Transcript FF Seminar #1 Guided Prompt

FF Seminar Guided Questions
Things to think about as you read/discuss each set of packets!!
• What is the main theme/idea of each
document? How does each document relate
to the guided prompt/questions/quotes?
• How do “philosophical ideas” of the
documents relate to American culture
today?
• How did author’s backgrounds impact their
ideas?
FF Seminar #1 Guided Prompt
The colonists based their
protests on their interpretation of
the British Constitution and on
the higher authority that came in
the form of natural laws and
natural rights
FF Seminar #2 Questions
• According to these Founders, was the
American desire for independence a noble
venture? Are there causes today in America
that would be considered noble to fight for?
• Did these Founders morally, politically, or
socially justify rebellion? If so, how? If
not, why? How justifiable is rebellion in
today’s society?
• Is there ever a time when violence/war is a
necessity?
FF Seminar #3 Guided Prompt
The basic principles found in the
Declaration of Independence, which at
some level were the foundations of the
Revolution itself, create a country that
seeks to preserve the delicate balance
between “ Life” (natural rights), “Liberty”
(religion, civil [governmental] rights) and
“the pursuit of happiness” (virtue,
knowledge).
FF Seminar #4
Group 1
“Democracy is more than a political
experiment: It is a spiritual and moral
enterprise. And its success depends
upon the virtue of the people who
undertake it. Men who would be
politically free must discipline
themselves.”
-John Courtney Murray
FF Seminar #4
Group 2
• 1) What are factions?
• 2) How do Washington and Madison
vary in terms of the importance of
factions within society?
• 3) How do factions help men
“discipline themselves”?
• 4) Should government promote
factions or promote unity of vision?
FF Seminar #4
Group 3
“The interest of the man must be connected
with the constitutional rights of the place.
It may be a reflection on human nature,
that such devices should be necessary to
control the abuses of government. But
what is government itself, but the greatest
of all reflections on human nature? If men
were angels, no government would be
necessary.”
-Federalist No. 51
FF Seminar #4
Group 4
• 1) What is the important question
Hamilton mentions that is reserved to
the people of America?
• 2) What is considered good
government (according to Fed.1,
Fed.10, and yourself)?
• 3) Is the role of government to make
people good/help men discipline
themselves?
The Founders in Retrospect
Joseph Ellis states that the Founding
Fathers can be viewed through 2 core
principles:
“individual liberty”
and
“ collectivistic rather than individualistic”
• Divide the Founders we studied under
the core principle that they would most
agree with
Generalization #1
“They [The founding
Fathers] were America’s
first and, in many respects,
its only natural aristocracy.”
–Joseph Ellis
Generalization #2
“They [The Founding Fathers]
created the American republic,
then held it together
throughout the volatile and
vulnerable early years by
sustaining their presence until
national habits and customs
took root.”
–Joseph Ellis
Generalization #3
“..the achievement of the
revolutionary generation was
a collective enterprise that
succeeded because of the
diversity of personalities and
ideologies present in the
mix.”
-Joseph Ellis
Generalization #4
“In my opinion, the central
events and achievements
of the revolutionary era and
the early republic were
political.”
-Joseph Ellis
Concluding Discussion
• “Men make
history, and the
leading members
of the
revolutionary
generation
realized they were
doing so, but they
can never know
the history they
are making.”
-Joseph Ellis
• What does Ellis
mean by saying
“they can never
know the history
they are making”?
• What is the most
important historical
legacy of the
revolutionary
generation?