John Selden’s 17th-Century Lesson on Religion’s Role in Democratic Humility
A modern essay revisits John Selden’s 1650 reflections on humility, arguing that both political power and religion must be restrained to protect democracy.
In a recent commentary, the author recalls John Selden’s 1650 observation that humility is preached but rarely practiced, using it as a lens to examine modern democratic fragility. Selden’s experience as England’s leading legal mind informs his warning that political liberty, like humility, is often hollow when coercive tools are available. The essay draws parallels with statements from Jackson, Obama, Madison, Franklin and John Adams to stress the necessity of constitutional restraints on power.
It also highlights Stephen Carter’s claim that today’s political elite both expel religion from policy debates and claim a special moral freedom. By portraying exclusionary politics as a quasi-religion that scapegoats certain groups, the author argues that such dynamics erode the civility and dialogue essential to democracy.
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