Response 5

The fundamental questions that the Founding Fathers wrestled with before they even began writing the Constitution included the ideal v. the real government; sovereignty; freedom; and human nature. At the basis of the Constitution is this fundamental principle: government. The Founding Fathers knew there needed to be government, there needed to be a law. They understood the human predicament that there is a cyclic nature involving competing groups, tyranny, revolution, and anarchy. They knew that of the two, tyranny and anarchy, there is no better option. They had a sound understanding that both tyranny and anarchy are potential consequences under the rule of mortal beings. They even knew that up until that point in history, there had not been a government which had outlasted either tyranny, or anarchy. Every government before the foundation of this nation had fallen, had failed, had succumbed to the seemingly inevitable result of an overthrow of a tyrant by a revolution. The Founding Fathers knew that neither tyranny nor anarchy is desirable. What they did not know was the solution to this extremism. They wrestled with options for balancing the predicament that had existed since antiquity.

The four options that may have been considered were these: Monarchy, Classical Republicanism, Libertarianism, and Liberalism. Of these four, no official and conscious choice was made. Each one presented various options and viewpoints that contributed to the answers of their questions and concerns, but no single option had all of the answers. Up until this point, there had been no society to maximize on the intersection of government, freedom and human nature.

The essential elements that contributed to the formation were structure, participation, law, custom & tradition, moral sense and leadership. The Founding Fathers knew there needed to be structure to the government, they knew of the necessity for a self sustaining system that could balance and maintain its power. They also understood that the participation of citizens was an essential element to the formation. People need to feel a sense of belonging; we need ownership over that which we must preserve. The Founding Fathers saw the need to incorporate experiences from England in order to have success. These men were looking for a common notion of right versus wrong and needed people with a vision. These elements contributed to the foundation of the United States of America. Above all else, the Founding Fathers knew they were creating a new government; something completely original with no formula to apply. If they were to replicate another government that had already existed they would also be replicating the same consequences. The purpose of creating a government, not simply establishing one, was to tackle the problem of government once and for all.

It’s a remarkable blessing that the Founding Fathers were able to see far beyond their lifetime with great concern. They knew the creating of a new government would need the flexibility and possibility to adapt. They had the far-sighted mind frame to build a government that would be sustainable. Not because it would be ideal but because it would accept human nature as a key component in its success, the fact that it’s fallible, that it has its vices and that it will never be a utopia.