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(1158)

#255: The Joy of Missing Out - Getting Control of Your Digital Life

#255: The Joy of Missing Out - Getting Control of Your Digital Life

Do you feel overwhelmed by your digital devices? Do you constantly have an itch to check your phone even when you’re trying to focus on important work or interacting with your loved ones? Do you find ...

25 Marras 201640min

#254: The Fall of Rome

#254: The Fall of Rome

The fall of the Roman Empire has been a cultural touchstone in the West for centuries. It’s been used as a warning of what can happen to a society that gets off track. While lots of ink has been spilt...

22 Marras 201652min

#253: Why Men Hate Going to Church

#253: Why Men Hate Going to Church

Earlier this year we published an in-depth series about masculinity and the Christian religion — in particular, why it is that in nearly all Christian churches the world over, women outnumber men. One...

17 Marras 201648min

#252: Deadly Survival Skills From a Navy SEAL

#252: Deadly Survival Skills From a Navy SEAL

Last year I had a fella by the name of Clint Emerson on the podcast. He’s a retired Navy SEAL and he came on the show to talk about his first book, "100 Deadly Skills: The SEAL Operative’s Guide to El...

16 Marras 201644min

#251: Be an Entrepreneur Without Quitting Your Day Job

#251: Be an Entrepreneur Without Quitting Your Day Job

The popular idea of the entrepreneur is that he’s a renegade risk-taker who goes all in with following his passion so that he can get out of the 9-5 rat race.But what if you enjoy your day job at the ...

11 Marras 201639min

#250: The Art of Strategy

#250: The Art of Strategy

Whether you’re a businessman, a statesman, a general, or a parent, you’re strategizing on a daily basis. So how do you do it better?My guest today will provide some insights. His name is Barry Nalebuf...

9 Marras 201653min

#249: The Benefits of Pride

#249: The Benefits of Pride

Pride. It’s been called one of the deadly sins.But what if pride holds the key to human success and flourishing?Well, that’s the argument my guest makes in her book, "Take Pride." Her name is Jessica ...

5 Marras 201650min

#248: Why Football Matters

#248: Why Football Matters

Football is often used as a metaphor for life.What is it about football that makes it so adept at providing lessons on living, what specific lessons can we gleam from the sport, and are those lessons ...

31 Loka 201638min

Suosittua kategoriassa Koulutus

rss-murhan-anatomia
psykopodiaa-podcast
voi-hyvin-meditaatiot-2
rss-narsisti
adhd-podi
rss-rahamania
psykologia
rss-liian-kuuma-peruna
kesken
rss-valo-minussa-2
ihminen-tavattavissa-tommy-hellsten-instituutti
rss-duodecim-lehti
rss-tietoinen-yhteys-podcast-2
leikitaanko-laakaria
rss-vapaudu-voimaasi
rss-niinku-asia-on
jari-sarasvuo-podcast
mielipaivakirja
puhutaan-koiraa
rss-rentotapaus