David Hume and the Politics of Slavery

• Published in: Political studies Vol. 72; no. 3; pp. 862 - 882
• Main Author: Charette, Danielle
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: London, England SAGE Publications 01-08-2024; Sage Publications Ltd
• Subjects: Abolition of slavery; Demography; Freedoms; Politics; Population growth; Racism; Slavery; Robert Wallace; slavery; David Hume; Andrew Fletcher; population
• ISSN: 0032-3217; 1467-9248
• DOI: 10.1177/00323217231157516

David Hume alluded to the politics of slaveholding throughout his career and was among the first to observe that the republican tradition has an awkward relationship with slavery. This article places Hume’s critique of Roman slavery in conversation with recent debates over “neo-Roman” liberty, paying special attention to Hume’s complaint that some republican advocates for political liberty have also apologized for personal slavery. Most of Hume’s direct comments on slaveholding appear in the 1752 essay, “Of the Populousness of Ancient Nations,” where Hume criticized Roman slavery for its negative effects on population growth. But more was at stake than ancient demography. Even abolitionists who abhorred Hume’s racism still drew upon his argument against ancient slavery—which they read as a commentary on the modern colonies.