William Temple’s political and economic thought

• Department of History

PhD thesis defence by Juha Oskari Haavisto.

This thesis focuses on the political and economic thought the seventeenth century diplomat and author William Temple (1628–1699). His works have previously been analysed mainly from the point of view of literary studies, diplomatic history. What is missing is a work dissecting his views on human nature and the consequences of that view on his political and economic thought. Using Temple’s published works as my sources, my aim is to show what Temple was trying to do with his views of human nature in particular, and how these views affected his political and economic perspectives. This thesis shows that Temple was trying to convince not only of political elite but also the general public.

This thesis is structured around two specific research questions: 1) which elements make up Temple’s political and economic ideas? and 2) what was Temple trying to with his ideas of human nature and how did it affect his political and economic thought? I have chosen to answer these questions with two independent but intertwined themes: 1) Temple’s view of human nature and 2) the consequences of human nature unto his political and economic thought. Both themes break into smaller categories which are analysed as their own entities.

The main aim of the thesis is to show that Temple maintained that due to human nature change was inevitable, and he tried to find ways to support and defend the existing society but also prepare it for change. As a result Temple tried to not only to manage and control change but also to embrace change. In the political sphere he wished to establish and maintain a structure that allowed people to act on policy according to their motivations, but ensure that structures themselves would remain untouched. He used the sphere of economy in two different manners: it was to accumulate wealth for polity but also to serve as a diversion from political activity.