First Principles

First Principles delves into the history of American evolution and highlights how the parents of modern thinking were inspired by Roman and Greek philosophy in their mindset, military actions, views of the world, and many more.

It is often the Greek philosophy and the Greek thinkers that occupy the first spots in any history debate or at an elite table. Greek ideologies shaped the world as we know it, paved the way for democracy, and shaped ideologies forever.

However, Roman philosophers and their culture also had plenty to do with how America grew to be today. Rome and its emperors shaped leading figures like Washington and many revolutionary Americans. They considered Cicero a great orator and an idol to learn from.

Revolutionary Americans considered that Rome had achieved the greatest level a state can hope for. Washington, a military genius, identified with Cato, a figure known for their virtue and for not giving in to the aristocracy, but rather fighting against corruption.

Washington strived to become such a figure and take America to the highest forms of a republic. To defeat the British, he imprisoned some of the great Roman generals, Fabius and Cincinnatus. He studied their strategies and tried to implement them, almost by impersonating them.

The founders believed that the democratic form of government found in ancient Greece and Rome was an ideal model for America, which had just broken free from Great Britain. They also wanted to ensure that the United States would be able to withstand any future threats from European powers.

In order for this to happen, America needed both a strong military and a well-educated citizenry who were capable of deciding matters of the state through reasoned deliberation rather than violence or coercion.

Jefferson, Washington, J. Adams and many others looked for inspiration in these ancient European states. Jefferson, in particular, was a fan of Epicurus, Euripides, and many other Greek philosophers that shaped his way of thinking.

In fact, Epicurus had a vision of life that Jefferson shared profoundly. We can notice that in the Declaration of Independence, he states that all humans are created equal and they have the right to pursue happiness. These concepts are central to the Epicurean philosophy.

The early nineteenth century marked a time of great change in American culture. The Enlightenment gave way to Romanticism, and classicism was replaced by a rather rational way of viewing things. This shift in cultural focus was reflected in the principles that guided the people and their rulers. While Jefferson’s presidency and Madison’s afterward were marked by a return to classicism, it soon became an object of ridicule. The masses were seeking more rational views of the world and free land.…