Articles in the Chicago Tribune
Benjamin Rush's Idea of 'Civic Virtue' is Still a Prerequisite of Democracy
This essay, published shortly after the first Biden-Harris Summit for Democracy, argues that “civic virtue” in the political leaders of a democracy is as essential to the survival of this free form of government as a written constitution itself. Showcasing a central theme found in the political philosophy of founder Dr. Benjamin Rush of Philadelphia, as well as the concurring sentiments of Frederick Douglas and Martin Luther King, the piece defines civic virtue as "a duty, understood since t
he first decades of democracy in ancient Greece, to subordinate personal and party interests to the common good. To practice civic virtue was to place the public interest ahead of self-interest — or else the house of democracy collapses." The essay concludes by calling upon Americans to put this political wisdom at the forefront of future gatherings of the Summit for Democracy. First, however, civic virtue is something that Americans must commit to relearn and reinvigorate in our politics here at home.