Vindicating the Commercial Republic

Reviews / Votes

Peacock identifies a theme in The Federalist that too many scholars have ignored. Rereading Publius in light of the argument that the commercial republic is a positive good rather than a necessary compromise reveals significant insights previously ignored. I have no doubt that America would be better off-not only economically but politically and socially-if the entrepreneurial spirit Anthony Peacock identifies were renewed. * Claremont Review of Books * Anthony Peacock provides a helpful contribution to the study of the Federalist Papers. Contrary to much scholarship, he presents a Publius who, following Thucydides and not Montesquieu, views commercial republics as spirited and warlike. At the same time, Peacock demands we also see another less-accepted view in the Federalist, namely the potential of such republics to cultivate virtue. In this effort, he wisely reminds us of a central intention of this great work: the development of the American character. -- Adam M. Carrington A new look at the kind of society The Federalist promotes in order to nourish the political institutions it describes. In this original and valuable study Anthony Peacock finds a spirited commercialism recommended there in the mode of Thucydides, not merely passionless, economic avarice. -- Harvey C. Mansfield, Harvard University This book, overall, constitutes the most thoroughly integrated discussion of The Federalist Papers yet produced. At the same time, it presents the most comprehensive review of scholarship on The Federalist Papers ever produced. The main contribution of this book is its careful development of a theory of interpretation of the underlying text that spawns a very careful review of the argument of the book as a whole. This work has no peer in a very long list of works addressing the general topic of The Federalist Papers. It has superceded all prior productions on this subject. -- William B. Allen, Michigan State University