The Federalist Papers and American political thought

¶ … authors of the Federalist Papers take for granted that human motives arise from 3 sources: passion, interest and virtue. Their goals regarding the 3 are, PASSION; (1) to prevent passions from being aroused, (2) to keep already aroused passions from having civically harmful effects. INTEREST; (3) to encourage the development of useful interests, (4) channel interests that already exist in civically useful directions. VIRTUE; (5) encourage the development of virtue, (6) put virtue that already exist to good civic use.

(a) List features of Constitution which in their view tend to have effect number (1). Briefly explain why they hold this expectation. Repeat with effects numbers (2), (4) and (6).

Federalist paper no. 10 written by James Madison is commonly accepted as the most influential paper. Therefore, this paper is prepared using the definitions of Federalist paper no. 10.

(1) To prevent passions from being aroused

Madison dictates that human being naturally has a feeling of ill will arousing active hostility. This prevents individuals to be aware of the common good and articulate legislation for that purpose. This unfriendly passion damages the democracy.

So strong is this propensity of mankind to fall into mutual animosities that where no substantial occasion presents itself the most frivolous and fanciful distinctions have been sufficient to kindle their infriendly passions and excite their most violent conflicts.

The passion should be controlled by government. However, the definition of government and the people representing the government are very important. Madison points out that a danger of a representative system is not having enough representatives as the passions or corruptions of an individual representative can damage the system. For that reason Madison suggests that the republican system is more effective the prevent passions from being aroused.

(2) To keep already aroused passions from having civically harmful effects

The faction is unpreventable and the passion of certain number of people. Therefore, diversity in government is very difficult to ignore and control. The main objective of Government should provide equality for these different groups to prevent any critical harmful effect.

It is the reason of the public alone that ought to control and regulate the government. The passions ought to be controlled and regulated by the government (Federalist Paper No.49 by Madison)

(4) To channel interests that already exists in civically useful directions

It is also suggested that there are two forms of conflicts; one is caused by passion especially collective passion for example pride, hatred and vanity; and the second is in regards to interest especially the ones related to property (The Federalist No.10 by Madison). Madison suggests that democracy allows individuals to be their own judge in their own interests and people representing the government also have some interest. The solution he offered is to limit the powers of the Federal Government.

Contrary to the programmatic liberal state of potentially unlimited powers that today's federal government has become, Publius emphasized that the federal government of the Constitution would be a government of enumerated and limited powers. The "great and aggregate interests" would be "referred to the national" government, whereas "the local and particular" interests would be referred "to the State legislatures (Peacock, 2010; Federalist Paper No. 10 by Madison). In this context, the common interests are very important to channel interests that already exist in civically useful directions. Herein the main common interests to be protected would be peace of the nation and also the political and commercial relationships of America with other nations.

(6) To put virtue that already exists to good civic use

In a nation of philosophers…reverence for the laws, would be sufficiently inculcated by the voice of an enlightened reason. But a nation of philosophers is as little to be expected as the philosophical race of kings wished for by Plato. And in every other nation, the most rational government will not find it a superfluous advantage, to have the prejudices of the community on its side (Federalist Paper No.49 by Madison).

American nation is a virtue already existed and it is a common virtue and honorable. This should be protected forever and the Government should impose society to acknowledge this important virtue.