Abstract

It is the object of this dissertation to understand the fundamental political principles of Alexander Hamilton, with particular attention being paid to the manner in which Hamilton understood those principles to be realized in the American Constitution. There will be no attempt to categorize Hamilton as "Machiavellian" or "Aristotelian", or otherwise, inasmuch as any such attempt to impose a particular analytical framework works an injustice to the breadth and originality of Hamilton's thought. However, the distinctive understandings of man, the state of nature and natural law which clearly separate classical from modern thought will be used as a theoretical backdrop to facilitate the understanding of Hamilton's thought on the nature of the American regime. Indeed, as can be seen from his thoughts on the nature of the French Revolution, for example, Hamilton himself was keenly aware of the distinction between classical and modern thought. It is the thesis of this work that Hamilton sought to reconcile certain aspects of ancient and modern political philosophy in his own constitutional philosophy, but in a very practical, as opposed to ideological, manner. Alexander Hamilton abhorred, and fought against ideological extremism, or what he referred to as "speculative philosophy" all his life. ;The effort in this dissertation to understand Hamilton as Hamilton understood himself requires an examination of Hamilton's own writings, as well as those of his principle opponents. Hopefully, the result is to allow Hamilton's political philosophy to emerge in the most unbiased manner possible. ;The introduction is a review of the scholarship on Hamilton, with particular attention on recent works inasmuch as greater attention has been paid to his thoughts on natural right in the last twenty-five years, probably as a result in the renewal of the serious study of political philosophy that has taken place over the last forty years. Subsequent chapters examine Hamilton's early pamphlet literature and the writings of his Anti-federalist opponents, his development of his theory of constitutionalism, from his Letters from Phocion to his contributions to The Federalist, and his understanding of the role of statesmanship