
political philosophy


The Left Hates Sound of Freedom Because They Hate Children
An appropriate reaction for anyone who has seen the film Sound of Freedom is one of sheer horror, shock and anger toward a child trafficking […]

Lincoln on the Independence Generation: ‘They Were Iron Men’
Abraham Lincoln delivered this address, which has come to be called “the electric cord” speech, in Chicago on July 10, 1858. Now, it happens that […]

The American Founding’s High-Minded Purposes
James Madison is justly celebrated for his frequently stated opinion that “all power in just and free Government is derived from compact.” But Madison’s view […]

First Principles, Justice, and Trump’s Immigration Proposal
The United States has failed to protect the life and property of American citizens and undermined the proper end of government: justice. It has done […]

Sohrab Ahmari and Our Existential Struggle
Perhaps the most amusing intramural intellectual squall on the Right these past few days has centered on “Against David French-ism,” Sohrab Ahmari’s recent polemical reflection […]

The Political Implications of the Antihero
Once upon a time in Western civilization, the knight in shining armor was the beau ideal for male character development. A guileless, clean-living, fair-playing Christian […]

The New Social Contract We Must Reject
America’s public life is disordered; our discourse toxic. Competing lists of scandals and abuses (calls for impeachment, “nuclear options,” attacks on free speech, and so […]

The Demon in Democracy
Earlier this month, Polish political philosopher Ryszard Legutko was supposed to deliver a lecture at Middlebury College in Vermont. A few hours before the event […]

Who Will Convert Us? The Life of James V. Schall, S.J.
At the passing of a priest, age 91, who was also a profound scholar and inspiring teacher, one expects to see praise of his dozens […]

Are You Positive About Natural Right?
[fusion_text columns=”” column_min_width=”” column_ rule_style=”default” rule_size=”” rule_ ] [fusion_text columns=”” column_min_width=”” column_ rule_style=”default” rule_size=”” rule_ ] Last Sunday, Edward J. Erler replied to Mark Pulliam […]

Soul, Man
[fusion_text columns=”” column_min_width=”” column_ rule_style=”default” rule_size=”” rule_ ] [fusion_text columns=”” column_min_width=”” column_ rule_style=”default” rule_size=”” rule_ ] The soul is the most difficult and paradoxical thing […]

Defending the Nation
[fusion_text columns=”” column_min_width=”” column_ rule_style=”default” rule_size=”” rule_ ] [fusion_text columns=”” column_min_width=”” column_ rule_style=”default” rule_size=”” rule_ ] For Yoram Hazony, governments are either nations or empires. […]

A New American Agenda
Daniel McCarthy’s essay, “The New Conservative Agenda” which appears in the March issue of First Things, deserves serious attention. McCarthy correctly finds that “conservatism” has […]

Do Americans Today Still Deserve Liberty?
Victor Davis Hanson’s brilliant essay, “Autopsy of a Dead Coup,” describes how America’s leviathan bureaucracy effectively attempted a coup against a democratically elected president to […]

What We Still Have to Lose
In September 2016, the Claremont Review of Books published Michael Anton’s essay, “The Flight 93 Election,” which became one of the most controversial and discussed […]

Populism, Elitism, and the Principle of Human Equality
We can’t seem to get away from populism in today’s political discussions. People disagree about what the term means, but R.R. Reno put it concisely: […]

The Causes of Steve King’s Moral Relativism
In the course of their public responsibilities and acting on concrete political problems, Congressmen should know better than to ask abstract questions—particularly when in the […]

Tucker Carlson’s Witness
Tucker Carlson’s now ubiquitous 15-minute monologue from his January 2 show is causing some conservatives a bit of consternation. Not because what he said was […]

Protecting Greatness from Unthinking Memes
In a letter to investors last week, Apple CEO Tim Cook revised the company’s first quarter earnings forecast down by about $9 billion, largely due […]