ABSTRACT
Virtue theories to address issues in political philosophy. A good ethical theory is expected to provide some foundation for, or at least to be compatible with, an acceptable theory of just government. The Humean magistrates have the right sort of motivational levers to enforce the rules of justice and obtain obedience, and allegiance to government is a Humean artificial virtue. Indeed, understanding the psychological aspect of the virtue of allegiance is the key to explaining how the device of government can succeed in achieving its ends. Pre-civil society is needed by all human beings, but only some societies need government. In Treatise 3.2.2, "Of the Origin of Justice and Property," David Hume describes a different transition, that from the condition of small family groups to pre-civil society, by means of the introduction of rules of ownership. For Hume, to create pre-civil society, people gradually but voluntarily adopt conventions of ownership, transfer of goods, and promise.
