| John C. Calhoun was the only American political writer of the period from the 1770's until the 1860's to set down a general and systematic philosophical account of the nature of man and government. Also, Calhoun expounded an ideal of constitutional government that is compelling and, in many respects, original. But, while he is widely known as a great American statesman, Calhoun has not yet been adequately characterized as a moral and political thinker. In this study, a beginning is made at showing that on the basis of the range, the depth, and the originality of his ideas, Calhoun deserves to be considered as one among the great moral and political philosophers of the West. The overarching aim of my dissertation is to characterize Calhoun accurately as a moral and political thinker by writing what will be the first philosophic work on Calhoun's ideas that treats of fundamental themes in a manner that conveys the essence and the whole of his thought.;Inspired by the foundational work of Newton, La Place, and others, Calhoun sought to lay a solid foundation for the science of government by discovering and articulating---through the use of "metaphysical reasoning"---what I have called the first principle of politics, "that principle without which government would not exist, and with which its existence is necessary." Calhoun locates this principle in human nature, and calls it the "two-fold constitution of our nature." In his Disquisition on Government , Calhoun shows how the great questions comprehended by political science can be given their definitive answers in terms of that principle.;My study includes a critical discussion of the manner in which Calhoun explains the great phenomena of politics by recourse to this first principle. The phenomena and issues illuminated and explained include, among others: the origin and fundamental nature of society, government, and constitution; the moral character of citizens and government leaders; the unification or division, and the strength or weakness of the community; and the degree of knowledge of personal and public good that is achieved by participants in a political order. |
