I wonder if the question "Are Freemasons Anarchists/limited government advocates?" has ever been put to them, and what the answer would be....
The answer would be "no", for that question falls into the realm of political ideology, which is also generally verboten. Historically, however, individuals seemed to have leaned that way from well before 1776. The
Green Dragon Tavern, where the original Boston Tea Party was planned, was a masonic lodge that was also used as a public bar and community center. (
http://freemasonry.bcy.ca/history/boston_tea_party.html) At least half of the known participants in the Boston Tea Party were masons. Ben Franklin was livid about this while he served as emmissary to the King in London, he regarded it as a violation of property rights.
Adam Smith, the economist who wrote,
The Wealth of Nations was likely a mason; but his documents were ordered burned after his death.
(
http://www2.gol.com/users/lodge1/history-e/papers/terasawa.html)
Thomas Paine, who wrote
Common Sense, was certainly not a freemason at that time, but openly theorized about their origins and purpose. (
http://freemasonry.bcy.ca/history/paine_t.html) Considering that masons cannot discuss such things in public, he certainly was not one at this point. However, in due course he stopped discussing such things in public, and reportedly refused to do so upon prompting later in life; which implies that he became one himself later in life.
Another little tibit. Look at one of the symbols, the 'square & compass'. Draw a line connecting the tips of the compass, and another line connecting the corners of the square. What do you have?
