Thursday; May 11

I am not sure whether Alexander Hamilton is more popular today than he was when he was alive, but due to the success of the musical, he is pretty popular today. Hamilton was influential in setting the principles of our early form government, so I find it interesting to listen to his thoughts about government itself. I recently came across one of his quotes in which he said, “Why has government been instituted at all? Because the passions of man will not conform to the dictates of reason and justice without constraint.”. In essence, we need a collective government because, individually, we would be more apt to serve our own interests firsts and that would lead to anarchy, chaos and failure.
Interestingly, this concept wasn’t something that began with Hamilton, it is a truism that has transcended generations. Centuries before Hamilton, King Solomon is credited with saying, “Furthermore, I have seen under the sun that in the place of justice there is wickedness and in the place of righteousness there is wickedness.” (Ecclesiastes 3:16). When we interpret the idea of things done “under that sun” as humanism – doing what I want to do – it is evident that when left to our own devices, we are going to fail. When we do what we want to do – without a higher rationale – our selfishness is bound to show. Hamilton found the answer in government, Solomon would eventually find truth in godliness.
Let’s set our sights on doing what is right by seeking what is best for everyone. When we agree to live by a collective righteousness, we will be able to live better lives.
Think About It!

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