Almost 250 years ago our Founders established the freest and most prosperous nation in human history.
The political theory of the American Founding is based on the principle that no one is born with a right to rule another human being. This theory requires government to proceed by consent and to secure the rights of its citizens.
But today we have moved so far away from the political theory of the American Founding that we risk losing sight of what made America great in the first place.
“The Real American Founding: A Conversation” will help students understand what the Founders meant by freedom, equality, and rights—words that are commonly used today, but often misunderstood.
In this course, Thomas West, one of the leading scholars on the American Founding, is joined by David Azerrad, his former student and now colleague, to examine the principles of the Founders, explore the urgent political questions they faced, and reveal the choices they made to secure free government in America.
The goal of their conversation is to move beyond a simple recitation of the abstract principles of the Founding and bring their political theory to life so we can see how the Founders approached the perennial problems of politics.
Over the course of eight episodes (approx. 30 minutes each), you’ll learn:
- what the Founders meant by equality, freedom, and rights;
- the Founders’ understanding of natural law and the moral duties of citizenship;
- the policies the Founders believed were necessary to secure the rights of Americans;
- why the Founders thought sex and marriage were important political topics;
- and, what the Founders might say in response to many of the crises we face today.
Join the conversation with Thomas West and David Azerrad to discover the great political wisdom of the American Founding and to learn how it can guide us today.