From Social Contracts to Self-Reliance — thoughts on American political and moral philosophy

This post is a response to an article "You are how you act" In which the author prescribed faking virtues until one becomes good. This is an important topic that allows us to see how different philosophers shaped America's moral and political philosophy.

https://boz.com/articles/you-are-how-you-act

Rousseau was famous for saying that man is born free and is everywhere in chains. He advocated for self rule and formulation of laws by the people. Yet after hundreds of years of democracy (thousands really) the corrupting influence of social norms has not really been remedied.

Inequalities still exist,corruption still happens and social institutions that were once liberating become oppressive over time.

His ideal of self governance has not been realised as most nation states have adopted a representative democracy. People don't really make the rules. They just handover the power to someone else who makes them on their behalf.

It's certainly right that Franklin believed in practicing virtue. He famously kept a log of his good and bad actions.

Yet there is another great philosopher that has had a tremendous impact on American society whom the author has not mentioned. Emerson believed in transcending societal definition of virtue and vice and following one's own inclinations. His ideas of self reliance resonated with American people and brought about a change in their thinking when they started to believe in themselves rather than looking to Europe for intellectual guidance.

I find it difficult to accept either Franklin's or Rousseau's view as they were more politically motivated—Rousseau wanted his social contract,Franklin worshiped Socrates but when it came to governance he kicked him aside to choose democracy,an idea that was popular at the time due to thinkers like Locke.

Emerson gave people true agency over their lives and inspired them to think critically and not sheepishly believe a thing to be good or bad. He was more revolutionary than Franklin (Self reliance was released around the time of civil war) and gave people courage to question institutional authority and he eventually became more impactful than Rousseau's collectivism.

Original Discussion

https://news.ycombinator.com/context?id=45725438

I’d love to hear your thoughts. Please don't hesitate to get in touch with me.

Akshat Jiwan Sharma

Strategy Consultant--Innovation/ Materials science/International relations/Telecommunications/Digital Transformation/Partnerships

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Notes by Akshat Jiwan Sharma

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