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)

The Secrets of Public Speaking From History's Greatest Orators

The Secrets of Public Speaking From History's Greatest Orators

Despite the fact that public speaking remains an important and relevant skill in our modern age -- you never know when you'll need to give a toast at a wedding, pitch an idea at work, or champion a pr...

7 Huhti 202139min

Social Psychology Won't Save Us

Social Psychology Won't Save Us

When it comes to proposed solutions to life's problems, whether on an individual or societal scale, the four most commonly used words these days are "According to a study . . . " This phrase is used b...

5 Huhti 202140min

Forging Mental Strength Through Physical Strength

Forging Mental Strength Through Physical Strength

Editor’s Note: This is a re-broadcast. This episode originally aired in June 2018. When you start a fitness program, you tend to spend most of your time thinking about the physical part — what moveme...

31 Maalis 202140min

Theodore Roosevelt, The Last Romantic

Theodore Roosevelt, The Last Romantic

Romanticism, not in terms of courtship and bouquets of roses, but as a philosophical approach to life which blossomed in the 19th century, embodies many tenets, including a nostalgia for the past, a h...

29 Maalis 202156min

Sisu, the Finnish Art of Strength

Sisu, the Finnish Art of Strength

In Finland, "sisu" is a concept that, while it can't be strictly translated into English, roughly corresponds to a combination of bravery, resilience, grit, and determination. My guest today will help...

24 Maalis 202135min

The Fascinating Secrets of Your Voice

The Fascinating Secrets of Your Voice

Unless you're a complete recluse, you probably use your voice many times a day, whether talking to your spouse, chatting with co-workers, or singing along to music in the car. Yet, you've probably nev...

22 Maalis 202157min

Why Is It So Hard to Admit You Were Wrong?

Why Is It So Hard to Admit You Were Wrong?

Personal responsibility, the ability to own up to one's mistakes, is a foundational element of character. It's also the only way we can grow and get better. But as anyone with any experience being hum...

17 Maalis 202143min

The Two Halves of the Warrior's Life

The Two Halves of the Warrior's Life

The Roman army hires a former legionnaire to hunt down a courier and intercept a letter he is carrying from the apostle Paul. But when this mercenary overtakes the courier, something happens that neit...

15 Maalis 202140min

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