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American Principles of Self-Government

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American Principles of Self-Government 8 American Principles of Self-Government Michael Reber Introduction The prevailing modem way of handling exceptional moral con- duct is by categorizing it as supererogatory, where this is un- derstood to represent conduct that is morally good to do, but We have seen at the beginning of this new millennium a not morally bad not to do. But this means that exceptional moral test of the American Experiment. The corruption scandals of conduct is not required of anyone, which is to say that moral companies such as Enron, WorldCom, and their auditors development is not a moral requirement. Clearly this concep- Arthur Anderson, only highlight the greater problem of our tion of supererogatory conduct reinforces moral minimalism Republic in the 21" century—Modern Moral Minimalism. (p. 42). Modern Moral Minimalism is a moral system grounded in the ethics of realpolitik and classical liberalism. The most However, noblesse oblige is grounded in an ethics that Norton influential writers of realpolitik are Niccold Machiavelli terms eudaimonism or self-actualization. It holds that each (1947), Francis Bacon (1952), and Thomas Hobbes (1998). person is unique and each should discover whom one is (the On behalf of classical liberalism, John Locke (1988) is most daimon within) and actualize one's true potential to live the noted by scholars of political thought. Modern Moral good life within the congeniality and complementarity of Minimalism holds that we can only expect minimal moral excellences of fellow citizens (Norton, 1976). Thus, through conduct from all people. Machiavelli's moral code for princes the course of self-actualization, a person is obligated to live in Chapter XVIII of his classic work, The Prince, epitomizes up to individual expectations and the expectations of the this belief system: community. Eudaimonism should be the ethical foundation of our A wise leader cannot and should not keep his word when keep- Republic. We should expect the very best from those persons ing it is not to his advantage or when the reasons that made whom we recognize to be at the latter stages of moral devel- him give it are no longer valid. If men were good, this would opment, such as our business, religious, and political leaders. not be a good precept, but since they are wicked and will not Furthermore, they should expect the very best of themselves keep faith with you, you are not bound to keep faith with and serve as models for those persons who are in the earlier them.. ..So a prince need not have all.. .good qualities, but it is stages of moral development. Hence, character ethics does most essential that he appear to have them. Indeed, I should go not exist solely within public life, but, as Jean Yarbrough so far as to say that having them and always practising them is (1998) contends in American Virtues: Thomas Jefferson on harmful, while seeming to have them is useful. It is good to the Character of a Free People, within all of life: appear clement, trustworthy, humane, religious, and honest, and also to be so, but always with the mind so disposed that, when the occasion arises not to be so, you can become the opposite. Character has to do with the full range of moral and intellec- tual virtues. To think about character is to think about the This representative statement of modem morality stands in duties we owe to ourselves, to others, to God, as well as to our country, and to put them in right relation to each other. For a stark contrast to the classical Greek and Roman ideal, which people that elevates patriotism and love of country above all states that the best moral conduct should be required of else will be different from a people that prizes individual free- everyone (Euben, Wallach, and Ober, 1996; Maclntyre, 1984; dom and self-development, and both will differ from a people Norton 1991; Ober and Hedrick, 1996; and Taylor, 1989, that places service to others or duty to God at the top of the 1991). moral hierarchy....To think about character is to think about In Democracy and Moral Development, philosopher the role of government in cultivating virtue and enforcing moral David Norton (1991) challenges the paradigm of Modern obligation. Here again, a people that uses the power of the laws Moral Minimalism and juxtaposes it with a post-modern ver- to enforce its conception of the good life will be very different from a people that relies principally on the family, religion, sion of Hellenic-Roman ethics, which he refers to as Noblesse education, and other social institutions to form the character of Oblige. He asserts that the problem with Modern Moral its citizens (p. xvii-xviii). Minimalism is its non-recognition of character growth: Education and Culture Fall, 2003 Vol. XX No. 2 AMERICAN PRINCIPLES