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The Political Wisdom of Sir John A. Macdonald

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  10 November 2009

Rod Preece
Rod Preece
Affiliation:
Wilfrid Laurier University
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Abstract

Macdonald is described as a man of phronesis who possessed a sophisticated political philosophy which, in general, conformed to the political disposition exemplified by Edmund Burke. Macdonald's views on the constitution, change, representation, democracy, women, tradition, economics, religion and unions are investigated. It is concluded that Macdonald was an anti-rationalist who saw the world in terms of loyalty, duty and obligation and who was devoted to the principles of prudence, tradition and the rule of law, to constitutional monarchy, to the British connection and British institutions but with respect for French traditions, to the minimal change consistent with harmony, to order before liberty, politics before economics and experience before abstract reason.

Résumé

Dans cet article on décrit Macdonald comme un homme de jugement qui possèdait une philosophie politique sophistiquée conforme à la disposition politique telle que définie par Edmund Burke. L'auteur étudie les perceptions de Macdonald concernant la constitution, le changement, la représentation, la démocratic les femmes, la tradition, l'économie, la religion et les syndicats. Il conclue que Macdonald était un anti-rationaliste qui percevait le monde en termes de loyauté, de devoir et d'obligation. De plus, Macdonald est reconnu comme un homme qui tenait aux principes de la prudence, de la tradition, de la suprématie de la loi, et de la monarchie constitutionnelle; il se vouait aux relations avec I'Angleterre et aux institutions britanniques tout en respectant les traditions françaises, au changement harmonieux, à l'ordre avant la liberté, à politique avant l' économie, et à 1'expérience avant la raison.

Type
Research Article
Information
Canadian Journal of Political Science/Revue canadienne de science politique , Volume 17 , Issue 3 , September 1984 , pp. 459 - 486
Copyright
Copyright © Canadian Political Science Association (l'Association canadienne de science politique) and/et la Société québécoise de science politique 1984

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67 Not all individual interests counted equally, however. For example, the 1885 Electoral Franchise Act contains the clause: “Person' means a male person, including an Indian, and excluding a person of Mongolian or Chinese race.” Macdonald himself moved an amendment to his own original bill to add the words “and excluding Chinamen” (Debates, April 27, 1885).