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Exploring the Nature of Anti-Federalist Thought: Republicanism and Liberalism in the Political Thought of Cato Christopher Hallenbrook

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Exploring the Nature of Anti-Federalist Thought: Republicanism and Liberalism in the Political Thought of Cato Christopher Hallenbrook Undergraduate Review Volume 5 Article 11 2009 Exploring the Nature of Anti-Federalist Thought: Republicanism and Liberalism in the Political Thought of Cato Christopher Hallenbrook Follow this and additional works at: http://vc.bridgew.edu/undergrad_rev Part of the Political Theory Commons Recommended Citation Hallenbrook, Christopher (2009). Exploring the Nature of Anti-Federalist Thought: Republicanism and Liberalism in the Political Thought of Cato. Undergraduate Review, 5, 46-52. Available at: http://vc.bridgew.edu/undergrad_rev/vol5/iss1/11 This item is available as part of Virtual Commons, the open-access institutional repository of Bridgewater State University, Bridgewater, Massachusetts. Copyright © 2009 Christopher Hallenbrook Exploring the Nature of Anti-Federalist Thought: Republicanism and Liberalism in the Political Thought of Cato CHRISTOPHER HALLENBROOK Christopher is currently pursuing cholarship of the American founding remains divided as to the nature a double major in political science of Anti-Federalist political philosophy. One school of thought contends that the Anti-Federalists were the heirs of the republican tradition, while and history. After graduation, he the other maintains that the Anti-Federalists operated from a liberal intends to undertake graduate study Sworldview. Thus in what manner and to what extent Anti-Federalists draw upon in political theory beginning in the the republican and/or liberal political traditions remains unclear. In answering fall of 2009. He developed this paper this question I examine the writings of the Anti-Federalist Cato, analyzing what conceptualizations characterize Anti-Federalist thought and from what traditions during the summer of 2008 under the of political philosophy these ideas arose. I also analyzie texts of the major traditions supervision of Dr. Jordon Barkalow as that my have had a formative influence on Anti-Federalist thought in order to a part of his Interdisciplinary Honors provide a basis of comparison with the Anti-Federalists. As the Anti-Federalists played a crucial role in creating the Bill of Rights, these understandings will Thesis. Christopher would like to establish a framework for interpreting its role in American governance and thank the Adrian Tinsley Program jurisprudence. for Undergraduate Research and the Unlike their Federalist counterparts, the nature of whose political theory Bridgewater State College Foundation is widely agreed upon, the Anti-Federalists continue to stir debate over for their generous support of his how to characterize their political philosophy. Various interpretations have research through an Adrian Tinsley categorized the Anti-Federalists as classical republicans, modern republicans and liberals. This inability to arrive at a consensus is perhaps best illustrated Program Summer Grant. by Gordon Wood’s work on the subject. In Creation of the American Republic, Wood characterized the Anti-Federalists as traditionalists operating from a republican political worldview.1 Subsequently, Wood has revised his position on the Anti-Federalists, describing the Anti-Federalists as political innovators who break from traditional republican political principals and embrace liberal ones.2 These contrasting analyses are endemic of the disagreement that permeates scholarship on Anti-Federalist political philosophy. Given the diversity of opinions and lack of consensus over the nature of Anti-Federalist political thought, a more narrowly focused study that simultaneously tests for both liberal and republican influences in Anti-Federalist thought is warranted. The opportunity for such a study is provided in the writings of the Anti- Federalist Cato. Focusing on Cato allows for a natural experiment as his political theory can be compared to three other works of political theory that present political philosophy using the motif of the Roman statesman Cato the Younger. These three Catos – Plutarch’s “Life of Cato the Younger,” 46 • THE UNDERGRADUATE REVIEW • 2009 BRIDGEWATER STATE COLLEGE Joseph Addison’s Cato: A Tragedy and John Trenchard and Furthermore, all citizens must possess the ability to partake Thomas Gordon’s Cato’s Letters: OR, Essays on Liberty, Civil in directly selecting the governors.10 If not all of the citizenry and Religious, and Other Important Subjects – correspond to the are able to participate in the selection of the members of their classical republican, modern republican and liberal traditions, government, than those in power would be able to perpetuate respectively. Implementation of this natural experiment reveals their own authority.11 This