Moderation and the liberal state: David Hume's history of England

Historical examples can often serve as more persuasive evidence, especially to the general public, than the most well-reasoned theory. It is not surprising then that in the later part of his career, David Hume chose this medium to communicate his philosophy. Hume's intentions and the outcomes of writing The History of England are well worth revisiting periodically. In this work, Hume cleverly uses political esotericism to push forward his two overarching goals. The primary goal was to disseminate the philosophy that harmony lies near the middle, at least in regard to political authority. This belief does not require all those who are governed and those who govern to be moderate in their views. In fact, on many subjects, Hume did not hold a view anywhere near the center; he merely promoted the notion that society should be governed somewhere near the median. If one wished to push governmental authority in one direction or the other, a society's culture must be pushed in that direction at the same time to avoid the instability that can lead to tyranny. Hume's secondary goal was to push the median view of his society toward one that favored a liberal state, a state that could only be sustainable if Hume's primary goal was achieved.