Mccarthyism Vs Classical Republicanism

In an essay by Duane Smith, he notes that the protection of natural rights and promotion of welfare is the goal, and classical republicanism is the mechanism by which they are protected. Deterred by the tyrannical monarchical parliamentary system, Natural Rights philosophers viewed a social contract as a protection from the government, rather than pledge to uphold societal responsibilities. John Locke’s belief in the unalienable rights of “life, liberty, and property” are fundamental to the individually centered view of society adopted by the Natural Rights philosophy. While Classical Republicans emphasize the role of the individual within the community, natural rights philosophy focuses on one’s liberty to live life as they see fit. This concept is demonstrated in George Mason’s Virginia Declaration of Rights when he claims that, “all men are by nature equally free and independent, and have certain inherent rights… namely, the enjoyment of life and liberty,
He believed that in order for the leader to be virtuous, he must be chosen by virtuous people. In ancient Greece, this safeguard came in the form of the aristocracy electing the leader. This Classical Republican trait was adopted by the Framers’ in the form of a Republic. Indirect elections serve as a protection against a majority election and ensure that the elites, in this case the Electoral College, still hold the final word. The role of a leader as the director towards common good, as advocated by the Classical Republicans, is espoused by James Madison in Federalist 57 when he claimed, “the aim of every political constitution is, or ought to be, first to obtain for rulers men who possess most wisdom to discern, and most virtue to pursue, the common good of the society; and in the next place, to take the most effectual precautions for keeping them virtuous whilst they continue to hold their public