Aaron Alexander Zubia is Assistant Professor in the Hamilton Center at the University of Florida. Previously, Zubia was a Postdoctoral Fellow with The Tocqueville Program in the Department of Politics and International Affairs at Furman University. In 2019-20, he was a Thomas W. Smith Postdoctoral Research Associate in the James Madison Program in American Ideals and Institutions in the Department of Politics at Princeton University.
Zubia specializes in the moral and political philosophy of the Scottish Enlightenment and the American founding. He is the author of The Political Thought of David Hume: The Origins of Liberalism and the Modern Political Imagination (University of Notre Dame Press, 2024).
His scholarly work has appeared in Political Theory, Hume Studies and Interpretation: A Journal of Political Philosophy. He has also written in The Wall Street Journal, National Review, First Things, Law & Liberty, Washington Examiner, and Public Discourse. He is the winner of the first annual Hume Studies Essay Prize for his paper, "Hume's Transformation of Academic Skepticism," and he was a runner up for the Jack Miller Center's Excellence in Civic Education Award in 2021.
He holds an M.A. and Ph.D. in Political Science from Columbia University, an M.Div. from Princeton Theological Seminary, and a B.B.A. in Marketing from the University of Texas at El Paso.
Click here to purchase a copy of The Political Thought of David Hume: The Origins of Liberalism and the Modern Political Imagination.
Click here to read an interview with Aaron by the University of Notre Dame Press.
Click here to read Scott Yenor's review of the book in Law & Liberty.
Click here to read Daniel A. Bell's review of The Political Thought of David Hume and Alexandre Lefebvre's Liberalism as a Way of Life in The Times Literary Supplement.
Click here to read Graham James McAleer's review of the book in Perspectives on Political Science.
Newest Articles and Podcasts
"Hume and Rousseau on Liberty"
Online Library of Liberty: Liberty Matters Perspectives Series
An exploration of competing visions of liberty in the writings of Hume and Rousseau.
"David Hume: Philosophy, Politics, and the Conservative Mind"
Conservative Conversations with ISI Podcast
Hosts Marlo Slayback and Tom Sarrouf sit down with Aaron Zubia to delve into the life and philosophy of David Hume.
"EP25: The Political Thought of David Hume - Aaron Zubia"
Evangelization & Culture Podcast
What would happen if a brilliant philosopher penned influential works that undermine the religious and moral underpinnings of society only to replace them with utility and appetite? It doesn't end well. Dr. Tod Worner welcomes Aaron Alexander Zubia to talk about his new book.
"The Liberal of the 18th Century"
First Things Podcast
The latest installment of an ongoing interview series with contributing editor Mark Bauerlein. Aaron Alexander Zubia joins the podcast to discuss his new book.
"A Treatise of Human Nature by David Hume"
National Review Great Books Podcast
John J. Miller is joined by Aaron Alexander Zubia of the University of Florida to discuss David Hume's A Treatise of Human Nature.
"Hume, the Epicureans, and the Origins of Liberalism: A Conversation with Aaron Zubia"
Madison's Notes Podcast
Enlightenment philosopher David Hume enjoyed a tremendous influence on intellectual history. What did Hume believe, why was it so controversial at the time, and why to many does it seem so common-sensical now? What can Humean thought explain, and where does it fall short?
"The War for Western Civilization"
Chronicles: A Magazine of American Culture
Christian humanism is the beating heart of Western civilization. Conservative politics is impossible without it.
Law & Liberty
The politics of truth affirms the order of human nature and our civilizational heritage.
"Saving Ourselves from Party Rage"
Law & Liberty
The limits of David Hume’s politics of utility are evident in America’s current political polarization and heighten political discourse.
"Lessons from the Most Anxious Philosopher"
Public Discourse
The ill effects of isolation on our mental health are not limited to our present cultural moment.
"David Hume and the Ideas that Shaped America"
America's Town Hall / Live at the National Constitution Center
Called “a degenerate son of science” by Thomas Jefferson and a “bungling lawgiver” by James Madison, Scottish philosopher David Hume was cited so often at the Constitutional Convention that delegates seemed to have committed his essays to memory. In this episode, we are sharing audio from a recent America’s Town Hall program featuring Angela Coventry, author of Hume: A Guide for the Perplexed; Dennis Rasmussen, author of The Infidel and the Professor: David Hume, Adam Smith, and the Friendship That Shaped Modern Thought; and Aaron Alexander Zubia, author of The Political Thought of David Hume, who discuss Hume’s philosophical legacy and its profound impact on the shaping of America. Jeffrey Rosen, president and CEO of the National Constitution Center, moderates. This program was streamed live on January 29, 2024.