This led to British citizens accepting their king’s assumption of more power, the very power that would cost them their freedom. Ultimately, British citizens valued their own personal gains over the self-sacrifice they would have to endure to profit. The problem, however, was that Great Britain’s monarchy had become corrupt – the very thing that republicanism sought to avoid. Colonists during the early history of republicanism in America would compare the picture they had in mind of an ideal republic with the actual monarchy that was present in Great Britain. American colonists in favor of republicanism were especially influenced by the writings of British philosophers during the early eighteenth century. The history of republicanism in America is actually heavily influenced by the history of British parliament. They believed that they were following their civic duty by separating from Britain for the purposes of preserving the “common good.” The reason why classical republicanism is so prevalent in the Declaration of Independence is because of the colonists’ recognition of the fact that they wanted their government to be vastly different from that of the British parliament. Other natural rights include the right to protect oneself from physical harm, the right to worship as one chooses, the right to express oneself, among others. These rights include such things as life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness. Natural rights (or “unalienable rights”) are those rights that are not dependent on, nor can they be changed by, manmade laws, cultural customs, or the beliefs of any culture or government. Classical Republicanism and Natural RightsĬlassical republicanism promoted the natural rights philosophy, which is echoed in the Declaration of Independence. Classical republicanism was inspired by the writings of such classical philosophers as Aristotle and Cicero. Its core principle is that the best possible government is one that promotes a “common good” for the benefit of everyone in its society, as opposed to people being motivated by their own self-interests. That is why this system of government can also at times be referred to as “civic humanism.”Ĭlassical republicanism, despite its name, is actually an early theory of democracy. They have since proposed the usage of the term “early modern republicanism” to describe the system of government that developed during the Renaissance. Modern scholars believe that referring to this system of government is confusing, as the term “classical republicanism” could be interpreted as the system of government that was actually relied on in the ancient world. In a republic, power is given to elected individuals who act on behalf of their citizens, and government leaders rule in accordance with the law.īecause Renaissance scholars referenced ancient world ideals in order to advance what they believed was an ideal government, the form of republicanism that developed during the Renaissance is referred to as “classical republicanism.” Despite being a revamped system, this version of republicanism incorporated ideas from classic systems, hence its name. By the time the Renaissance rolled around, Europe was divided into monarch states and republic states. These states tended to be smaller but wealthier. Republicanism was brought back to life in Europe during the Middle Ages when certain states were leaning more toward the idea of a republican system of government. The definition of republicanism has become complicated, due to the fact that American republicans today interpret its principles quite differently from the republicans who initially created the concept during the days of the Renaissance. Liberty is considered a fragile thing, and it is up to the nation’s citizens to protect it. Republican citizens believe they must be prepared for any negative influences that could set the nation on a path toward tyranny or a dictatorship. For instance, in modern times, a black person is considered a citizen, whereas in the early days of republicanism, they were not. citizens under republicanism were considered equal, though the definition of “citizen” has been changed throughout the years to mean different things.
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