Novus Ordo Seclorum: The Intellectual Origins of the Constitution (American Political Thought) [Hardcover]

Forrest McDonald (Author)

Book Description

ISBN-10: 0700602844 | ISBN-13: 978-0700602841 | Publication Date: November 1985

This is the first major interpretation of the framing of the Constitution to appear in more than two decades. Forrest McDonald, widely considered one of the foremost historians of the Constitution and of the early national period, reconstructs the intellectual world of the Founding Fathers--including their understanding of law, history political philosophy, and political economy, and their firsthand experience in public affairs--and then analyzes their behavior in the Constitutional Convention of 1787 in light of that world. No one has attempted to do so on such a scale before. McDonald's principal conclusion is that, though the Framers brought a variety of ideological and philosophical positions to bear upon their task of building a "new order of the ages," they were guided primarily by theiy own experience, their wisdom, and their common sense.

Editorial Reviews

Review

"A witty and energetic study of the ideas and passions of the Framers." -- New York Times Book Review

"As provocative as it is difficult to put down." -- Georgia Historical Quarterly

"Bristles with wit and intellectual energy." -- Christian Science Monitor

"The best single volume on the origins of the Constitution." -- Choice

About the Author

Forrest McDonald is Distinguished Research Professor of History at the University of Alabama and author of sixteen books, including States' Rights and the Union: Imperium in Imperio, 1776-1876; The American Presidency; The Presidency of George Washington; and The Presidency of Thomas Jefferson. He was named by the NEH as the sixteenth Jefferson Lecturer, the nation's highest honor in the humanities.

Product Details

• Hardcover: 376 pages
• Publisher: Univ Pr of Kansas (November 1985)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0700602844
• ISBN-13: 978-0700602841
• Product Dimensions: 8.6 x 5.7 x 1.3 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.4 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 4.6 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (22 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #922,981 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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71 of 72 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Interesting and Insightful !, March 31, 2004

By 

Seth Cooper "cooper76" (Seattle, WA) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: Novus Ordo Seclorum: The Intellectual Origins of the Constitution (Paperback)

Just what sorts of ideas were going on in the Framers' minds when the drafted the federal constitution? This book provides great insight into the ideas, concepts and intellectual history and framework that the Framers were operating upon.

An extremely capable historian and writer, McDonald starts out by noting some important considerations facing the Framers: protecting the life, liberty and property of citizens; their commitment to republican government (although there was disagreement and uncertainty as to what that precisely meant); history (in the sense of convention, legacy and their place in its continuing flow); and political theory.

The chapter on the Rights of Englishmen begins with the Framers understandings of freedom, liberty, and property-as inherited through English common law, refined by Blackstone, and developed independently in the New World. Blackstone considered property a third "absolute right," following life and liberty. Of course, he used the word property in the more narrow sense of dominion (rather than the sense of proper as something proper or particular to an individual person). In any case, McDonald discusses Blackstone's qualifications and exceptions to this absolute right, which allowed for the regulation of property (through sumptuary laws, eminent domain, taxation, and the granting of monopoly privileges). McDonald then relates America's experience in light of the English understandings and tradition. The emphasis on property is particular important because, until the Revolution, Americans' general views about liberty were grounded in the same kinds of historical, philosophical and legal foundations as their views of property.

McDonald's chapter on political theory is particularly enjoyable, as he traces the tensions existing amongst the different theories of rights held by the Framers, as well as some of their respective implications. He discusses the appeals made by Americans to natural law as transcending the general norms of English law. A succinct discussion of John Locke's natural law views, which McDonald insists has been "astonishingly misinterpreted." McDonald then proceeds to an interesting comparison and contrast of the two predominant strands of republicanism in America: puritan and agrarian. He proceeds to analyze the "country party" oppositionists as a third influential group and delves into Montesquieu. Many readers will be struck with the differences McDonald describes between the notion of "separation of powers" and a system of "checks and balances"-since most people today describe them as one in the same.

Also interesting is the political economy chapter. McDonald has written more extensively on this subject elsewhere, and it is also the subject of much attention in his stellar biography of Alexander Hamilton. Indeed, the latter part of the chapter is devoted to Hamilton's sophisticated ideas about commerce and finance. The earlier part of the chapter discusses the influence of the French physiocrats, Adam Smith and other early political economists, and continues with an overview of England's experience with public debt.

One chapter is devoted to principles and interests-both those that motivated Framers and (relatedly) how the Framers understood the role and effects of those concepts. Here one finds an interesting discussion of Madison's understanding of factions-made famous in Federalist No. 10. McDonald traces the intellectual roots of this idea, discussing the views of Hume on factions and contrasting them with the Bolingbrokean understandings of republicanism. "[I]t is meaningless to say the Framers intended this or that the Framers intended that," notes McDonald, "their positions were diverse and, in many particulars, incompatible." His survey certainly affirms this understanding (which is also adequately covered in Jack Rakove's "Original Meanings").

A succinct chapter describing the Constitutional Convention follows, in which McDonald catalogues how different groups at the Convention employed the arguments of different political theorists in order to advance their respective viewpoints as to how the federal government was to be constituted, what powers were to be entrusted to it, and to which respective branch they would be entrusted. Much to my delight, McDonald contrasts the understanding of the separation of powers as embodied in the Constitutional document with pre-existing understandings of the separation of powers and the duties commonly thought proper to the respective branches.

Finally, the concluding chapter discusses the powers given to the federal government in the Constitution, and how they operate.

