US Founding Principles 12-18-25

The Founders established U.S. moral values through a blend of Enlightenment philosophy (natural rights, consent of the governed), classical republicanism (civic virtue, public good), and their predominantly Protestant Christian beliefs (natural law, moral duties), emphasizing individual liberty, equality, and responsibility, and relying on institutions like family, church, and education to foster these virtues for a self-governing republic. They believed these foundations ensured a "moral and religious people" essential for constitutional government.  

Key Influences & Concepts:

Christianity & Natural Law: Many Founders saw morality as rooted in "the laws of nature and of nature's God," deriving natural rights and duties from this divine source, and believing religion fostered essential virtues.

Enlightenment Philosophy: Ideas from thinkers like John Locke shaped concepts of inherent rights (life, liberty, property/pursuit of happiness) and the necessity of government by consent, as seen in the Declaration of Independence.

Classical Republicanism: This tradition emphasized civic virtue (public-spiritedness, self-sacrifice) and the common good, viewing it as vital for a republic's survival, requiring virtuous citizens.

Individual Liberty & Responsibility: A core moral principle was the individual's freedom to pursue happiness, balanced by respect for others' rights, fostering personal responsibility. 

Mechanisms for Instilling Morality:

Institutions: They saw family, church, and education as crucial for transmitting virtues to future generations.

Public Virtue: Believed a virtuous populace was necessary for good governance, with government's role being to support, not dictate, morality.

Constitutional Structure: Designed government to protect rights and restrain self-interest, recognizing that human nature needed checks. 

In essence, the Founders sought a moral framework based on reason and faith, promoting individual rights and civic duty, believing these principles were inseparable from a successful republic. 

The U.S. Founders used a combination of Enlightenment philosophy, classical Greek and Roman moral philosophy and Judeo-Christian traditions to establish moral values in the new nation. 

Their moral framework was not derived from a single source, but rather from a blend of these ideas, which emphasized: 

Natural Rights: Influenced heavily by John Locke and other Enlightenment thinkers, the Founders believed that all individuals possess inherent natural rights to "life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness" (or property), which governments are instituted to protect. These rights were considered to come from "the Laws of Nature and of Nature's God," not from the government itself.

Civic Virtue and Public Morality: Drawing from classical philosophers, the Founders stressed the importance of civic virtues like industry, temperance, moderation, and sincerity. They believed that political self-government required personal self-government and a virtuous citizenry; John Adams famously stated, "Our Constitution was made only for a moral and religious People".

Reason and Common Sense: Enlightenment philosophy emphasized the use of reason and logic over blind faith or tradition to challenge authority and make decisions about government and human nature.

Individual Responsibility: The Judeo-Christian tradition, which influenced many of the early settlers and the

Founders, affirmed the sanctity and equal value of each individual life and instilled a deep sense of personal and communal accountability for one's actions and treatment of neighbors.

Limited Government: The Founders' moral understanding of human nature as flawed led them to design a system of limited government with checks and balances to prevent the accumulation of too much power, believing that without internal moral restraints, only despotism could control human passions. 

Ultimately, the Founders aimed to create a nation where morality framed and limited politics and law, securing individual liberty through a government that derived its legitimacy from the consent of the governed. 

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Comments

The Founders relied on Families as the basic economic unit and offered the incentive of land ownership to attract European Families who did not have that right living under their Monarchies. They embraced Western Civilization and its European Culture but moved to improve the earnings capabilities of Families.

Every Family had a Bible and children were home-schooled to read the Bible. This provided moral direction and wide-spread literacy.

Land ownership allowed families to own their own farmland and Craftsmen operated their own businesses. Exports of goods needed in Europe grew the “Private Sector” Economy.

The Founders had a common vision for the US were agreed that expanding the US to the Pacific Ocean was a shared goal. This goal was advanced in 1803 with the Louisiana Purchase and was completed by winning the Mexican War in 1848.

The earliest Settlers of what became the British Colonies were largely escaping to gain Religious Freedom.  This goal was widely held and became embedded as the British Colonies grew. The “Morality” was limited to their worship. They achieved the right to own land and this allowed them to be independent and prosper. Britain, France, Spain and Portugal were establishing Colonies to extract resources and increase their wealth.

Norb Leahy, Dunwoody GA Tea Party Leader