Federalists and the rift between classicism and modernity
Journal Title: Ruch Filozoficzny - Year 2014, Vol 71, Issue 1
Abstract
The article shows how the classical political thinking, based on civic virtues, and modernist thinking, based on individualism and self-interest, formed the basis of the U.S. Constitution. The Founding Fathers did not realize the full extent of the rift between classicism and modernity. When, as a result of intellectual discussions and practice of social life, this divide began to become more and more obvious, there has been a transition from the classical to the modernist paradigm in American politics. However, the dispute between classicism and modernity still continues and takes on new forms. On the one hand, contemporary political thinking is seen as a triumph of modernism, in which the individual strives for self-interest, seeks pleasures and desires power; on the other hand, this triumph is disputed by the postmodern attempt to introduce a new non-classical ethical discourse into the political mainstream. As a result of the postmodern influence, based on the concepts of difference, diversity and deconstruction, we can witness today the weakening of Western civilization. The initial project to build a political society based on civic virtues and individualist ambitions, to which the American Founding Fathers aspired, turned out to be misguided. As a solution to today’s problems, the author proposes a return to the modal tradition of the West and the recognition of virtues as the basis for action, in short, a creative return to the philosophical origins of the West.
Authors and Affiliations
Włodzimierz Julian Korab-Karpowicz
Keywords
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