Political Philosophy - Raw History (Page 3)

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Political Philosophy

This tag will be fluid regarding eras of thought. It will include authors from sundry times and myriad subjects. The connection between the excerpts for this tag will be expressions of general principles regardless of time or space.

John Marshall and the Supreme Court: Thoughts by William Leggett, July 28, 1835

John Marshall and the Supreme Court: Thoughts by William Leggett, July 28, 1835

Chief Justice John Marshall died July 6, 1835. After paying homage to Marshall’s patriotism, intellect, and contributions to the country, William Leggett wrote an editorial wherein he duly mourned Marshall’s passing and then brought his observations to this point: “The enormous powers of the Supreme tribunal of the

The Constitution without a Bill of Rights: Thoughts by Roger Sherman, November 22, 1787

The Constitution without a Bill of Rights: Thoughts by Roger Sherman, November 22, 1787

When the Constitutional Convention had done its work and the Constitution was conveyed to the several States for consideration, some rose to support and others to oppose the document via convention debates, newspaper editorials and the like. In general, supporters were known as Federalists and opponents Anti-Federalists. One Anti-Federalist criticism

Representation in the House: Thoughts by Fisher Ames, 1788

Representation in the House: Thoughts by Fisher Ames, 1788

In the Massachusetts Convention, 15 January 1788, as the provision of the Constitution were being reviewed and debated, some felt that election to the House should be an annual affair as a safeguard for the people's liberty. Fisher Ames defended the Constitutional provision for a biennial election in

"The Nature of Political Abuses . . . ." Thoughts by William Leggett, January 3, 1835.

General Interest

"The Nature of Political Abuses . . . ." Thoughts by William Leggett, January 3, 1835.

William Leggett, always concerned with government abuse, had an interesting take on the "nature of political abuses." This is short, but is a thought-provoking observation. August Glen-James, editor -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- > It is the nature of political abuses, to be always on the increase, unless arrested by the virtue,

Marxism vs. Liberalism: Thoughts by Ludwig von Mises

General Interest

Marxism vs. Liberalism: Thoughts by Ludwig von Mises

In this selection, Mises characterizes Marx's work and comparaes it, vis-a-vis, with the old "Liberalism" with which Marxism was in conflict. August Glen-James, editor -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- > The rapid expansion of Socialism has been compared to that of Christianity. More appropriate, perhaps, would be a comparison with

The Romanticism of Socialism: Thoughts by Ludwig von Mises

Political Philosophy

The Romanticism of Socialism: Thoughts by Ludwig von Mises

The Romanticism of the 18th and 19th centuries, in essence, was a reaction against the Enlightenment. Whereas Enlightenment philosophy was dominated by empiricism, reason, mathematics, logic, mathematically formulated scientific laws, and the abstractions of natural rights, the Romantics emphasized the inner world of personal inspiration, subjectivity, and individual perception. The

Free Labor, Slave Labor, and Sectional Politics: William Leggett, February 10, 1835

Free Labor, Slave Labor, and Sectional Politics: William Leggett, February 10, 1835

This selection comes from an editorial entitled, "Governor McDuffie's Message." The editorial was primarily engineered to assure Governor McDuffie of South Carolina that the "democracy" of the North, i.e., Northern Democrats, were not "immediate abolitionist" fanatics and posed no threat to

"The Crisis" from A British Defense of American Rights, 1775-1776--Installment 1.

The Crisis was a weekly publication that first appeared in January 1775. Its declared purpose was to oppose what the then anonymous authors (identified today, most probably, as William Stewardson, Philip Thicknesse, and Thomas Shaw) saw as government corruption and tyranny being overseen by George IIIs court. The publication’s

How Rulers Should Keep Their Promises. Niccolò Machiavelli, 1513.

Political Philosophy

How Rulers Should Keep Their Promises. Niccolò Machiavelli, 1513.

Have you ever wondered what it means to be Machiavellian? This post will help readers better define the term and see why it carries a negative connotation. This is from Machiavelli's work, The Prince, chapter XVIII. August Glen-James, editor -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- > For the common people are impressed by

True Functions of Government. Thoughts by William Leggett, 1834

Political Philosophy

True Functions of Government. Thoughts by William Leggett, 1834

What the "true functions of government" should be are of interest to all involved in any kind of body politic. Of course, opinions differ. Some positions are rooted in a collectivist assumption about society; others from an individualist assumption. To all, however, Leggett's thoughts should be

The Appropriate Region of Human Liberty: Thoughts by John Stuart Mill.

Political Philosophy

The Appropriate Region of Human Liberty: Thoughts by John Stuart Mill.

In his work, On Liberty, John Stuart Mill opined much about the rights of the individual versus those of the collective which, when deeply studied, can be problematic. In this piece, Mill writes about what individual liberty should be at its most basic level. August Glen-James, editor -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- > It

Declaration of Causes: Georgia's Secession, 1861.

Declaration of Causes: Georgia's Secession, 1861.

In Requiem for a Nun, William Faulkner wrote, "The past is never dead. It's not even past." A truer statement, I contend, has never been uttered. One of the great surprises of my life was to discover, some years ago, that the Civil War wasn'

On the Tyranny of the Majority: Thoughts by John Stuart Mill.

General Interest

On the Tyranny of the Majority: Thoughts by John Stuart Mill.

