“Only two things are certain in life; death and taxes.”
This gloomy phrase is often uttered as a semi-comedic trope, but as our age has seen a decline in religion, it has become something of a new faith. In an era of constant fluctuation and change, it seems as if the only certainty is death and taxes. Alternatively, one could say that there is only a meaningless life and a totalizing government that seeks to fill the void.
This nihilistic mindset is antithetical to both virtue and republican government. Political philosopher Harry V. Jaffa argued that virtue was synonymous with republican government (Jaffa). Neither can be had without the other. If people are not virtuous, a republic will degenerate into a tyranny, and if a government is degenerate, then its people are unlikely to be virtuous.
But in order for citizens of a republic to exhibit virtue, they must have more than this “death and taxes” outlook. This principle was widely recognized by the greatest pre-Christian philosophers. At the end of Plato’s Republic, for example, Socrates recounts a vision detailing the rewards of a good citizen in the afterlife. Additionally Cicero, one of the greatest defenders of the Roman republic, constantly refers to the theme of glory and reputation within his speeches. In his Cicero’s Republic, he ends by recounting a fictional dream in which the Roman general Scipio Africanus the younger has a dream of his adopted grandfather Scipio Africanus living among the stars. The purpose of Cicero’s writings was to exhort his fellow countrymen to act bravely in the face of danger and tyranny.
Ambition-to earn the esteem of one’s countrymen and make a name for oneself- is perhaps the greatest incentive to virtue known to mankind. Abraham Lincoln regularly cited his outsized ambition. In 1832, long before he saved the Union he told a crowd that “Every man is said to have his peculiar ambition. Whether it be true or not, I can say for one that I have no other so great as that of being truly esteemed of my fellow men, by rendering myself worthy of their esteem.”
This ambition was much more common in our country’s past than it is now. In early America, young men could often be found reading The Autobiography of Benjamin Franklin in order to learn the principles of success in business, politics, and life.
Of course, the desire for esteem and glory has not been completely lost. It is still the goal of many young people to become famous on Tik Tok, Instagram, or some other social media platform. But while this fame allows one to gain the attention- and perhaps affection- of millions of people, it serves no purpose for the state. Today it seems that many people would rather be a Harry Styles than a Winston Churchill. This phenomenon illustrates that while our awareness of the world has become greater, our views have drastically shrunk. The enduring glory of Cicero has been submerged under the fleeting glory of a viral video.
Our stunted visions of glory are largely owing to the fact that we have cut ourselves off from the past. Rather than showing gratitude for the people who have bequeathed us a free society, we prefer to tout our moral superiority over them. Instead of venerating the memory of men like George Washington and Thomas Jefferson, they are either merely tolerated or actively reviled.
When great men are looked down upon- men who strove to bring freedom to millions and establish a new country- why should young men and women search for enduring glory? If the greatest men of history can be written off as bigots who are unworthy of distinction, then the “death and taxes” mindset is truly correct. There is nothing more than a meaningless life and a totalizing government.
When people actively embrace this mindset, they should not be surprised when society begins to crumble. It will become more anarchic because individuals no longer seek to perpetuate their values and more totalitarian because they search for meaning within the apparatus of the state.
However, there is an alternative path; the path that involves telling men and women that their decisions matter and will be remembered by others. The quest to bring about this shift in perspectives lies in the resurrection of the study of history, philosophy, and religion. When reading about the stories of great men who shaped the course of their civilizations, it is impossible not to be inspired and motivated to contribute to their legacy, even in a small way.
Alternatively, we could listen to the nihilists and watch our society slowly crumble to the ground. Although the choice appears easy, it is difficult for many to make because in order for us to admire others, we must recognize our own inadequacies. It requires us to realize that we are not morally infallible and that we owe our beliefs and norms to fallible men, who allowed us to overcome their vices and perpetuate their virtues.
By placing ourselves within the great chain of history, we link ourselves to both the past and the future. In doing this we are driven to both gratitude and duty. We have gratitude for the previous links in the chain and a sense of duty towards the future links. The twin pillars of duty and gratitude will allow our society to flourish and encourage people to strive for a glory that is lasting.
If we do this, perhaps life will be sweeter because we know we have a purpose and death will be less terrifying because we know that there is something more than “death and taxes.”
