Thursday, July 4, 2024

Philosophy, Not Independence, is July 4 Importance

July 4th is a holiday celebrated in the United States that often is assumed to be about political independence. In fact, it is about other things as well. There was a philosophy about the post-independence nature of government and the relationship between citizens and government. 


Here’s the standard rendition of values and beliefs underlying the experiment in democracy were convictions about::

  • Individual rights and freedoms including freedom of speech, religion, press, and assembly.

  • Limited government: small government with minimal intervention in people's lives and the economy.

  • Rule of law: Rule of law and constitutionalism necessary to protect individual rights.

  • Natural rights: Individuals possess inalienable natural rights that cannot be taken away by the government.

  • Free market economy: Laissez-faire economic system with minimal government regulation.

  • Private property rights: Strong belief in the right to own and develop private property.

  • Separation of powers: Constitutional limits on government power and checks and balances.

  • Social contract theory: The idea that legitimate government authority derives from the consent of the governed.

  • Religious tolerance: Support for freedom of religion

  • Equality under the law: Belief in equal treatment of all individuals before the law. 


It is those principles and values that matter, not political independence, which was merely the enabler or platform. It is those philosophical beliefs that have universal value, not just particular importance for one country.


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