David Hume's Of The Balance Of Trade

When studying any form of history, it is necessary to assess all of the sources, whether they be primary or secondary, in order to receive a better evaluation of the credibility and information provided in the text. It is important to study primary sources in history because they can be directly related to the topic and time period that you are addressing and, when thoroughly studying the author, the intent, and background information, you can have a firsthand experience compared to a textbooks reiteration. More specifically, many primary sources were created during the Enlightenment, where European philosophy, religion, politics, science, and economics were drastically modernized. These primary sources allowed many individuals to truly understand what the thought process was of the those during the 18th century …show more content…
He addresses the issues in historical context by saying that the worrying and hesitation of the nations to participate in trade is imprudent because the balance of trade will bring a good proportion to the wealth and productivity of the countries. These new ideas were directly inspired by the Enlightenment and other philosophers, but Hume presents his own ideas that many of his audience listened and approved of. Since Hume’s essay is a primary source, it is important to deeply analyze it because primary sources are firsthand experiences that are the closest we will get to the actual event. Therefore, the studying and critiquing of the paper can allow one to understand and appreciate the origin of the event or ideas the paper presents on. In a world where individuals automatically agree with the first idea that is obtainable to them, it is necessary to look deeper into the topic and acknowledge that without analyzation of the sources we are given, we cannot fully comprehend the