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.

Episoder(1158)

#191: Finding the Work You Were Meant To Do

#191: Finding the Work You Were Meant To Do

Have you ever met someone who has a job that seems like something they were born to do? Not only do their skills match up with their job, but they genuinely enjoy their work. Now you might think it's ...

11 Apr 201633min

#190: A Thousand Naked Strangers

#190: A Thousand Naked Strangers

Have you ever thought your life was a little too routine and safe? Maybe you feel like you've never had a chance to test your mettle and see how you'd respond in a chaotic situation. Would you break o...

9 Apr 201647min

#189: The Classical Education You Never Had

#189: The Classical Education You Never Had

Do you feel like your ability to think deeply about issues is hampered because you lack an intellectual foundation? Do you want your intellectual life to be imbued with more texture and nuance? If you...

4 Apr 201648min

#188: Raising Children Who Are the Opposite of Spoiled

#188: Raising Children Who Are the Opposite of Spoiled

As a parent, one of my goals is to raise children who aren't spoiled. I want them to be grounded, generous, and savvy when it comes to money and consumption. I want them to make the most of their mone...

1 Apr 201639min

#187: Improving Strength & Durability With the Kabuki Movement System

#187: Improving Strength & Durability With the Kabuki Movement System

If you lift weights, you're going to love this episode. (And even if you don't, you'll get something out of it!) A few months ago, I had powerlifter Chris Duffin on the show to discuss his inspiring s...

29 Mar 201650min

#186: The Legend and Reality of Frank Sinatra

#186: The Legend and Reality of Frank Sinatra

Ol' Blue Eyes, the Chairman of the Board, the Voice. Frank Sinatra has been an icon of masculine coolness and swagger for decades. During his lifetime, he was able to create a myth and legend around h...

25 Mar 201655min

#185: Forces of Character

#185: Forces of Character

So, what is character? We always talk about wanting to develop good character, but what exactly does that mean? And once you figure out what it is, how do you go about developing it? Those are the que...

21 Mar 201629min

#184: Using Behavioral Psychology for a Rich Life With Ramit Sethi

#184: Using Behavioral Psychology for a Rich Life With Ramit Sethi

You know the old song and dance.You set a goal for yourself- lose weight, pay off your debt, ask that woman out-- but something holds you back from taking action. Or if you do take action, you flame o...

18 Mar 201652min

Populært innen Fakta

fastlegen
mikkels-paskenotter
dine-penger-pengeradet
relasjonspodden-med-dora-thorhallsdottir-kjersti-idem
foreldreradet
treningspodden
rss-strid-de-norske-borgerkrigene
jakt-og-fiskepodden
rss-bisarr-historie
hverdagspsyken
tomprat-med-gunnar-tjomlid
sinnsyn
level-up-med-anniken-binz
gravid-uke-for-uke
rss-kull
rss-kunsten-a-leve
fryktlos
takk-og-lov-med-anine-kierulf
hagespiren-podcast
rss-bak-luftfarten