Community Size and Public Goods in Hume's Treatise of Human Nature

Vicary, S

doi:10.1007/978-3-319-49442-5_8

Community Size and Public Goods in Hume's Treatise of Human Nature

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Abstract

This paper examines David Hume’s concept of justice as a social convention and its relation to public goods. It points out that it is one of two distinct types of public good discussed in ATreatise on Human Nature. We examine the assertion that the “justice” type of public good is less likely to be sustainable by individual action in a large community, formalising ideas clearly outlined by Hume himself. We find, with qualifications, that in a large community agents might be more likely to provide the public good.