We the People

David Hume and the Ideas That Shaped America

Feb 1, 2024

59:49

Episode guests

Dennis Rasmussen

Angela Coventry

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Episode notes

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Quick takeaways

Hume's idea of factions influenced Madison's thinking on factions in Federalist 10, both believing a large republic could mitigate their negative effects.

Hume's positive view of commerce resonated with Hamilton's beliefs, as both saw self-interest and profit-maximizing commerce as beneficial for society.

Hamilton was attracted to Hume's ideas of a strong executive power, capable of defending itself against encroachments by the legislative branch.

Deep dives

Hume's Influence on American Independence

Hume was an early and strong advocate of American independence in Britain, advocating for a peaceful parting of ways and free trade between Britain and America.

Introduction

5min

David Hume's Influence on the Founders of America

12min

Hume's Influence on Madison's Views on Factions

30min

The Pursuit of Happiness and Property

4min

Hamilton's Attraction to Hume's Vision and the Value of Principles in Politics

3min

David Hume's Religious Skepticism and Its Impact on Politics

4min

Conclusion and Call to Action

3min

Called “a degenerate son of science” by Thomas Jefferson and a “bungling lawgiver” by James Madison, Scottish philosopher David Hume was cited so often at the Constitutional Convention that delegates seemed to have committed his essays to memory. In this episode, we are sharing audio from a recent America’s Town Hall program featuring Angela Coventry, author of Hume: A Guide for the Perplexed; Dennis Rasmussen, author of The Infidel and the Professor: David Hume, Adam Smith, and the Friendship That Shaped Modern Thought; and Aaron Alexander Zubia, author of The Political Thought of David Hume, who discuss Hume’s philosophical legacy and its profound impact on the shaping of America. Jeffrey Rosen, president and CEO of the National Constitution Center, moderates. This program was streamed live on January 29, 2024.

Resources:

Angela Coventry, ed., A Treatise of Human Nature: Being an Attempt to Introduce the Experimental Method of Reasoning into Moral Subjects

Dennis Rasmussen, The Infidel and the Professor: David Hume, Adam Smith, and the Friendship That Shaped Modern Thought

Aaron Alexander Zubia, The Political Thought of David Hume: The Origins of Liberalism and the Modern Political Imagination

National Constitution Center Town Hall program, Montesquieu and the Constitution

Jeffrey Rosen, The Pursuit of Happiness: How Classical Writers on Virtue Inspired the Lives of the Founders and Defined America (2024)

Hume Texts Online, https://davidhume.org/

Federalist No. 10

Alexander Hamilton, The Continentalist

Federalist No. 85

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