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The Ethical Revolution: Civics and Virtue in The Autobiography of Benjamin Franklin. by Frank Casale, Ph.D. Key Concepts Civics/Civic Virtue Republicanism Aristocracy Citizenship --Each key concept will play a central part in every section of the module. Combined, we are looking at the ethics of civic virtue, the competing ethics of republicanism and aristocracy, and the ethics of community. Vocabulary Americanization: to assimilate into American culture-to become an an American. Aristocracy: a hierarchically ordered (i.e., ordered from lower to higher) political system in which a privileged class (e.g., the wealthy or the renowned) rules.. Republicanism: a political system that emphasizes liberty, the rule of law, and civic virtues (habits or dispositions that lead to cooperation and increase communal bonds). Rule of law: a system in which everyone is subject to the same set of laws. Those laws are based in reason and in a fundamental understanding of the equal standing of individuals, rather than in the arbitrary will of an elite group. Social hierarchy: the layered distribution of political power, wealth, and/or social status among people. Social mobility: the way individuals move upwards or downwards in terms of status or class position in a society. Virtue: human excellence and/or the habits of action (or dispositions to act) that lead to human excellence. Personal virtues lead to self-improvement; civic virtues lead to the improvement of one's community. (Of course, personal and civic virtues are inter-related and are usually seen as mutually supportive.) According to Aristotle, virtues are often means between two extremes. For example, courage, the appropriate response to fear, is the mean between foolhardiness (extreme, unwarranted self-assurance) and cowardice (extreme, unwarranted fearfulness). Key Concepts Republicanism: The first thing to emphasize to students is the difference between this term and the modern political party. Republicanism is an ideology based in a synthesis of classical and Enlightenment ideals of liberty, equality, and community discoverable by reason. As understood and lived by Americans, democratic republicanism was a philosophy for organizing a society and ensuring personal liberty. Republicanism can be characterized by... --a distrust of all hierarchical and/or arbitrary systems of power, especially aristocracy, which is viewed as corrupt on all levels. --a rejection of Hobbesian notion of society, which contends that people will voluntarily subject themselves to the power of a sovereign in order to attain security. Instead, the "subject" is replaced by the citizen, and the sovereign with self-rule. --a belief that power corrupts and naturally seeks to dominate, and a corresponding belief that liberty must always be defended from the encroachment of power. --a belief in transparency --a rejection of patronage and a belief in personal merit --a belief in putting the public good ahead of private interest --a belief in civic virtue --a belief in a personal ethic which will ensure all of the above. Aristocracy: It is best to discuss this as the opposite of revolutionary republicanism. Originally from a Greek term implying ‘rule by the best', it was seen by the Revolutionary Generation as a corrupt system based on patronage, faction, and privileging private gain over the public good. Aristocracy is a hierarchical system in which... ---those at the top enjoy a disproportionate share of power, wealth, and prestige. ---power is hereditary and split between a small number of families. ---social mobility is limited, with little movement between classes. ---a society stratified by birth, with the noble class believing itself to be inherently superior by birth and blood. ---the lower classes, or commoners (stress the negative implications of the term) were expected to show deference to their social betters. Civics/Civic Virtue: While there are several definitions of civics, we will focus on the concept of the public life or the role of the citizen. ---Civic virtues are those personal habits and behaviors that lead to the flourishing of a civic community. They are reflected in a commitment to democratic principles and values. ---Civic virtue entails the establishment and sustenance of civic institutions that serve the community and the overall public good. ---The citizen is expected to participate in the a self-governing community and agrees to fulfill his or her civic obligations ---The citizen of a republic is differentiated from the subject of a monarchy or aristocracy: he or she is a participant in a society's self-government rather than merely being a subject to the arbitrary will of the powerful.

The Ethical Revolution: Civics and Virtue in The Autobiography of Benjamin Franklin.

by Frank Casale, Ph.D.

Key Concepts

Civics/Civic Virtue
Republicanism
Aristocracy
Citizenship

--Each key concept will play a central part in every section of the module. Combined, we are looking at the ethics of civic virtue, the competing ethics of republicanism and aristocracy, and the ethics of community.

Vocabulary

Americanization: to assimilate into American culture-to become an an American.

Aristocracy: a hierarchically ordered (i.e., ordered from lower to higher) political system in which a privileged class (e.g., the wealthy or the renowned) rules..

Republicanism: a political system that emphasizes liberty, the rule of law, and civic virtues (habits or dispositions that lead to cooperation and increase communal bonds).

Rule of law: a system in which everyone is subject to the same set of laws. Those laws are based in reason and in a fundamental understanding of the equal standing of individuals, rather than in the arbitrary will of an elite group.

Social hierarchy: the layered distribution of political power, wealth, and/or social status among people.

Social mobility: the way individuals move upwards or downwards in terms of status or class position in a society.

Virtue: human excellence and/or the habits of action (or dispositions to act) that lead to human excellence. Personal virtues lead to self-improvement; civic virtues lead to the improvement of one's community. (Of course, personal and civic virtues are inter-related and are usually seen as mutually supportive.) According to Aristotle, virtues are often means between two extremes. For example, courage, the appropriate response to fear, is the mean between foolhardiness (extreme, unwarranted self-assurance) and cowardice (extreme, unwarranted fearfulness).

Key Concepts

Republicanism: The first thing to emphasize to students is the difference between this term and the modern political party. Republicanism is an ideology based in a synthesis of classical and Enlightenment ideals of liberty, equality, and community discoverable by reason. As understood and lived by Americans, democratic republicanism was a philosophy for organizing a society and ensuring personal liberty.

Republicanism can be characterized by...

--a distrust of all hierarchical and/or arbitrary systems of power, especially aristocracy, which is viewed as corrupt on all levels.
--a rejection of Hobbesian notion of society, which contends that people will voluntarily subject themselves to the power of a sovereign in order to attain security. Instead, the "subject" is replaced by the citizen, and the sovereign with self-rule.
--a belief that power corrupts and naturally seeks to dominate, and a corresponding belief that liberty must always be defended from the encroachment of power.
--a belief in transparency
--a rejection of patronage and a belief in personal merit
--a belief in putting the public good ahead of private interest
--a belief in civic virtue
--a belief in a personal ethic which will ensure all of the above.

Aristocracy: It is best to discuss this as the opposite of revolutionary republicanism. Originally from a Greek term implying ‘rule by the best', it was seen by the Revolutionary Generation as a corrupt system based on patronage, faction, and privileging private gain over the public good.

Aristocracy is a hierarchical system in which...

---those at the top enjoy a disproportionate share of power, wealth, and prestige.
---power is hereditary and split between a small number of families.
---social mobility is limited, with little movement between classes.
---a society stratified by birth, with the noble class believing itself to be inherently superior by birth and blood.
---the lower classes, or commoners (stress the negative implications of the term) were expected to show deference to their social betters.

Civics/Civic Virtue: While there are several definitions of civics, we will focus on the concept of the public life or the role of the citizen.

---Civic virtues are those personal habits and behaviors that lead to the flourishing of a civic community. They are reflected in a commitment to democratic principles and values.
---Civic virtue entails the establishment and sustenance of civic institutions that serve the community and the overall public good.
---The citizen is expected to participate in the a self-governing community and agrees to fulfill his or her civic obligations
---The citizen of a republic is differentiated from the subject of a monarchy or aristocracy: he or she is a participant in a society's self-government rather than merely being a subject to the arbitrary will of the powerful.