Articles tagged as Thomas Jefferson
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“On the Moral Alchemy of the Political Party”: Hadley Arkes in The Catholic Thing
In his column for The Catholic Thing, JWI Founder and Director Hadley Arkes reflects on the historical role of political parties in the U.S. and the state that they are in today. The parties of the present have lost their sense of morality and no longer know their place in our society, Arkes contends, noting […] -
“Toward a New Jurisprudential Consensus: Common Good Originalism” – Josh Hammer in Public Discourse
In an essay for Public Discourse, JWI Affiliated Scholar Josh Hammer implores conservatives to embrace a new approach to originalism that emphasizes the common good. He argues that originalism has become entirely unmoored from conservatism rightly understood, particularly in light of Justice Gorsuch’s decision in Bostock v. Clayton County. It must be replaced by a […] -
“Jefferson Thought Religious Freedom is a Natural Right”: David Collins in the Wall Street Journal
In a brief response to a Wall Street Journal opinion piece, friend of JWI David Collins notes that Thomas Jefferson did not understand the Bill of Rights as granting religious liberty. Rather, Jefferson held that the right to religious freedom was a natural one that pre-existed government. Therefore the state exists to protect free exercise […] -
The President’s Advisory 1776 Commission Releases “The 1776 Report”
The President’s Advisory 1776 Commission, established to support the teaching of patriotic education, has released “The 1776 Report.” According to a White House statement, the report seeks to present “a definitive chronicle of the American founding, a powerful description of the effect the principles of the Declaration of Independence have had on this Nation’s history, and […] -
“The Lincoln Proposal”: Foster, Pecknold, and Craddock in Public Discourse
In this piece, Catherine Glenn Foster (James Wilson Fellow 2016), Chad Pecknold, and Josh Craddock (James Wilson Fellow 2019) explore a way in which a pro-life president could protect the right to life of prenatal persons through an executive order. The executive branch – being co-equal to the legislative and judicial branches – also has […] -
Recommended Podcast: “The 1787 Project” with JWI Affiliated Scholar Justin Dyer
We heartily recommend a new podcast series produced and narrated by JWI Affiliated Scholar, Prof. Justin Dyer: The 1787 Project. The podcast is available on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, Captivate.fm, and Listen Notes. We point you toward a September 14th, 2020 episode about judicial supremacy, which is the idea that the judiciary’s interpretation of the Constitution […] -
“Common Good Originalism”: Josh Hammer in The American Mind
In a measured response to Harvard Law professor Adrian Vermeule’s critique of originalism, Josh Hammer, a friend of the James Wilson Institute and Of Counsel at the First Liberty Institute, proposes a middle way between originalism and common good constitutionalism. While he agrees with much of Vermeule’s philosophy and argument, he sees a complete abandonment […] -
“The Pursuit of Happiness Rightly Understood”–Justin Dyer in Public Discourse
In an essay for Public Discourse titled “The Pursuit of Happiness Rightly Understood”, JWI-affiliated scholar Justin Dyer reintroduces the classical understanding of liberty that inspired the Declaration of Independence. He challenges the deeply entrenched fallacy that American liberalism is a philosophy of license: hardly a synonym for property, Jefferson’s careful wording reflects the Aristotelian and […] -
“Securing the Constitution and Union”–Prof. David Forte in the Claremont Review of Books
In a review for the Spring 2019 Claremont Review of Books, JWI Senior Scholar Professor David F. Forte hails Ronald R. Rotunda’s abridgment of Albert J. Beveridge’s seminal work, Life of John Marshall, as an impressive work. The book incorporates Rotunda’s own commentary, yet importantly retains the spirit and rhythm of Beveridge’s writing. Professor Forte […]