May 03

Evening Book Event with Thomas West


An Evening Book Reception Co-sponsored by the Claremont Institute and Allan P. Kirby, Jr. Center Hillsdale College.

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Join Claremont Institute Senior Fellow Thomas West for a discussion of his new book, The Political Theory of the American Founding: Natural Rights, Public Policy, and the Moral Conditions of Freedom. 

In his latest work, West provides a complete overview of the American Founders’ political theory, covering natural rights, natural law, state of nature, social compact, consent, and the policy implications of these ideas. The book is intended as a response to the current scholarly consensus, which holds that the Founders’ political thought is best understood as an amalgam of liberalism, republicanism, and perhaps other traditions. West argues that, on the contrary, the foundational documents overwhelmingly point to natural rights as the lens through which all politics is understood. The book explores in depth how the Founders’ supposedly republican policies on citizen character formation do not contradict but instead complement their liberal policies on property and economics. Additionally, the book shows how the Founders’ embraced other traditions in their politics, such as common law and Protestantism.

ABOUT THE SPEAKER:

Thomas West, a director and senior fellow of the Claremont Institute, is Professor of Politics at Hillsdale College. Prior to joining the faculty at Hillsdale, he was a Professor of Politics at the University of Dallas, where he taught from 1974 to 2011.

DATE & TIME:
Thursday, May 4, 2017

6:00 p.m. Doors Open | 6:30 p.m. Talk and Q&A | Reception to Follow

LOCATION:
Hillsdale College Kirby Center
227 Massachusetts Avenue, NE
Washington, DC 20002
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