POLS1000

Classical heritage

• Aristotle

  • Building virtue- connection to Winthrop

  • Natural laws give us purpose

  • Purpose of states is for the natural good

  • Civic virtues- sacrifice of self for the good of all

Natural Law Heritage

• Aquinas

  • Natural law = the things we naturally know we should or shouldn’t do

  • Types of law

    • Eternal-divine order

    • Natural-what we know

    • Divine-what God reveals to us

    • Human- what we come up with

Natural Rights Heritage

• John Locke

  • We are naturally free and Gods property

  • Reason gives us law of nature

  • Life liberty and property

  • We have the right to enforce the laws of nature

  • Government needs the convent of those they govern

British Heritage

• Magna Carta

  • Freedom from Church

  • Entrenching ancient liberties and customs/natural rights

  • No taxation without concent of those governed

  • Rule of law not the rule of the powerful

• Blackstone

  • Separation of power

  • Right to revolution

  • Natural liberty should be the focus of the government

  • Social contract theory

Protestant and Christian Heritage

• Tocqueville

  • Combined spirit of religion and liberty

  • Solid moral foundation

• Winthrop

  • Emphasizes love and charity

  • Charity is a civic virtue

  • Love of others should be greater than love of self

• Mayflower

  1. Recognized king James as sovereign

  2. Organized democratic political body by covenant

  3. Declares purpose of government as to establish order, protect the people, and advance Christianity

  4. States the purpose of law is for the common good of the people

Revolutionary Heritage

• Edmund Burke

  • Believed the colonists still thought like Englishman

• Patrick Henry

  • Wanted revolution

• Declaration of independence

  • Shift from rights as Englishman to rights as humans

  • Government needs the consent of those governed