PODCAST:Past Present Future
TITLE:History of Ideas 2: Hume
DATE:2023-12-26 00:00:00
URL:
MODEL:gpt-4-gizmo
In this episode of the "Past Present Future" podcast, titled "History of Ideas 2: Hume," host David Runciman explores the essays of David Hume, particularly focusing on his views on public debt and suicide. The episode is part of a 12-day Christmas essay series and provides an in-depth analysis of Hume's philosophical approach and the relevance of his ideas in the modern context.
Runciman contrasts Hume's writing style with that of Montaigne, describing Hume’s work as controlled and containing radical ideas within a conservative framework. He delves into two of Hume's essays: one on suicide and the other on public debt (public credit). In his discussion of the essay on suicide, Runciman highlights Hume's challenge to conventional religious and moral perspectives on suicide, arguing that Hume's approach is both pragmatic and compassionate. Hume questions why suicide is deemed the ultimate sin against God, suggesting that humans should have the right to end their suffering if they choose to.
The second part of the podcast focuses on Hume's essay on public credit, where Hume examines the sustainability of public debt. He discusses three methods of funding a state: conquest, taxation, and borrowing. Hume criticizes reliance on debt, warning of its potential to create speculative and volatile economies and to give undue power to foreigners and financiers. He suggests that such reliance could lead to either "violent death" (conquest by others), "natural death" (collapse due to unsustainable debt), or "voluntary euthanasia" (deliberate default on debt). However, Runciman points out that Hume was wrong in his predictions about the British state's ruin due to debt, as Britain managed its debts effectively over time.
Runciman concludes by relating Hume's essays to contemporary political discussions, particularly around government debt in the United States. He argues that while Hume's ideas resonate with current debates, they do not offer a straightforward endorsement of any particular modern political stance. Instead, Runciman suggests that Hume's writings encourage a better politics that acknowledges the interconnectedness and interdependency of modern states and societies.
