The Political Philosophy of George Washington
Published by Johns Hopkins University Press
“A delight . . . rewarding insight into Washington and his times . . . and an illuminating section on the religious outlook of this American founder.” —Journal of American History
George Washington is revered as the father of his country, a clever and skilled general, and a man of restrained principle—but not as a political thinker. This short introduction to Washington’s political philosophy reveals him as a thoughtful public intellectual who was well equipped to lead the young United States.
Though Washington left little explicit writing on political philosophy, Jeffry Morrison examines his key writings, actions, education, and political and professional lives. He finds that Washington held closely to a trinity of foundational principles—classical republicanism, British liberalism, and Protestant Christianity—with greater fidelity than many of the other founding fathers. In unearthing Washington’s ideological growth, Morrison reveals the intellectual heritage of his political thought and shows how these beliefs motivated him to action.
This insightful, concise story makes clearer the complexities of the revolutionary era and shows how the first president’s political ideas shaped governmental institutions and instantiated the nation’s foundational principles.
“Those who accept the ‘dumb general’ caricature should be chastened by Morrison’s elegant and concise sampling of Washington’s writings . . . This work deserves to be studied and debated by political scientists, historians, and public intellectuals concerned with America’s fundamental political principles and those of liberal democracy.” —Review of Politics
George Washington is revered as the father of his country, a clever and skilled general, and a man of restrained principle—but not as a political thinker. This short introduction to Washington’s political philosophy reveals him as a thoughtful public intellectual who was well equipped to lead the young United States.
Though Washington left little explicit writing on political philosophy, Jeffry Morrison examines his key writings, actions, education, and political and professional lives. He finds that Washington held closely to a trinity of foundational principles—classical republicanism, British liberalism, and Protestant Christianity—with greater fidelity than many of the other founding fathers. In unearthing Washington’s ideological growth, Morrison reveals the intellectual heritage of his political thought and shows how these beliefs motivated him to action.
This insightful, concise story makes clearer the complexities of the revolutionary era and shows how the first president’s political ideas shaped governmental institutions and instantiated the nation’s foundational principles.
“Those who accept the ‘dumb general’ caricature should be chastened by Morrison’s elegant and concise sampling of Washington’s writings . . . This work deserves to be studied and debated by political scientists, historians, and public intellectuals concerned with America’s fundamental political principles and those of liberal democracy.” —Review of Politics
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