Abstract
In this chapter, Erik W. Matson describes how Hume’s international theory derives from his understanding of commerce and international trade as sources of moral improvement. Drawing on Hume's ideas of technical progress and innovation, Hume’s writings are shown to convey a nascent theory of comparative advantage.Trade benefitstrich and poor countries alike, facilitating a process of mutual emulation and development. International trade, moreover, contributes in Hume's view to cultural enhancement through its effects on socialization and the consequent extensions of individual sympathy.
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Notes
- 1.
Abbreviations to some of Hume’s works: References to A Treatise of Human Nature are to Hume (2007), abbreviated as T, followed by book, part, section, and paragraph. References to An Enquiry Concerning the Principles of Morals are to Hume (1998), abbreviated as EMP and followed by section, part [where one exists], and paragraph. References to the Essays, Moral, Political, and Literary or the Essays are to Hume (1994), abbreviated as EMPL, and followed by page.
- 2.
In 1774, in his Sketches of the History of Man, Kames seems to build from the Hume-Tucker exchange, taking issue with Tucker’s arguments: “It appears the intention of Providence that all nations should benefit by commerce as by sun-shine, and so it is ordered, that an unequal balance [of trade] is prejudicial to the gainer as well as to the losers.” The balance is initially a disadvantage to the poor country (the loser), but eventually the rich country engrosses itself, “making an overgrown commerce the means of its own destruction” (Kames 2007/1774: 1, 86–87).
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I thank Kendra Asher and Dan Klein for valuable feedback.
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Matson, E.W. (2024). “To Keep Industry Alive”: Hume on Freer International Trade as Moral Improvement. In: Bourcier, B., Jakonen, M. (eds) British Modern International Thought in the Making. International Political Theory. Palgrave Macmillan, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-031-45713-5_5
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