OF SELF-GOVERNMENT 9 It is in ending with Yarbrough's comments that I attend to feel and to succor their distresses" (Jefferson, 1999, p. 287). to the topic of this paper, American Principles of Self- Hence, justice has three aspects: Government. I revisit Thomas Jefferson's Principles of Gov- ernment and re-formulate them into four basic principles for Commutative Justice: It "obliges respect for the rights of the life in the 21st century. Next, I state the conditions necessary other" (Catechism, 1994, p. 885). As Jefferson (1999) for these principles to be fostered within a democratic, contends in his letter to Francis W. Gilmer on June 7, 1816: republican context, most specifically, Jefferson's Ward Re- "No man has a natural right to commit aggression on the equal public. Finally, in reference to Jefferson's thesis that the most rights of another" (p. 142). Thus, where a person does not important way to secure our liberties is via an educated and respect the rights of the other, government intervenes to self-reliant citizenry, I present a new image of public protect the individual whose rights were violated. education for an American Republic. Legal Justice: It is concerned with "what the citizen owes to The Roots of Self-Government the community" (Catechism, 1994, p. 885). As Jefferson (1999) states, "every man is under the natural duty of Jefferson's (1999) Principles of Self-Government are contributing to the necessities of the society" (p. 142). grounded in the fundamental and self-evident truths that he outlines in his draft of the Declaration of Independence that Distributive or Social Justice: It is the "respect for the human he submitted to the General Congress of the United States in person and the rights which flow from human dignity and 1776: guarantee it" (Catechism, 1994, p. 899). This is most explicit in Jefferson's (1999) draft of the Declaration of Indepen- All men are created equal; that they are endowed by their cre- dence—"All men are created equal; that they are endowed ator with inherent and inalienable [italics added] rights; that by their creator with inherent and inalienable [italics added] among these are life, liberty, & the pursuit of happiness: that to rights; that among these are life, liberty, & the pursuit of hap- secure these rights, governments are instituted among men, piness" (p. 97). As distributive justice, "society must provide deriving their just powers from the consent of the governed; the conditions that allow people to obtain what is their due, that whenever any form of government becomes destructive of according to their nature and their vocation" (Catechism, these ends, it is the right of the people to alter or abolish it, & to institute new government, laying it's [sic] foundation on such 1994, p. 899). For example, Jefferson (1999) writes in Notes principles, & organizing it's [sic] powers in such form, as to on Virginia: Query XIV that the "general objects of [a law for them shall seem most likely to effect their safety & happiness public education] is to provide an education adapted to the (p. 97). years, to the capacity, and the condition of every one, and directed to their freedom and happiness" and that "specific Unfortunately for Americans, Jefferson never wrote a single details" of a law for public education—teaching theory, meth- treatise on his principles of self-government. Instead, these odology, and application—are not proper since these "must principles are scattered about in his many letters, official docu- be the business of the visitors [teachers and educational au- ments, notes, and Autobiography. It is in this section that I thorities] entrusted with its execution" (p. 257). He recog- attempt to piece together these ideas and present them in a nizes that every person is entitled to an education that is com- systematic form in order to re-fine them into four basic prin- mensurate with one's nature and happiness. More ciples for life in the 21s' century. importantly though, he acknowledges that those directly The modern moralist believes that the purpose of gov- involved with the education of children and youth—teach- ernment is to protect people from themselves and that they ers, parents, and the learners themselves—should be the only enter into civil society through a compact that is grounded in persons concerned with the business of education, not the ideal of self-preservation. The eudaimonist, however, government, school boards, or presidential blue-ribbon contends that people enter into civil society not on the basis committees. of protecting each other's self-preservation but on the basis of "social or distributive justice." Bills of Rights, laws, and This discussion on justice helps to better conceptualize compacts are established to ensure the social good; they are the purpose of government. Throughout his writings, Jefferson not the basis for it.
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