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It isn't America's Future's policy to review old books, but we're making an exception for a reprinting of The 5000 Year Leap: A Miracle That Changed the World because its exposition of the founding principles of the United States has never been equaled in clarity or simplicity. Originally published in 1981, the book argues that the wisdom of the Framers allowed America to flourish and rapidly overtake Europe in wealth and power. If we do not return to our roots, we will decline. Many books have been written on this subject, but The 5000 Year Leap distinguishes itself by its systematic presentation and explanation of the Founders' political philosophy. In 1607 a small group of ragtag Englishmen founded Jamestown. Two hundred years later, America's experiment in freedom had inspired other nations to give more power to the people and helped launch free-market economics, leading to stupendous scientific achievements and enhanced quality of life for almost everyone. The American system has an impressive track record. Skousen sets forth the Founders' problem: how to avoid setting up another tyranny in place of the one they had shaken off, and at the same time resolve the disorder resulting from the weak Articles of Confederation. Political thinkers had advocated separation of powers since the time of the ancient Greeks, but the United States was the first country to separate the power of government into three branches. The Framers considered virtue the most important ingredient for success. Government and laws must be founded on the natural law, and people cannot govern themselves unless they remain virtuous. The concept of natural law-the rule of conduct according to reason-is found in both the Bible and the wisest pagan philosophers. Just as the people must be virtuous, so must the leaders. Freedom cannot be maintained without religion because the latter is the surest guard of virtue. When the Founders separated church and state they weren't trying to take religion out of public life; they simply didn't want one church to take precedence over others. The proper role of government is to protect unalienable rights, not to provide equal things. Skouson lists 28 key ideas of the Founders, ending with the notion that America has a manifest destiny to be an example and blessing to mankind. (National Center for Constitutional Studies, 1981, 7th printing, June 2006. 337 pps., $19.95) |
"The most striking thing about the settlers was their startling similarity to the ancient pioneers who built settlements in other parts of the world 5,000 years earlier. But little progress had been made by man during all those 50 centuries," writes Skousen.
