Human Nature and Politics

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Federalist No. 6 is likely most famous for Hamilton’s claim that “men are ambitions, vindictive, and rapacious.” But why should that matter for someone writing, or defending, a Constitution?

One finds in Federalist No. 6 two different claims that when taken together are intended to lead to support for the Constitution. The first is that one should not expect people to get along with one another in political settings. Violence, intrigue, strife: these seem to be the rule rather than exceptions. The second is that the ratification of the Constitution can help address these features of political life.

Optimism, Pessimism, and the US Constitution

I think it is conventional for those considering the ideas of thinkers of the past to understand them as either optimists or pessimists about human nature. That is not an incorrect approach, but it has limitations. Just considering Federalist No. 6, we see grounds for pessimism, with reference to the likelihood of violence, intrigue, and strife in political life. And Hamilton denied that we should understand republican government or the spirit of commerce as sufficient by themselves to address these worrying features of political life. But we also see potential grounds for optimism in Hamilton’s argument in Federalist No. 6. These worrying features of political life can be addressed, Hamilton thought, by the political institutions that would be created through the ratification of the US Constitution.