The James Wilson Foundation on Natural Rights and the American Founding

In an article for Anchoring Truths adapted from his remarks on a webinar, Prof. John Mikhail highlights the enormous contributions made by James Wilson in the formation of the Constitution, emphasizing his status as the author of the first draft of the American governing charter. Introducing the subject of Wilson’s work by way of his […]

Western Culture is in a state of crisis. Objective truth is being replaced by virtual reality, humanity by “transhumanism,” meaning by meaninglessness, and religion by whole-hearted devotion to scientism. And these are just a few examples of the situation the West faces. We discuss these subjects and more with Spencer Klavan, the author of How […]

In this essay for The Catholic Thing and featured on Anchoring Truths, Professor Hadley Arkes argues in response to Professor David Forte that the failure of the majority in Dobbs to resolve the legal status of unborn life is indicative of a broader reluctance on the part of the conservative legal movement to consider the […]

Dr. Samuel Gregg returned to the Anchoring Truths Podcast for a discussion of his new book, The Next American Economy: Nation, State, and Markets in an Uncertain World (Encounter). Gregg carefully addresses New Right criticism of the conventional wisdom on economics that pervaded conservative intellectual circles in recent decades. Gregg offers a defense of America as a […]

In a piece for First Things, JWI Founder & Director Hadley Arkes analyzes how the issues of speech and religion have proven a challenge to the Court for years. should be clear that neither “coerced speech” nor “religious belief” can supply the ground of the judgment. At oral argument, he thought that Justices Kavanaugh and […]

In the second of two articles in Anchoring Truths, Ted Hirt describes the policy and jurisprudential implications of the thesis advanced by Prof. Vincent Phillip Muñoz in his book Religious Liberty and the American Founding, Natural Rights and the Original Meanings of the First Amendment. While Prof. Muñoz contends that the government can furnish aid […]

Prof. Arkes reflects on his work crafting the Born Alive Act and takes some time to analyze the latest version of the Act, to him the best ever. You’re invited to read the full piece at AnchoringTruths.org

In the first of two articles in Anchoring Truths, Ted Hirt describes the central claims advanced by Prof. Vincent Phillip Muñoz in his book Religious Liberty and the American Founding, Natural Rights and the Original Meanings of the First Amendment. Muñoz’s analysis centers on the adoption of the Establishment and Free Exercise Clauses of the […]

Join Anchoring Truths Podcast host & JWI Deputy Director Garrett Snedeker and criminologist Barry Latzer for an in-depth look at Latzer’s new book, The Myth of Overpunishment, arguing provocatively that America underincarcerates. Latzer also details his proposal for reducing the cost of incarceration as well as the overall prison population: e-carceration. Prof. Latzer is an emeritus professor […]

JWI Deputy Director Garrett Snedeker offers his thoughts on Profs. Randy Barnett and Evan Bernick’s recent book, The Original Meaning of the Fourteenth Amendment. He discusses their positivist approach to interpreting the Privileges or Immunities Clause and questions whether natural law reasoning can be divorced from the recognition of unenumerated constitutional rights. We’ve included a […]