The Federalist: Human Nature in The Federalist

On this episode of The Hillsdale College Online Courses Podcast, Jeremiah and Juan discuss Publius' understanding of human nature before introducing Dr. Ronald J. Pestritto.

In a republic, every citizen has a duty to understand their government. The Federalist is the greatest exposition of representative government and the institutional structure of the Constitution. It explains how the Constitution established a government strong enough to secure the rights of citizens and safe enough to wield that power. This course will examine how Publius understood human nature and good government, and why he argued that the only true safeguard of liberty lies in the vigilance of the American people.

Publius recognizes that men are neither angels nor beasts. Man is “ambitious, vindictive, and rapacious,” but also is capable of sufficient virtue to make republican government possible.

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