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Living with the Constitution (with A.J. Jacobs)

EconTalk

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Epistemic Humility of the Founding Fathers

The founding fathers, including James Madison and Ben Franklin, exhibited epistemic humility by being open to changing their minds. Madison, on his deathbed, expressed his will to change his opinion. This willingness to adapt and acknowledge that they could be wrong is a trait admired by the speaker. Ben Franklin shared a story illustrating the human tendency to believe we are always right, emphasizing the importance of acknowledging our fallibility. The idea of epistemic humility and flexible thinking inspired by the founding fathers serves as a reminder to reconsider our perspectives and remain open-minded.

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