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07/07/2004: "The Federalist Papers"

Ginny has a long post up at The Chicago Boyz which starts by praising the approach of the Federalist Papers and ends by ripping into the approach of Michael Moore.

Emotions matter. But they are not all that matter. When it comes to building a better government, logic matters more. Ginny writes:

I’ve begun (yes, quite belatedly) to read The Federalist Papers. I’m struck how in the introductory sections, Publius returns again and again to a definition of “human nature.” But these writers work with their heads, generalize, pursue what they consider truth. To reach that truth, the writers synthesize history, acknowledge experience, note traditions. Through history, they argue, this “works” and this does not. These writers understood that human emotions are powerful but their goal was to understand them, to become (and help us become) more conscious.

I almost didn't finish it; like I said, it has a lot of words. But I'm glad I did.