers, and even politicians have expressed concern that excessive individualism is undermining the possibility of developing shared values or a sense of the public good. Fears abound that an uncompromising dedication to individual rights and the pursuit of the unencumbered self will ultimately eradicate a sense of responsibility towards our fellow citizens and community. In response to these concerns, a number of scholars have sought a historical and theoretical basis for developing a civic tradition that can confront these challenges, reviving interest in the politics of virtue and civic engagement. For instance, Benjamin Barber has argued for increased participation in order to strengthen our communities. Others, like Michael Sandel, have argued for a stronger, constitutive conception of community. Alasdair MacIntyre has suggested an This dissertation follows the style of Political Theory. 1 Stephen Macedo, Democracy at Risk (Washington, D.C.: Brooking Institution Press, 2005), 1. 2 Robert Putnam, Bowling Alone (New York: Simon & Schuster, 2000). 2 even more transformative role for virtue by returning to Aristotelian principles of government and civic life.3 The project of inspiring a sense of common purpose and encouraging civic and political involvement is not a new one. As scholarship on the civic
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