Classical Republicanism and The Natural Right Philosophy

The U.S. Constitution and the Bill of Rights were greatly influenced by Classical Republicanism and the Natural Right Philosophy. The founding fathers referred to Classical Republicanism greatly in the making of the U.S. Constitution. The country we are today today is due largely to the two ideas that are Classical Republicanism and the Natural Rights Philosophy. The Bill of Rights and the Natural Rights Philosophy contain inalienable rights that all humans are given, respectively. The Bill of Rights has Natural Rights that are called the Amendments. These rights are inalienable by anyone, be that a police officer or any other government official.

Two Documents That Shape American Constitution

The Natural Rights Philosophy is made up of Legal Rights and Natural Rights. The Bill of Rights simply combines these two ideas into one and labels them as Amendments granted to every citizen as their birthright. Classical Republicanism influenced the founding fathers just as the Natural Rights Philosophy did. In the making of the Constitution the founding fathers referred to Classical Republicanism for ideas such as Higher Law. Higher Law is the idea that no matter what your status is you are bound to these certain laws without deviation.

The founding fathers also knew that separating church and state was a must. The founding fathers made an Amendment that denied the national and state government from decreeing a national religion as it would contradict the First Amendment of, “Freedom to practice your religion”. Great influence from the Natural Rights Philosophy and ideas of Classical Republicanism helped the founding fathers decide that a national religion would only be against the idea of natural rights. Classical Republicanism also placed an importance on the community’s health rather the individual’s health. The founding fathers compared this to the Natural Rights Philosophy and declared that the freedom to exercise free speech, along with the freedom to practice any religion of your choice, was a natural right that could not be withheld from the people. This does not mean that any government facility is allowed to sponsor any religion.

All of these examples were greatly influential to our founding fathers as they made the U.S.Constitution. Any natural citizen of the United States has the same rights as the president of the United States. Our founding fathers knew not to just take from the ideas of Classical Republicanism, but to refine them as well. This gave us the freedom to practice any religion of our choice and much more such as making a system of checks and balances that does a great job at not allowing one branch of government to have too much power. The country we know today is due partly to the reference of two important ideas and the refinement of these ideas to make a better country.