Covenanted Governments

A detailed Summary of Covenanted Governments

The covenant is very dear to our modern world, being that many political philosophers that shaped our modern world based much of their theories on a covenanted government. When looking at the United States, the theory was considered important from the Mayflower Compact and on. The theory of "a covenanted people" is associated with Locke, Hobbes, and Rousseau. Our "framers" took all of the aforementioned history and philosophy in account to develop our virgin nation. The concept of a covenant and covenanted form of government has greatly metamorphisised over time into nations such as ours. The thoughts of its origins are also very electric and diverse. Despite all of these idiosyncrasies, there runs a common thread through a compact form of government, and that is power is in the hand of a sovereign and all involved in the government are there by tactic consent.

Around the time the pilgrims rebelled against King James in England, philosophy was abundant, especially that influenced by the belief in god. A majority of the governments around the world were monarchies. As far as our country is concerned, the pilgrims were the first to establish a covenanted government with the Mayflower Compact. This compact stated that all a

Another influential figure was Rousseau. His theory of a compact/covenant form of government runs a little more optimistic that the previous men mentioned. He felt that humans were intelligent, and rational, that reason drove society to form. He believed in the "Social Contract". This was made up from the General Will, or the will of the people. Since humanity is rational and reasonable, it is infallible. If all of this is true, then people willingly come together to form a society, a comp actual agreement. Rousseau's theory embodied the belief in the majority, an infallible majority that acted for the good of everyone. An axiom of his was that man found morality in society and decided to keep it. Man is inherently social and wishes to stay in society.

board the ship headed for the "new city of God", were under the rule of God. Here is the clincher: even though it was a government under the rule of God, the agreement was that the people in God's name would run the institutions of government. People executed God's will his "permission". In these times, people believe that they were carrying out God's name and very will. These people weren't bound together by caprice and whim, but for and out of necessity and deep-rooted religious beliefs. They formed a civil body politics so they may increase their chances at survival.

The next vital document that was created in the "New World" was the Fundamental Orders of Connecticut. This document was closely related to the Mayflower Compact in that it was made in the name of God, it established a theocracy. This document brought people together in a tacit agreement that they would obey the word of God, as interpreted by the people and the sovereign appointed (a magistrate). The fundamental Orders and the Mayflower Compact are very distinct from the Articles of Confederation and the US Constitution in that they are theocracies. The people governed the letter two of the aforementioned; religion played little or no importance. Even the philosophers that helped shape our government left God out of their text, placing man natural law before God.

John Locke was one of the influential philosophers upon government. He advocated and wrote a dissertation on the compact theory of government. He believed that humans formed together to escape the "hand to mouth" state of nature. Absolute freedom was the only rule that governed, and man needed more than that, he needed control.

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Approximate Word count = 1648
Approximate Pages = 7 (250 words per page double spaced)

Category: History