The Impact of the Enlightenment on Canada

Underpinning the English, American, and French revolutions were new concepts of political and ethical conduct. Although different in some ways, Canadian values as incorporated in the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms have their origins in this precise period and its values. Canadian values as enshrined in the Charter are part of the wider web of values that are typically considered ‘Western.’ These can mostly be traced to the period of the Enlightenment. In 1981, then-Prime Minister of Canada, Pierre Trudeau, recognized the desire for Canada to have full control over its constitution. To do this, Canada required its own document that lists its rights. The Charter was designed to provide Canada essentially with its own version of the British Bill of Rights. This resulted in the movement of Canadian values from tradition into the Charter. Ideas and philosophical concepts from Thomas Reid, Adam Smith, and David Hume all shaped the Charter. This article will explore that connection.

Against Hume’s Skepticism

Thomas Reid is considered to be the founder of the Scottish Enlightenment. The main contribution that Reid made to philosophy for centuries to come is the same idea that can be found in the Charter: That common sense principles are necessary for the preservation of the human species. Reid refers to these common sense principles as “first principles”. These principles reject the idea central to skepticism that principles can always be questioned as to their justification. Reid’s position is that it does not only lack common sense to reject first principles, but also that on a utility basis, it is detrimental for the human species to do so. Hume’s skepticism seeks to undermine any claim that is not empirically supported. First principles, the basis of which are self-evident, are attacked by Hume’s method.

How Reid’s Concepts found their Way into Canada’s Charter

When the Charter was formulated, it was Reid’s idea of first principles that were the contents of it. Without Reid’s idea of the necessity of first principles, documents such as the Charter would be difficult to formulate as there would be room for skepticism regarding the principles that capture the values. However, the basis for the Charter is the principles themselves; that is, there is no basis for the principles contained within the document other than their self-evidence. The relevance of the Charter to Canadian politics can be compared to the relevance of written constitutions in other states. The values captured in those documents transcend the state; one government cannot arbitrarily alter or remove the first principles.

First Principles & God

Thomas Reid’s influence on the Charter can further be understood when he discusses religion. Canada’s Charter has its basis on “principles that recognize the supremacy of God”. Reid likewise finds the basis for his first principles in religion. Reid’s idea is that first principles are too universal to be an effect of reasoning. Reid hence argues in favor of the existence of God since reasoning to understand if God exists does apply when the first principle (God) is universal. God is a first principle, and the literal first principle, as just mentioned, in the Charter. The effect of Reid’s ideas can thus be found in the Charter.

Smith’s Morality & The Charter

The works of Scottish economist and philosopher Adam Smith are primarily known for his thoughts on economics and political philosophy. One example is his idea of the invisible hand, of the market and how it can explain economics and morality. However, his works also include ideas on morality that do not focus on economics or the political economy. One of these is that individual expectations of action should form the basis for morality. By this, Smith means that how one expects to be treated should be the basis for how one treats others. The idea resembles the “golden rule,” the idea of which is described above.

Adam Smith’s influence on the Canadian Charter

The primary way that the Canadian Charter can be traced to Smith’s ideas is by its emphasis on negative rights. These rights are negative in nature as they determine the inaction or limits to actions individuals, or the state have upon other individuals. Some of these rights are the right to equal protection under the law, the right to liberty, the right to life, and the freedom of religion. Not all the rights listed are formatted in a negative way, which is to say that they are not all stated in a way that explicitly expresses that they are limitations on the actions of others. This is why it can be seen that Smith’s idea of negative rights had a strong influence on the ideas contained in the Charter. Individuals expect non-interference from others and the state as the individual conducts affairs, so limits are placed on the permissible actions of others, including the state. These limits placed must also be reciprocated by the individual to others.

Hume’s Moral Connection

Although the Charter cannot strictly be traced to David Hume’s skepticism, one of his fundamental views on morality found its way into the Charter. This view is that morality is not only derived from reason. The idea that reason alone does not construct morality can be found in the Charter because if reason were the primary way morality was constructed, documents such as the Charter could not exist. Fundamental morality would have to be debated upon, to determine the rules which govern society. Written documents such as the Charter contain principles that are first principles; they do not have their justification in anything other than themselves. Hume’s idea of non-rational morality is then directly connected with the Charter.