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Background: Alexander Hamilton was born in the British West Indies in 1755, the son of James Hamilton and Rachel Lavine, who were not married. Hamilton's father abandoned the family when he was ten, and his mother died three years later. Young Hamilton had started working as a clerk in a countinghouse (an office in which business is transacted or bookkeeping is done) at the age of 11, and by the time he was 18, Alexander had so impressed his superiors that they sent him to King's College in New York. When the American Revolution broke out, Hamilton again distinguished himself and was soon asked by General Washington to become an aide. After the war, Hamilton earned his law degree and was elected to represent New York in the Continental Congress. When President Washington launched the first federal government under the new U.S. Constitution, Alexander Hamilton was named the country's Secretary of the Treasury. Hamilton left the Cabinet six years later, and in 1804 he was killed in a duel by a political rival Aaron Burr.
View of Nature of Human Beings: Perhaps influenced by his difficult childhood, Hamilton held a generally negative view of the nature of humankind. He viewed people as generally ignorant, selfish, and untrustworthy. He felt that most people's actions were determined by their "passions" and self-interests. He did not think people usually based decisions on what was best for everyone; instead, he believed people acted selfishly. As a result, Hamilton thought that a small, sensible group of men must govern for the people. This elite group--of which he was a member--held the important responsibility of using their collective talents and wisdom to govern in the best interest of all people.
View of Nature of Human Beings: Perhaps influenced by his difficult childhood, Hamilton held a generally negative view of the nature of humankind. He viewed people as generally ignorant, selfish, and untrustworthy. He felt that most people's actions were determined by their "passions" and self-interests. He did not think people usually based decisions on what was best for everyone; instead, he believed people acted selfishly. As a result, Hamilton thought that a small, sensible group of men must govern for the people. This elite group--of which he was a member--held the important responsibility of using their collective talents and wisdom to govern in the best interest of all people.