Republican Virtue or Lack Thereof

Celebrate America Part III
Celebrate America
Part I: Five First Ladies Worth Celebrating
Part II: Well-Read Soldiers: Ideas and the American Revolution

Virtue.  Just to say the word out loud it sounds bizarre, old fashioned and stuffy, or even elitist.  Today the word might mean how good or pure you are.  Our founders thought of virtue in a very different way.  They thought of it as republican (small r) virtue.

What is republican virtue?
The concept of republican virtue is that your actions and choices should be made with the best interests of the Republic at heart.  For instance, George Washington was the embodiment of virtue because after winning the Revolutionary War, he reported to Congress and voluntarily gave up his position as Commander-in-Chief.

Why is virtue important?
Republican virtue is what any good citizen must have for a republic to survive.  By putting the needs of the public and the Republic first, they are able to govern well and the Republic is able to prosper.

What is the opposite of virtue?
The opposite of virtue is faction or acting in your own personal interest.  This was the greatest of evils for the founders and the reason they all had to pretend that they didn't want to be president.  For example, any person joining a political party or acting in their own interests or the interests of just a small group of people was considered immoral.

Why you should care.
I'm certainly not suggesting that those who join political parties are immoral, just trying to explain why the founders looked at narrow factions as bad for the Republic.  I'm saying that we need a little more selfless public spirit and a little less childish faction.