“Why
has government been instituted at all? Because the passions of men will not
conform to the dictates of reason and justice, without constraint.”
American politician and Secretary of the Treasury under
George Washington
Hamilton
was a founding member of the Federalist Party in post-colonial America, and he
was significantly involved in the creation of the U.S. Constitution.
He
observed, rightly enough, that “men will not conform to the dictates of reason
and justice, without constraint.” In simple words: human beings are not
profoundly rational, civil, democratic, decent beings.
 |
| Orwell's Animal Farm |
Hamilton was shooting duds when he argued that government is intended somehow to
rationally, civilly, democratically and decently constrain the passions and actions
of its citizens. As he knew very well, government consists of men and
women who, in the main, are doing their best to stay in power so they can
exercise authority.
The
rational, civil, democratic, decent stuff is not their primary motivation.
Copyright © Richard Carl Subber 2015 All rights reserved.
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