What kind of people did the founders of the United States intend us to be, and are we living up to it?

Question

Obviously there is no easy answer and there will be many diffrent opinions. At the very least I belive they wanted us to be virtuious and I don't think we're any where near as virtuious as we have the potential to be. Maybe they wanted us to live up to our full potential? Maybe live up to our ideals in our daily lives? I don't know what do you all think?

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Category:Virtues

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ideal_%28ethics%29

I'm think they did intend for us to be self relient responsible free thinkers, I did not say they wanted the government or themselves to think for us, but i also think they expected us to devolp our own personal well thought out researched opinions on subjects, high minded ideals and virtues and to try to live up to them.
I also think that expecting the government to be concerned with the wellfare of it's people. Of the people, by the people and for the people isn't a bad thing. I belive hardly any americans left right or whatever else want a babysitter handout government, but wouldn't eliminating poverty and hunger be a good thing, if it's done right? it doesn't mean it has to be attempted with a babysitter government, but why do we have government if not for we the peoples benefit? and i was referring to the revolutionary generation of america not just a few individuals. I also was reffering to the good the bad and the ugly, all the people not just a segment.

Answer 1

I would think that first, they would be glad that we have lasted this long. So far so good. Second, I don't think they could have predicted the changes that would come our way as far as civil rights, technology, medical advances, immigration, and all of the other issues that are born from this progression. If we were able to see into the future 250 years, how would we feel?

One thing I think they would not approve of is that we are a two-party country, and some of the corruption that has evolved in politics over the last two centuries. Though they welcomed free enterprise, I'm not sure how they'd feel knowing 3% controlled all the wealth.

So basically, some of the founders would be happy with where we currently are, and some would not. But they were smart enough to keep the Constitution a living document so our country can continue to move forward.

Answer 2

Nope. They intended for us to be free thinkers and responsible for ourselves and our country. They did not intend for the government to be responsible for us. Nor did they ever expect for us to let the government think for us. But that's the culture this country has developed.

And you're right. This country is no longer virtuous. Most people have no virtues at all. They don't have values or stand for anything specifically. They just do whatever they feel at the time. Of course this isn't everyone, but it's a lot of people. And it gets worse with every generation because there are more and more people who don't raise their children to be valuable citizens who can build a great country. They're raising a crop of people who think the government owes them everything when they're too lazy to get it for themselves. And if the government won't fork over enough, then they'll just find somebody to sue!

I saw a question on here earlier that asked "why are we following a consitution that doesn't work anymore?" What this obviously uninformed asker doesn't realize is that the consitution was an amazing document, and HAD IT BEEN FOLLOWED our country would have far fewer problems today. We'd have fewer people expecting welfare and teaching their children to live off it. We'd have fewer lawsuits, fewer unwanted (unaffordable) pregnancies, fewer politicians seeking office, less money wasted on useless projects that serve only a handful of people, and of course lower taxes. And trust me we'd still have great roads, good schools and valuable govenrment services. We just wouldn't have the government wiping everyone's a$$! And we wouldn't have bred a culture of people who get upset when "the government doesn't do something."

The govenrment wasn't established to "do something." That's the role of people, non-profits, philanthropists, charities, churches and community programs. NOT THE GOVERNMENT. The government should govern. Not babysit... and breastfeed.

What would our founding father's think? I think they'd flip out.

Answer 3

I think the founders of this country would be quite devastated to know how Americans feel about them. I think these are the last great days of this great nation.. One thing for sure: Once it's gone there will never be another nation like it. It will go down in history as the greatest success ever of a free country. I think it started to go downhill in the beginning of the 1960s. I wasn't even born yet! I wish I had been around during the 50s.

Answer 4

Why do people ask such silly questions? Since the founders were classically trained, I would assume, they would want the same for future generations. The founders were essentially drawing their ideas from the works of their contemporary Europeans thinkers as well as ancient Greeks like Plato, Socrates, and Aristotle. I'm sure Cicero and Seneca were also in the mix. The founders weren't commoners. If one wants to emulate their vision, the paragon of virtue in the American sense is Benjamin Franklin.

Answer 5

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Answer 6

What I find significant is that Jefferson foresaw that there would have to be political and social revolutions in the US to keep it as the founders had imagined it to be yet no such revolutions have occurred. Perhaps with the drift towards despotism the ideology of the founders hasn't been realized and maybe never will.

Answer 7

Virtuous, involved, free-thinkers with a healthy skepticism of authority. Everything we cowering blowhards and religious fanatics are not.

Jefferson would be nauseated at how we have forfeited personal responsibility to the government in response to its campaign of fear-mongering.

Wasn't it Jefferson, or maybe Franklin, who said that when we trade our freedom for security, we end up with neither?

Answer 8

Good question. I think there has always been good, bad and evil people from the beginning of time. So depending on which kind of people you are talking about, it is almost impossible to answer your question.

Answer 9

They intended for us to be Puritans and follow our ethics by the books where we could practice our freedom of religion and the right to bare ******* arms. Press need not apply.

Answer 10

I guess it depends on who you mean. If you mean the Founding Fathers as in the framers of the constitution I would say they wanted us to be strong independent and fair. If you mean the first settlers then I say god frearing and loyal.