The Surprising Pessimism of America's Founding Fathers

The Surprising Pessimism of America's Founding Fathers

When Americans think about their country's Founding Fathers, they tend to think of them as cool and competent figures, who were supremely confident in the superiority and longevity of the republican government they had created.

But my guest says that nearly all the founders experienced great internal and external conflict in conjunction with the new government, and came to be greatly pessimistic about the future of the democratic experiment they had helped birth. His name is Dennis C. Rasmussen and he's a professor of political theory and the author of Fears of a Setting Sun: The Disillusionment of America's Founders. Today on the show, Dennis unpacks how four of the founders — George Washington, Alexander Hamilton, John Adams, and Thomas Jefferson — ultimately came to worry that the American republic wouldn't last past their own generation, based on concerns that ranged from the rise of partisanship to a lack of virtue amongst the American citizenry. Dennis also discusses why it was that one founder, James Madison, remained optimistic about the future of the country. We end our conversation with why the disillusionment of the founders actually carries a message of hope for us.

Get the show notes at aom.is/settingsun.

See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Jaksot(1159)

#304: The Lies of Manhood and How to Teach Young Men Its Truths

#304: The Lies of Manhood and How to Teach Young Men Its Truths

My guest today is Jeffrey Marx, author of the Pulitzer Prize-winning book "Season of Life."Today on the show, Jeffrey talks about his relationship with retired NFL athlete and now minister and high sc...

16 Touko 201726min

#303: The Philosphy of Frugality

#303: The Philosphy of Frugality

Today on the show, I talk to Emrys Westacott, philosophy professor and author of "The Wisdom of Frugality," about the philosophical history of penny pinching. We begin our conversation discussing what...

11 Touko 201735min

#302: My Workout Routine & The Benefits of a Strength Coach

#302: My Workout Routine & The Benefits of a Strength Coach

Back in 2015, I had Starting Strength coach Matt Reynolds on the podcast to talk about barbell training. At about the same time, I started getting online coaching from Matt for my own barbell training...

9 Touko 201756min

#301: Why Action is the Answer

#301: Why Action is the Answer

Today's guest is Kyle Eschenroeder, author of "The Pocket Guide to Action."Last year, Kyle published a piece on the site called "Meditations on the Wisdom of Action." It contained 116 short, punchy de...

4 Touko 201748min

#300: How to Raise Free Range Kids

#300: How to Raise Free Range Kids

My guest today is Lenore Skenazy, author of "Free Range Kids."Today on the show, Lenore and I discuss how being labeled “America’s Worst Mom” led her to become a leader of a movement to give kids more...

2 Touko 201738min

#299: What the Ancient Greeks and Romans Thought About Manliness

#299: What the Ancient Greeks and Romans Thought About Manliness

Ancient Greece and Rome have a heavy influence on the idea of manhood we promote on the Art of Manliness. In fact, this classical conception of manliness was how much of the West defined manhood up un...

28 Huhti 201743min

#298: The History of BBQ and Becoming a Backyard Pitmaster

#298: The History of BBQ and Becoming a Backyard Pitmaster

My guest today is Matt Moore, and we talk about his new book, "The South's Best Butts."Today on the show Matt details the history of BBQ and why pork is a staple in the Southern variety. He then expla...

25 Huhti 201728min

#297: Make Your Kid a Money Genius

#297: Make Your Kid a Money Genius

My guest today is Beth Kobliner, and we discuss her latest book, "Make Your Kid a Money Genius."Beth shares the research on the age at which most kids develop the money habits they’ll have for the res...

21 Huhti 201747min

Suosittua kategoriassa Koulutus

rss-murhan-anatomia
voi-hyvin-meditaatiot-2
psykopodiaa-podcast
rss-narsisti
rss-liian-kuuma-peruna
adhd-podi
rss-rahamania
rss-niinku-asia-on
kesken
psykologia
rss-tietoinen-yhteys-podcast-2
rss-valo-minussa-2
leikitaanko-laakaria
puhutaan-koiraa
rss-duodecim-lehti
rahapuhetta
rss-psykalab
rss-hereilla
rss-kohti-tasapainoista-ja-lempeaa-elamaa
rss-rahataito-podcast