Liberty at the Breaking Point
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Liberty requires order. Order requires morality. What happens when both are called into question?
As America undergoes rapid cultural, economic, and technological transformation, from the rise of AI to shifting expectations around leadership, economics, and responsibility, long-standing assumptions about civic life are being upended. With them, the conditions that have sustained a free society are beginning to erode. Can liberty survive without a shared moral foundation?
Matthew Peterson and Ryan P. Williams will examine the mounting tension between freedom and restraint in American life today. As innovation accelerates and institutions continue to weaken, the habits and principles that once made self-government possible are no longer widely understood or practiced. The Founders recognized that liberty is not self-sustaining. Liberty requires order, and order ultimately rests on sound moral judgement. Their insights were grounded in a clear-eyed understanding of human nature and the demands of political life.
Drawing on this tradition, the conversation will explore what it means to preserve liberty in a time of disruption. How can we sustain economic vitality and personal freedom while maintaining the moral foundations that support them? What forms of statesmanship are necessary to achieve this balance?
As America approaches its 250th anniversary, the question is not simply what the Founders believed, but whether their understanding of liberty can still guide us now.
Speakers
Matthew J. Peterson
George Washington Fellow, Center for the American Way of Life
As cofounder of venture firm New Founding in 2021, he developed media assets that were subsequently acquired by Blaze Media, where he served as Editor in Chief until October of 2025.
A Senior Fellow at the Claremont Institute, from 2018 to 2021 Peterson served as the Vice President of Education, directing its fellowship programs, and founded The American Mind.
Along with a background in media, politics, and consulting, he has taught a wide variety of courses at various colleges and universities. He lives with his wife and four children in Dallas, Texas.
Ryan P. Williams
President of The Claremont Institute
In 2019, the Institute was awarded the National Humanities Medal by President Donald J. Trump, only the second think tank ever to receive this presidential honor.
Mr. Williams holds a B.A. in Political Science and Economics from Hillsdale College and an M.A. in Politics from Claremont Graduate University. His commentary and analysis have appeared widely, and he frequently speaks on constitutionalism, statesmanship, and the challenges facing modern American political life.
