The Puritan’s Political and Social Ideas

The Puritan’s Political and Social Ideas

Introduction

Puritan were Protestants who moved from New England and came to settle in America with the ideology to purify the church. The class among the early settlers in the United States and who were politically conscious were the Puritan commonwealths of New England. The kind of society that emerged in the south and central colonies was approximately a result of the physical environment and of tradition (Ziff, 1975).  The Puritans came with the common law and local government’s institutions which they had been accustomed in New England. The Puritans were supporters of a particular religious system which was their aim to come to the new land to put in practice and therefore they had to make interests, political and social contribution to improve and advance the system (Ziff, 1975).   This paper looks into the Puritan political ideas and ideal in the “little speech on liberty” and the “democratic vistas”

John Winthrop founded the Massachusetts Bay Colony. In his “little speech on liberty”, he outlined his views on liberty in a court proceeding. The question he addressed was how the magistrate’s authority stands to the people’s liberty. If you observe the weaknesses in the leaders you had chosen, you also need to consider your weaknesses too since you are the one who chooses them. The magistrates try to judge to their best according to the laws of God and our own too. The magistrate’s error resulting from his wickedness leads him to be accounted responsible if not otherwise (Winthrop, 2014).

He acknowledged that two categories of freedoms of liberty exist, natural and civil or moral liberty. The natural liberty is common to man with beasts and he describes it in his puritan belief form as the freedom of a man to do whatever he wants- evil or good just like the beasts do. In this puritan belief, man is corrupt and also evil by inheritance from the original sin committed by Adam and where man is a descendant of Adam. Therefore, expect to be taken to hell if not saved by the grace of God. This liberty is considered as the major enemy of peace and truth.  According to Winthrop, natural liberty makes men continue growing evil and at some time they even become worse than the brute beasts. He says that this liberty cannot end up to a civilized society, instead man would be worse than beasts within time.

The moral liberty is a different form of freedom objected to guide people to do the right thing. It is referred to Gods covenant to man, in the politics and the moral law constitutions and covenants among men. The church and government impose moral liberty and therefore substitutes the natural liberty laws and rules that foster good behavior (Winthrop, 2014). Arguments can arise that this type of liberty is a restriction but on the basis that Puritans believed man was by nature evil, the importance of replacing the natural liberty with moral liberty or freedom (puritan authority) can be realized. This liberty enables man to do what is good instead of evil. This type of liberty is said to be the best as it is the outcome of following the puritan principles (Winthrop, 2014). It is considered to be the kind of liberty via which Christ made His people free. Therefore, natural liberty directs to evil as men are evil by inheritance. Moral liberty is based on Christian belief and the government and church authorities and therefore fights the natural liberty.

An analogy that has been used in the little speech on liberty is that of the subjection of women to their husbands’ authority and which makes them free. They had a lack of individuality, little liberty and rights and low status living under men. According to Winthrop, the best way of preserving or keeping our moral liberties is upholding and honoring the authority. If we quietly and cheerfully subject ourselves to moral liberty, it will only be for our own benefit. The magistrates need to be advised if they fail at any time since they are doing their best to ensure that God’s laws are adhered to, the magistrates will hearken good advice thus preserving our liberties by honoring and upholding the power of authority (Winthrop, 2014).

Democratic vistas was a reflection by Walt Whitman (an American poet) and tries to address the manifestation of an established moral and spiritual downfall. Following the discouragements he had due to the moods of post-civil war, Whitman championed a return to national unity and art gratefulness. It was during this post-civil war era when Walt Whitman got motivated to write “Democratic vistas” to respond to the changing events in American political culture. The culture was regarded by writers as an important tool of political restoration and its force had the capability of incorporating national life via its abstraction of a common heritage and to uplift the intelligent, artistic and moral capabilities of the people (Whitman, 2009). Whitman constantly protected the principles related to democratic, open ideal.   The nation seemed to have been engulfed by a huge pall due to the civil war and according to Walt Whitman, democracy seemed to be in danger, however, he wished for a new generation comprising artists to liberate the nation.

The nation had been divided on the basis of racial and political perspectives and the unity of the nation had collapsed and the values of democracy were in danger of extinction. The democratic vistas composed of three portions; Democracy, personalism and the Orbic literature which were published in a single form in 1871 (Whitman, 2009).  The work of Whitman was so nationalistic that he praised on the expansion of the nation geographically, growth in population, the potential in producing wealth and the many natural resources available. However, Whitman was worried about the democracy and the unity of the nation as it was deteriorating and the collective identity of America was vanishing as the common culture that brought the nation together via core ideas and goals was then meaninglessly drifting. Whitman states that America lacked a distinct spiritual identity and therefore this identity could only come about via literature works written by new artists in new literary forms.

Prolonged feudalism in America is the cause of blame by Whitman that is continued feuding in gender, race, economic and class status. Whitman says that these groupings were an outcome of an old system that is rejected by the democracy since they depend on an old way of putting the society together under rulers who are powerful and tradition. According to Whitman, democracy slowly broke away mankind from the society that depended on old traditions and establishments that defined the common class and pecking order, and instead rooted power in the people’s sovereignty. Whitman wrote that the burning issue in the stated fact is the main key to the important activities of the previous three centuries and has been the political beginning and the Americans life. In contrast, this seemed to be a source of fear to others writers although Whitman doesn’t deny rather he indorses democracy as an ideal form of government. A democracy that is in unpredictable nature and loss of a centralized authority seemed to be the cause of chaos instead of political liberation (Whitman, 2009).

The solution that Whitman had was to bring up a generation of artists and fictitious figures to model exclusive forms of the United States literature to that of the Europeans. Such literature would enlighten the people on the importance of democracy and provide them with a simple model or representation of disposition for universal use. He stated that democracy can only prove itself past cavil only if it is founded and luxuriantly grows its forms of art, theology, schools thus eliminating that already exists or anything previously produced, under differing effects. Whitman aim was to split off from traditional forms and introduce a new focus or vision. His objectives were to have a nation that is united and that operates towards the positive side just like Winthrop.

Whitman values the literature for its moral and political efficiency. This literature would be a tool through which the government of America gets its potential in development, opening up cultivation, encouraging possibilities of beneficent, desire for independence, pride and self-respect underlying in every character (Whitman, 2009).  The performance with a charitable government, the literature stands-in a fundamental individualism named as personalism.

Conclusion

The Puritans were supporters of a particular religious system which was their goal to come to the new land and practice it and therefore they had to make interests, political and social contribution to improve and advance the system. Winthrop says that, In order to ensure that our moral liberties are well preserved, it is important to maintain and honor the authority. If we quietly and cheerfully subject ourselves to moral liberty, it will only be for our own benefit. The magistrates need to be advised if they fail at any time since they are doing their best to ensure that God’s laws are adhered to, the magistrates will hearken good advice thus preserving our liberties by honoring and upholding the power of authority. In the Democratic vistas, Walt Whitman tries to address the manifestation of an established moral and spiritual downfall. Following the discouragements he had due to the moods of post-civil war, Whitman championed a return to national unity and art gratefulness. The solution that Whitman had was to bring up a generation of artists and fictitious figures to model exclusive forms of the United States literature to that of the Europeans.

References

Whitman, W. (2009). Democratic Vistas: The Original Edition in Facsimile. University of Iowa

Press.

Winthrop, J. (2014). Little Speech on Liberty. Rendering to God and Caesar: Critical Readings

for American Government, 11.

Ziff, L. (1975). Puritanism in America: New culture in a new world.