Tyranny is a word that has been much used in America since the 1760s. Most references are to governments; however, in part of John Stuart Mill's work entitled, On Liberty, he wrote about some issues surrounding tyranny when it is carried out by the majority. This selection is

The French Treaty and National Honor: Thoughts by William Leggett, the "Evening Post," December 15, 1834.

General Interest

The French Treaty and National Honor: Thoughts by William Leggett, the "Evening Post," December 15, 1834.

During the Napoleonic Wars, American shipping had sustained losses for which the United States demanded compensation. A treaty was struck in July 1831 wherein the French were to pay 25 million francs in 6 annual installments which, for various political and organizational reasons, they failed to do. By early 1833,

Revolutionary Pensioners: Thoughts by William Leggett, Dec. 8, 1834

Political Philosophy

Revolutionary Pensioners: Thoughts by William Leggett, Dec. 8, 1834

In this selection, William Leggett was responding to a proposal by Assistant Alderman Tallmadge that one hundred dollars be “paid out of the city treasury on the 1st January next, to every surviving officer and soldier of the revolution in the city and county of New York, now receiving a

The Division of Parties, Thoughts by William Leggett, 1834

General Interest

The Division of Parties, Thoughts by William Leggett, 1834

In this post, readers will recognize arguments that may seem eerily modern in may ways. From the very beginning, Americans have divided into parties and bickered over the nature and extent of the Federal government. Consequently, Leggett's characterization of the "Democracy" and the "Aristocracy"

Asylum for Insane Paupers: Thoughts about the Role of Government by William Leggett, 1834

General Interest

Asylum for Insane Paupers: Thoughts about the Role of Government by William Leggett, 1834

Every generation has hard decisions to make, like what is the scope and purpose of government. In this piece, William Leggett addresses what he believes the extent of government involvement should be in "charities." Agree or disagree, Leggett gives a reader something to think about. This selection comes

Political Change, Slavery, Thomas Jefferson & More: Thoughts by Frederick Law Olmsted

Political Change, Slavery, Thomas Jefferson & More: Thoughts by Frederick Law Olmsted

In the mid 1850s, Frederick Law Olmsted toured many Southern States and then wrote about his journey in a work entitled, A Journey in the Seaboard Slave States. In this selection, Olmsted was analyzing the “avowed principles of the Revolution” in relation to Virginia’s laws concerning inheritance. As you

A Consolidated Nation vs. A Federal Republic: Thoughts By Abel P. Upshur about the Theories of Joseph Story

C Chauncey Burr

A Consolidated Nation vs. A Federal Republic: Thoughts By Abel P. Upshur about the Theories of Joseph Story

The early 1830s was a time of agitation in the United States. Pervasive bickering and bitter recriminations, most notably between Northern and Southern politicians, were occurring at the highest levels of the Federal Government over the nature and extent of federal power vis-a-vis state power. Much of the turmoil was

Government Establishments vs. Private Enterprise: Thoughts by Lysander Spooner, 1844

General Interest

Government Establishments vs. Private Enterprise: Thoughts by Lysander Spooner, 1844

Libertarian, Lysander Spooner, attacked the government's monopoly on mail delivery in his 1844 pamphlet, "The Unconstitutionality of Laws of Congress Prohibiting Private Mails." In said pamphlet, he made an interesting contrast between government establishments and private enterprise. August Glen-James, editory -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- “Universal experience attests that government

Sectionalism & Factionalism in the Civil War Period: Thoughts by Albert Taylor Bledsoe

Sectionalism & Factionalism in the Civil War Period: Thoughts by Albert Taylor Bledsoe

Albert Taylor Bledsoe served as an officer in the Confederate army; however, he was also an Episcopal priest, mathematician, and attorney. He was a defender of slavery, believing that it was an important component of an orderly society, and one of the many apologists for the Southern cause in the

Of the Original Contract: David Hume, 1752

Of the Original Contract: David Hume, 1752

Contract theory is tantamount to American constitutionalism and is central to the founding of the United States. In essence, contract theory means government by consent. In the Declaration of Independence, Thomas Jefferson, channeling authors like John Locke, wrote that “all men are created equal” and “endowed” with the “unalienable Rights”

Louis Brandeis on the Freedom of Speech and Assembly: Whitney v. California (1927)

General Interest

Louis Brandeis on the Freedom of Speech and Assembly: Whitney v. California (1927)

The First Amendment freedoms of speech and assembly have relevance across space and time. These freedoms, or the lack thereof, are harbingers of freedom or tyranny. No right is absolute, however, and the Supreme Court of the United States has, over time, defined both the limit and extent of many

Roger B. Taney on Judicial Activism: Dred Scott v. Sandford, 1857.

Roger B. Taney on Judicial Activism: Dred Scott v. Sandford, 1857.

Dred Scott v. Sandford is one of the most infamous Supreme Court decisions in history. It ruled, among other things, that slaves were not citizens and, therefore, could not sue in federal courts. Furthermore, the Court ruled that Congress could not outlaw slavery in the territories. Of course, this contributed

The Failure of Interventionism (Including Socialism and Fascism): Thoughts by Ludwig von Mises--Epilogue, 1947

Political Philosophy

The Failure of Interventionism (Including Socialism and Fascism): Thoughts by Ludwig von Mises--Epilogue, 1947

Originally published in 1922, the book Socialism: An Economic and Sociological Analysis is a work that opens the subject to the critical analysis of the Austrian school of economics’ prime thinker, Ludwig von Mises. Socialism was so convincing that it turned some young socialists of the age into free market