Tag: Civic Republicanism
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Our Pre-Stoic Roots in Human Rights Theory in the United States
On the sacred philosophical tradition underlying the foundations of Western Civilization influencing republican theory of human rights in the United States from Heraclitus of the Ioanian tradition, even preceding him. Tracing this history demonstrates how the concept of a divine (primordial) element becomes gradually secularized through the Renaissance Humanists, Enlightenment and Neo-Classical Republican traditions. ORIGINS…
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Third Republic Civic Republicanism, Esoteric Movements and Protestantism in France Belle Epoque Era
INTRODUCTION Historical figures involved in French Third Republic (1870–1940) politics were generally opposed to the monarchy, aligning with the prevailing republican and anti-clerical sentiments of the era, though there are nuances in this time within esoteric currents. The Theosophical Society in France, officially established as a section in 1899, attracted and propelled several notable figures who were…
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Heraclitus of Ephesus: Philosopher of the Ever-Living Fire in the Ionian Tradition
Imagine stepping into a river, only to find that both you and the water have transformed in the blink of an eye. “No man ever steps in the same river twice,” declared Heraclitus. This simple yet profound observation captures the fundamentals of his philosophy; and one that revolutionized how we understand change, unity, and the…
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The Lost Meaning of Republicanism in Modern America
Americans often appear indifferent to “Republicanism” (meaning the classical republican tradition) because the word has been almost completely hijacked in everyday language by the Republican Party. When most people hear “republicanism” today, they think of the Grand Old Party, Trump, culture-war talking points, or at best vague slogans about “limited government.” The deeper philosophical tradition…
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Noah Webster’s Influence on Early American Identity, Journalism and Education
Noah Webster, Adams and other early Americans emphasis on divergence from Britain demonstrates how Federalists sought to create early American identity through changes to institutions, language, and colonial education to legitimize the new republic. Mayflower descendant Noah Webster (1758-1843) is considered the father of American education and the American dictionary. Webster is accompanied by many…
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The Real Republican Mind: Upholder of Liberty and Virtue
AREPUBLICAN-mind abhors the chains of slavery — mentally, spiritually and physically. The republican believes that “the health (or welfare) of the People should be the Supreme Law” (Salus populi suprema lex esto). The republican rejects anti-secularism, monarchy, theocracy, clericalism, oligarchy, despotism and authoritarianism. The republican comes from a heritage and legacy of revolution and radical…
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Henry A. Wallace Spiritual Ideals and Fascination with the United States Motto
Henry A. Wallace (1888-1965) was a progressive Republican and Episcopalian, a high ranking official during the war, New Deal Secretary of Agriculture and Vice President of the U.S. 1941-45. He is considered a notable contributor to American liberalism and political culture. This brief will not cover his life or political work but highlight his particular…
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Where Authority Lies: Republicanism, Liberalism, and Progressive Morality
WHERE AUTHORITY LIES “. . .And they that are wise shall shine as the brightness (zohar) of the firmament; and they that turn many to righteousness as the stars for ever and ever.” (Dan. xii, 3) What is called the “new morality” (a term dating to the 1920s) today guided by progressive social movements seems…
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Étienne de La Boétie on Liberty and Tyranny
Étienne de La Boétie on facing corrupt rulers. “Be resolute to serve no more, and you are at once free. I do not ask you to push him, to topple him over, but only to cease sustaining, and you will see him, as a great colossus whose pedestal we’ve shattered, fall of his own weight…
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James J. Sack on Right-Wing Hatred of Dissenters in the 18th century
The European Right in the Era of Republicanism The attitudes and thinking-patterns of intellectuals on the political Right in the eighteenth and nineteenth-century remain as they are in today’s American Right. From Jacobite to Conservative: Reaction and Orthodoxy in Britain In James J. Sack’s From Jacobite to Conservative, speaking of the “ubiquitous right-wing hatred of…
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Post-Trump: Republicans must return to Republicanism as Moral and Philosophical Guide
Brink Lindsey argues that the answer for Republicans is staring them in the face — in their very name. In post-Trump Right, Republicans must return to Republicanism as moral and philosophical guide. This expression would be staunchly anti-racist, anti-tyranny, cosmopolitan and mature. “To build a new, post-Trump right, we need a new political language in…
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Minerva leads America in “The Apotheosis of Benjamin Franklin and George Washington”
MINERVA, Goddess of Wisdom leads America in “The Apotheosis of Benjamin Franklin and George Washington.” The Apotheosis of Benjamin Franklin and George Washington is a copperplate-printed toile fabric produced in several colorways in Britain between 1785-1800, after the first defeat of the British Empire. A banner reads “Where Liberty Dwells, There is My Country.” GALLERY…
The American Minervan 