A Broader and Deeper Foundation
eBook - PDF

A Broader and Deeper Foundation

The Bold Vision of James Wilson's Political Philosophy

  1. 227 pages
  2. English
  3. PDF
  4. Available on iOS & Android
eBook - PDF

A Broader and Deeper Foundation

The Bold Vision of James Wilson's Political Philosophy

About this book

A Broader and Deeper Foundation: The Bold Vision of James Wilson's Political Philosophy rediscovers the forgotten political philosophy of American founding father James Wilson, revealing his bold, alternative vision for American politics. Wilson crafted a political philosophy centered on popular sovereignty and based upon Thomas Reid's common-sense realism and moral philosophy. Wilson understood popular sovereignty as possessing both a moral and a political component. "The people" were not solely political actors, but also moral agents and morally responsible. He insisted that each person possessed a telos or purpose to pursue their own moral excellence, which he dubbed "happiness," achieved through political participation (i.e., suffrage) as an integral means of every person's telos. His re-definition of "happiness," which forms a core part of his political philosophy, imbues the modern phrase with a traditional republican meaning. "Happiness" for Wilson functions as America's broader and deeper foundation, serving as the moral telos of popular sovereignty, the foundation of American democracy. His interpretations of happiness and popular sovereignty united America's founding documents, the Declaration of Independence and the Constitution.

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Table of contents

  1. Cover
  2. Half Title
  3. Title Page
  4. Copyright Page
  5. Dedication
  6. Contents
  7. Acknowledgments
  8. Preface
  9. Introduction: “Happy country! May thy happiness be perpetual!”
  10. Chapter 1: The Reidian Basis of Wilson’s Political Culture
  11. Chapter 2: Wilsonian Political Culture: Part I: The Republican Concept of Happiness
  12. Chapter 3: Wilsonian Political Culture: Part II: Union of the Declaration and the Constitution
  13. Chapter 4: Wilson Contra Publius
  14. Chapter 5: The Democratic Controversion of Wilson and Jefferson
  15. Chapter 6: Wilson’s Emergence in Lincoln
  16. Chapter 7: Wilson for Today
  17. References
  18. Index
  19. About the Author

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