For those who want to put into perspective the profound amorality of the MAGA movement, here is why democracy, as we have known it for 250 years, must be defended. The MAGA movement leaves unchecked moral failures of humanity itself. This is deep in the political philosophy weeds for those who seek a perspective to understand why MAGA is such a danger to democracy. It also may explain why Donald Trump's transactional approach to life without a moral compass, his use of lies, his libertine behavior, and his tolerance and even admiration of dictators full of power for themselves get excused by apologists. Humanity with its dark sides, lurks in all of us, either suppressed or unrecognized. We see it in ourselves and either excuse it or ignore it or even embrace it. It is what it is.
In a discussion with a a person so disillusioned with the government that he has bordered on embracing nihilism and anarchy, I countered with some political philosophy of my own. His point was that both Republicans and Democrats were equally corrupt and evil. What's the use in caring about or getting involved in politics. My response: it's humanity that's the problem. The government can keep the worst of its nature in check. It inspired me to give this more thought, spell it out in this essay, and dig into the roots of what shaped my own political beliefs. It is those checks and balances that the supporters of Trump and Project 2025 want to tear down, whether they intend to or not. They are promoting politicians with passions of greed and lust to rule unlimited.
This essay is not meant to be a sermon. or a holier than thou praise of myself and like-minded. This is an explanation and analysis of what is happening today as I see it, and it explains why I do what I do and why I write what I write. It is intensely personal but writing may just cause us at this juncture in history to pause and reflect and find value in what I am writing. The theology I am describing is not unique to Presbyterians. I helped a daughter convert to Roman Catholicism by prepping her on the Catholic catechism. I found that my protestant beliefs about humanity were similar. It may even explain Justice Barrett's recent positions in the Supreme Court. https://paw.princeton.edu/article/barrett-speaks-role-constitution Amy Coney Barrett Joins Liberals to Defy Trump—Again
There are many on the political right who constantly contend that this is a Christian nation because our founders were Christian. However, the founders with the greatest influence melded the age of reason with Christianity in the Constitution. It was a very specific kind of Christianity which sounds even liberal today.
My answer to why our form of government is beneficial to our country is that our founders, especially James Madison, believed that humanity was also morally evil, but reason could overcome that. If constructed properly, a government could help reason and beat down the passions plaguing humanity. The problem is humanity itself and the nature of humanity. The tragedy today is that there are forces who want those "passions" unchecked, using a wrecking ball to the constraints provided in the Constitution, removing and destroying checks and balances and individual rights, and more.
The political philosophy behind the Constitution recognized man had passions that could be held in check by reason and moral conscience, and government could help that reason and morality keep these passions in bounds. In simple terms, men have "passions" (basically evil and immoral) that reason can balance out and overcome. A government can support that reason. Here are the concepts that Madison's philosophy permeate the form of democracy we have enjoyed for 250 years and what the radical right views want to destroy, reflected in Project 2025. They want to remove any checks and balances that keep "passions" in check. Princeton educated many of our country's founders and shaped their political beliefs. James Madison, in particular, took his lessons in philosophy at Princeton, and the Constitution reflects much of it.
The roots: The influence of the Scottish universities and their Scottish tutors on our founders cannot be underestimated. They influenced many, from Jefferson to Madison. Madison chose Princeton instead of William and Mary or Harvard for the reason that Princeton in New Jersey had become the hotbed of Scottish thought. For a very readable accounting of the influence of Scottish thought of our founders, read "First Principles" and especially the first five chapters...by Thomas E. Ricks, the winner of the Pulitzer Prize, published in 2020 by Harper.. The book is readily available in every format (of course, on Amazon)
As a practicing Presbyterian that I am, I have learned that Princeton was its mothership, the shaper of its religious preachers, and the views I have reflect the same Scottish philosophers taught by the Scottish professors to so many of our founders at Princeton that eventually shaped our country and the form of Madisonian democracy we have today. In my youth, my pastor was an immigrant Scotsman, and at that time, Presbyterian ministers had to have a Ph.D. from Princeton. Dr. Latham was 100% Scots, born and bred in Scotland, complete with the brogue. Fate somehow found his flock at the First Presbyterian Church in Muskogee, Oklahoma. My parents were constantly reinforcing this to me that they attended that church because they did not view religion as an emotional experience but it was a rational one based on reason. Ironically, Trump claims his religious affiliation is also Presbyterian, but none of this seemed to have rubbed off on him. Perhaps if he had Dr. Latham as his pastor and attended church like our family did, he may not have become the amoral transactional person he is today.
https://paw.princeton.edu/article/essay-witherspoon-madison-moral-philosophy-and-constitution#:~:text=President%20Eisgruber%20'83's%20focus%20on,and%20put%20it%20on%20display."So each entity – whether individual or government – has an interest in keeping passions within bounds set by reason and a moral conscience. This is likely the lesson Madison learned from Witherspoon’s lectures on moral philosophy. We see this lesson applied everywhere throughout the Constitution, e.g., checks and balances, separation of powers, Senate veto over the House, presidential veto over Congress, the implied power of judicial review over everyone, indirect election of senators by state legislatures (changed to direct election by the 17th amendment), and indirect election of the president by the Electoral College. We see it also in the Bill of Rights, which is to prevent the trial and conviction of another Socrates, a prophet, or even Jesus himself."
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/History_of_Princeton_University
https://mufticforumblog.blogspot.com/2025/02/when-it-comes-to-corruption-trump-is.html
The Trump administration fired off a letter to Georgetown University, a Catholic Jesuit institution, demanding they drop DEI from their curriculum. Per the Baptist Press, Georgetown U fired back.Georgetown dean fires back at Trump official who demanded curriculum changes – Baptist News Global
Empathy is the companion word to the Golden Rule, to treat others as you would like to be treated. Musk believes it is a weakness. https://www.snopes.com/fact-check/elon-musk-empathy-quote/
In medieval times in Europe, when most of the population was illiterate, the priests set standards for what they advocated as good behavior in terms of what was bad behavior in society. They called them the Seven Deadly Sins. Copper doors to cathedrals and cartoonish examples of the sins were often themes of religious works of art. Few on this earth were or are free of sins, but some also violated nearly all. https://www.britannica.com/topic/seven-deadly-sins pride, greed, wrath, envy, lust, gluttony, and sloth.
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