All in all, this is an excellent volume that anyone appreciating political theory, American history and our nation's Constitution should enjoy.

28 of 28 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars The debates, politics and legacy of the 1787 Constitution, August 3, 2004

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R. Setliff - See all my reviews
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This review is from: Novus Ordo Seclorum: The Intellectual Origins of the Constitution (Paperback)

~Novus Ordo Seclorum~ by conservative historian Forrest McDonald is an astute and poignant political history of the fledgling American republic. The framers of the Constitution sought introduce a new concept into the political discourse, namely federalism. They, of course, were all nationalist in the sense that they hoped to strengthen and stabilize a general government. The 1787 Convention hardly started from scratch and was built on the polity existing under the Articles of Confederation. McDonald perceptively captures efforts to balance out the powers amongst the republican institutions through corporate liberty. Each institution jealously guarded their prerogatives as Madison and Jefferson was essentially the prop for the federal regime created in 1787.

The first introductory chapter boldly proclaims that framers had a problem following their independence: that problem succinctly stated was the nature and form of their republic was to take. The framers were unanimous in the belief that the proper end of government was protecting life, liberty, and property. Prior to 1787, they had yet to resolve the scope and role to be played by the general government and it was agreed that that government under the Confederation was scarcely functioning effectively as it was too weak. The second chapter entitled The Rights of the Englishman brilliantly gives a history of the Anglo-American common law tradition that was so cherished by the colonials. It was their go to fortify, uphold and secure the cherished Rights of the Englishman for citizens of the American polity. The third chapter entitled Systems of Political Theory is an exploration of political debates common amongst the framers. They were well schooled in the classics from Cicero to Lycurgus. Likewise, they were familiar with Montesquieu, but opted for prudence and temperance in their statecraft. They eschewed the Jacobin radicalism being fomented across the Atlantic in France by Rousseau and Robespierre. The fourth chapter entitled Systems of Political Economy deals with explorations into political economy. The body of thought delineated as Political economy is simply those "ideas about the policies governments should or should not pursue regarding property relations to promote the general welfare." The bulk of this chapter deals with the influence of Adam Smith on the colonials and the cunning Hamiltonian economic proposals like protective tariffs, bounties for manufacturers and the Bank of the United States. McDonald captures the political struggles that ensued in Washington's cabinet as Randolph and Jefferson fought Hamilton tooth and nail to thwart his machinations. The remaining three chapters essentially chronicle the political developments, debates and theorizing during the Confederation and especially during those pivotal moments in 1787 when the Constitution was being framed.

The breadth and scope of this book is amazing. McDonald gives a great deal of insight on the framing of the American Republic. He does so with a remarkable deal of conservative sobriety and is not afraid to convey his admiration for the American experiment in republican self-government. McDonald gives enormous insight into the debates on jurisprudence, history, political philosophy, and political economy that took place in the pivotal years during and after the 1787 Convention.

24 of 24 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars The men and ideas behind the American Constitution, February 14, 2006

By 

Michael A Neulander "Political Philosophy" (VA) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: Novus Ordo Seclorum: The Intellectual Origins of the Constitution (Paperback)

I picked up this book to read for several reasons. The American founding era is one of my favorite periods of history to study. I am in awe of our founding father's abilities to cobble a government together despite their socio-economic differences. Don't we all wish that our political leaders today had the same capability to compromise and act on important issues of the day? I am also a great student of finding out the kinds of books our founders read so that I can read them myself. As a student of philosophy, I enjoy studying the philosophical influences on the founders. Aristotle's "good life", Locke's principles of life, liberty, and property in his "Second Treatise", and the influence of the Scottish Enlightenment philosophers like Hume, Reid, and Kames. I can say unequivocally that Forrest McDonald's book does not disappoint.

One fact that I learned was that Alexander Hamilton, while fighting the revolution, was already studying what type of government to put together. He foresees the nub of the problem, "extreme jealousy of power" of men from different socio-economic factions. Hamilton and other leaders will draw on their beliefs in "natural law", civil rights, and property rights. McDonald, astutely points out that the framers of the constitution were well versed in Greco-Roman history, confederations of European nations and republics from history. They used these historical references to support their arguments during the proceedings of the convention, sometimes delivering long lectures on the subject. McDonald also deftly points out that our founders and Americans in general had a long history of being involved in government and politics for several years before the revolution. It is the collapse of public credit that is the main cause of the failure of the Articles of Confederation, and brings these men together for the constitutional convention. They had a long time to study and to put into practice many of their ideas in the colonies. Our founders learn their republican theories from reading Cicero, Livy, Tacitus, Aristotle, Polybius, Machiavelli, Montesquieu, and most notably Plutarch, who was more widely read than any other ancient author was. Hamilton, Madison, and Jay using pseudonyms from Plutarch's "Lives of the Ancient Grecians and Romans" sign the "Federalist Papers". I give you this long list so that you too can start your great scholastic journey by reading these luminaries! The founders are also greatly influenced by Joseph Addison's play "Cato: a Tragedy". The play takes place during Cato's final hours of resistance to Caesar. George Washington remarked it was his favorite play and had it performed for his men in Valley Forge during the revolution. Washington and the other founders found in the play a powerful statement on patriotism, liberty, virtue, and honor.

I can go on forever about McDonald's erudite facts in this book, but I will not you need to read it! McDonald is an excellent easy to read writer which makes this book extremely accessible to anyone interested in the history of our founding era. I recommend this book to anyone who is interested in political philosophy, and history of the founding era of the United States.