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)

#79: On Killing & On Combat With Lt. Col. Dave Grossman

#79: On Killing & On Combat With Lt. Col. Dave Grossman

Lt. Col. Dave Grossman has spent his career researching, writing, and speaking about an unpleasant topic: killing. Specifically, what happens to a person physically and psychologically whenever they h...

29 Elo 201445min

#78: The Myth of Following Your Passion With Cal Newport

#78: The Myth of Following Your Passion With Cal Newport

I talk to Cal Newport, author of the book So Good They Can't Ignore Ignore You. In his book Cal makes that case that "following your passion" is terrible career advice and can actually cause people ne...

22 Elo 201441min

#77 Mindwise With Juliana Schroeder

#77 Mindwise With Juliana Schroeder

I talk to Juliana Schroeder, PhD candidate at the University of Chicago Booth School of Business about our mind's evolved ability to read the minds of others. This mind reading ability of ours is what...

16 Elo 20141h

#76: Starting Strength With Mark Rippetoe Part II

#76: Starting Strength With Mark Rippetoe Part II

We continue our conversation with Mark Rippetoe author of Starting Strength. In this episode, I ask Mark questions about strength training submitted by Art of Manliness podcast listeners.See Privacy P...

8 Elo 201413min

#75 Barbell Training with Mark Rippetoe Part 1

#75 Barbell Training with Mark Rippetoe Part 1

This week I talk to strength training expert and author Mark Rippetoe about barbell training. We discuss why a man should be strong, the benefits of barbell training over machines, old-time strongmen,...

1 Elo 201442min

#74: Roman Honor With Carlin Barton

#74: Roman Honor With Carlin Barton

I talk to professor of classical history Carlin Barton about her book Roman Honor: The Fire in the Bones. Honor has played a huge role manliness across time and cultures. Professor Barton and I discus...

27 Kesä 20141h 30min

#73: Valor With Mark Greenblatt

#73: Valor With Mark Greenblatt

I talk to to author Mark Greenblatt about his book Valor: Unsung Heroes from Iraq, Afghanistan, and the Homefront. We discuss why the American public know so little about heroes from the most recent w...

20 Kesä 201434min

#72: The Charisma Myth With Olivia Fox

#72: The Charisma Myth With Olivia Fox

I talk to charisma expert, Olivia Fox about her book The Charisma Myth. We discuss the myth that charisma is something you're just born with, how charisma can make a man look smarter, more influentia...

13 Kesä 201440min

Suosittua kategoriassa Koulutus

rss-murhan-anatomia
psykopodiaa-podcast
voi-hyvin-meditaatiot-2
adhd-podi
rss-narsisti
rss-rahamania
rss-vapaudu-voimaasi
psykologia
rss-liian-kuuma-peruna
rss-valo-minussa-2
rahapuhetta
kesken
jari-sarasvuo-podcast
ihminen-tavattavissa-tommy-hellsten-instituutti
rss-duodecim-lehti
rss-turun-yliopisto
uskonnon-pitka-oppimaara
rss-niinku-asia-on
aamukahvilla
rss-tietoinen-yhteys-podcast-2