Since the 1980s, the American conservative legal movement has been increasingly dominated by originalism and textualism. The theories have taken many forms over the years, starting with a focus on interpreting law by finding the original intent of the lawmaker. Today, the most popular view seems to be that judges should interpret the law according …
We’re delighted to bring you an episode devoted to the legal relevance of the Declaration’s most famous sentence: “We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty, and the Pursuit of Happiness”. This video …
As part of our ongoing series of episodes devoted to the celebration of the 250th anniversary of the Declaration of Independence, we’re delighted to bring you an episode devoted to the legal relevance of the Declaration’s most famous sentence: “We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are …
JWI Founder and Co-Director Hadley Arkes sits down with faculty at Wyoming Catholic College on their podcast The After Dinner Scholar to discuss the Natural Law philosophy of the Founding Fathers and the origin of theories of Natural Rights. Listen to Prof. Arkes as he explains first principles, and their place in the law and …
John Roberts made an earnest, scholarly effort to deal with birthright citizenship, but on this eve of July 4th, he found himself saying some staggering things at odds with the Declaration of Independence and the regime it brought forth. For he proclaimed that “citizenship, then [at the Founding] was the right to have rights.” That is nothing less than a …
For the 250th anniversary of the Declaration of Independence, we are pleased to share an intimate discussion with Dr. Matthew Spalding whose timely new book The Making of the American Mind explores the philosophic underpinnings of and story behind the Declaration. Please enjoy this special Anchoring Truths episode as a celebration of our nation’s Independence …
For the 250th anniversary of the Declaration of Independence, we are pleased to share an intimate discussion with Dr. Matthew Spalding whose timely new book The Making of the American Mind explores the philosophic underpinnings of and story behind the Declaration. Please enjoy this special Anchoring Truths episode as a celebration of our nation’s Independence …
Our latest Anchoring Truths Podcast episode focuses on a new book, Taking American Citizenship Seriously: The Recovery of the Fourteenth Amendment. Our guest is the book’s author, David R. Upham. With the book, Professor Upham delivers a comprehensive account of the original understanding of the Fourteenth Amendment. Drawing on a close textual analysis, Upham shows …
