Wisdom from Hume

Here then are the advantages of free states. Though a republic should be barbarous, it necessarily, by an infallible operation, gives rise to Law, even before mankind have made any considerable advances in the other sciences. From law arises security; from security curiosity; and from curiosity knowledge. The latter steps of this progress may be more accidental; but the former are altogether necessary. A republic without laws can never have any duration. On the contrary, in a monarchical government, law arises not necessarily from the forms of government. Monarchy, when absolute, contains even something repugnant to law. Great wisdom and reflection alone can reconcile them. But such a degree of wisdom can never be expected, before the greater refinements and improvements of human reason. These refinements require curiosity, security, and law. The first growth, therefore, of the arts and sciences, can never be expected in despotic governments.1

1 According to the necessary progress of things, law must precede science. In republics, law may precede science, and may arise from the very nature of government. In monarchies, it arises not from the nature of the government, and cannot precede sciences. An absolute prince, that is barbarous, renders all his ministers and magistrates as absolute as himself: and there needs no more to prevent, for ever, all industry, curiosity, and science.

[David Hume, "Of the Rise and Progress of the Arts and Sciences." Curiosity, which is mentioned in this passage, plays a very important role in Hume's philosophy of science (a term which includes philosophy). The only Hume scholar I know who puts the sort of emphasis on this that it deserves is Fred Wilson, although I don't agree with him on everything. At some point I'll have to blog about the notion of curiosity in Hume.]