The Role of Political Economy in Hume’s Moral Philosophy [Book Review]

Hume Studies 37 (1):43-64 (2011)
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Abstract

Hume insisted that property serve as the foundation of society because it best promotes the greatest amount of industry and therefore contributes to public utility. Industry thus plays a central role in Hume’s theory of justice. Given that Hume extensively discussed the social, political, cultural, and moral implications of industry in the Political Discourses, I suggest that Hume’s economic writings should be understood as an integral part of his overall philosophical project. In offering a parallel reading of the Enquiry Concerning the Principles of Morals and the Political Discourses, I argue that Hume’s theory of justice does not resolve into a mere theory of property, as many philosophers complain, but rather, emerges as a rich account of how justice both generates the greatest material affluence and promotes the formation of the most virtuous society.

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Citations of this work

Hume on Structural Prejudices (Including His Own).Ruben Noorloos - forthcoming - Southern Journal of Philosophy.
Reason and Political Economy in Hume.Erik W. Matson - 2019 - Erasmus Journal for Philosophy and Economics 12 (1):26-51.

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