continuation in power would that in regards to the mechanisms required for the supervision occur by using a numerical minority to elect a government and safe operation of government and the ills of the governors of a composition that is both favorable to the governors and possessing interests divergent from those of the governed, the not what the totality of the electorate would have chosen.12 Anti-Federalist Cato operates from the basis of a liberal political Additionally, the other fundamental manner in which these theory. mechanisms operate is to create constant competition among those seeking office to demonstrate who among them can best Liberalism: An Overview serve the people as the frequency with which they must answer In the liberal tradition, men preexist government and only to the people for their actions prevents them from following create it for their “mutual preservation and defense,” so that their own course independent of the people’s will.13 Thus, the they may enjoy liberty, which they possess as a natural right, structures of government are designed specifically to maintain and its benefits.3 In order to ensure that government serves these the people’s freedom from arbitrary rule. ends, a number of safeguards are implemented by which the people can monitor their government and influence its actions. Despite its being formed by the consent of the governed, Cato These mechanisms include numerous representatives, frequent does not see government as something that can be left alone elections and rotation in office.4 Such precautions serve to bind to run its course. When it comes to preserving the ends of the interests of the governors to those of the governed, which government, “a general presumption that rulers will govern is essential to ensuring that those in government act for the well is not a sufficient security;” a sentiment that Trenchard benefit of the people as “most men will act for interest against and Gordon’s Cato shares.14 To ensure the proper operation duty, as often as they dare.”5 This supremacy of interest over of government, the people must supervise their government.15 duty necessitates that government be structured in such a way Perhaps the most direct way that the people are able to do this as to make it in men’s interest to do their duty. Hence the use is through a participatory representation, a subject on which of frequent elections to create constant competition among the Cato refers his readers to the writings of the Anti-Federalist people for elected positions.6 This constant competition makes Brutus on the grounds that “this subject has been so ably and it in the interest of those in government to do their duty, as if fully treated by a writer under the signature of Brutus, that they do not, they will simply be voted out of office in the near I shall content myself with referring you to him thereon.”16 future.7 Liberal government is thus structured so as to give the Cato’s referral serves as grounds for consideration of the two people control in ensuring that it protects their liberty instead writers’ views on representation in tandem, as two disciples of of curtailing it. the same principles of representation. Political Liberty: The Centrality of Representation Before examining the nature of representation according to While liberty is the great end for which government it formed, Brutus, it is important to first consider the role representation it is not a monolithic concept. Cato’s understanding of liberty plays in Brutus’s conception of government. To Brutus, is twofold. The first type of liberty that Cato is concerned with government has no natural right to its authority, and therefore is political liberty. Political liberty takes the form of freedom draws its legitimacy from the consent of those who choose to from government tyranny. Accordingly, Cato advocates placing form it.17 The reason men decide to thus leave the state of nature numerous restrictions upon the governors that are designed by forming government is that in each individual pursuing his to preserve the people’s liberty. These protections serve to own ends in the state of nature, “the possessions or enjoyments prevent the consolidation of power into one of a few hands of one were sacrificed to the views and designs of another; thus with sufficient time to use them to establish and perpetuate the weak were prey to the strong, the simple and unwary were despotism.8 Fundamentally, these safeguards are designed to subject to impositions from those who were more crafty and make the governors accountable and responsive to the people. designing. In this state of things, every individual was insecure.”18 This is particularly evident when Cato insists on the direct To alleviate this insecurity, men consent among themselves to election of the executive on the grounds that otherwise “the form government with the purpose of protecting their natural president cannot represent
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