Consensus and Friction in Madison and Jefferson’s Great Collaboration Alan Gibson
Great Collaboration
James Madison and Thomas Jefferson were fast friends and productive political collaborators from their first meeting in 1776 to Jefferson’s death in 1826. Both were enthusiastic supporters of religious liberty, democratic republicanism, and constitutionalism. Nevertheless, their political beliefs were most often synergetic but never synonymous and were the source of occasional sparks of friction and moments of disagreement, especially in the years surrounding the drafting and ratification of the Constitution. This presentation will explore the contours and (occasional) conflicts in Madison and Jefferson’s lifelong Great Collaboration.
The Audacity of Mathematics: A Paradigm Shift Revealing Its Beauty, Power, and Relevance James Tanton
Every few years, a seemingly simple math challenge circulates on social media, sparking heated debates and passionate disagreements. This viral puzzle not only divides opinions but also unveils society’s perceptions of mathematical thinking, the definition of “success” in learning mathematics, and the purpose of mathematical activity itself. The challenge? It asks: What is the value of 8 ÷ 2(2 + 2)? In this talk, we will unpack this “innocent” internet puzzle to reveal deeper insights about mathematics. By examining its implications and the debates it inspires, we’ll explore a bold and transformative mathematical stance—one that challenges conventional expectations and offers a perspective entirely orthogonal to the assumptions embedded in the meme. Join us as we uncover the profound beauty, extraordinary power, and undeniable relevance of mathematics in this playful yet thought-provoking exploration.
Lincoln and the Declaration Michael Zuckert
Lincoln frequently appealed to the Declaration – what did it mean to him? What did he think it meant to the Americans of 1860? What did it mean regarding slavery?
Reviving the Study of Western Civilization James Hankins, Tunku Varadarajan
American high schools and colleges stopped teaching Western civilization courses 40 years ago, replacing them, if at all, with courses on global history. Prof. Hankins, author (with Allen Guelzo) of The Golden Thread: A History of the Western Tradition (Encounter Books), will discuss why he believes the study of the civilizations of the West needs to be revived today and the benefits of narrative history as a tool of high school education.
Lex Natura, Lex Americana Henry Olsen
All societies seek to educate their young in the ways and morays of their people. Throughout most of history, this meant instruction in the specific manners, laws, and customs practiced in the tribe, the clan, or the nation. But America was from its outset a different nation, a Novo Ordo Seclorum, and as such required a different sort of education. America is ultimately a nation based on an idea that all tribes, clans, or nations share a common humanity and are subject to common rules. Thus, instruction in the specific manners and customs of America necessarily requires instruction in the discovery and understanding of those common elements of life and existence. That is precisely what classical education seeks to achieve. It inculcates reasoning rather than rote learning, inquiry rather than obedience, and a search for truth that can be proven to and accepted by all rather than an assertion that what is believed by Americans is simply true. Classical education is not reliant on an established canon of texts, although certain texts have proven to be more instructive than others in leading their readers toward the good, the true, and the beautiful. It is not a revealed religion; it is an ongoing journey based on a core principle. In that sense, classical education is indispensable to American identity and its future. Modern deviations from that model are all essentially merely modern versions of the ancient modes of establishing particular truths based on assertion and force. The trend toward denying biological truths, toward asserting there are certain types of sciences, and toward classifying individuals according to immutable physical characteristics are all adaptations of the antique idea that the opinions regnant in any particular city are true for all cities regardless of their foundation in evidence or argument that members of other cities can be persuaded to adopt. These modern versions of “education” are thus fatal to the American regime. Only a return to the classical approach can renew and reaffirm America’s promise and identity.
Keeping the Promise: The Declaration of Independence and the Constitution James Stoner
Historians and other scholars have debated whether the Constitution fulfills or betrays the promise of the Declaration. Usually the question is put in general terms: Is the Constitution sufficiently democratic? Do its protections for property, especially slavery, contradict the idea that “all men are created equal”? Does its accommodation of state sovereignty undermine the revolutionary action of “one people”? I will focus more particularly on the two documents themselves and will show that every violation alleged in the Declaration’s list of grievances is guarded against by a specific provision of the Constitution or the Bill of Rights. Establishing the fidelity of the Constitution on particulars of political and personal liberty will bring fresh perspective to the larger question of its emancipatory potential, later fulfilled by the Civil War Amendments.
Teaching Students to Feel Pleasure and Pain at the Wrong Things: The History and Practice of Grades and Grading Brian Williams
Despite their ubiquity and widespread acceptance in contemporary education, formal grading systems are relatively recent innovations in the history and philosophy of education. Far from innocuous tools which aid the student’s academic development, grades and grading systems developed as ad hoc tools for ranking students against one another in academic competitions. This talk will examine the history of assessment, grades, and grading in light of the longer tradition of education and suggests alternative practices could better orient students toward the true, good, and beautiful. By understanding how and why contemporary approaches to grades developed, classical educators will be equipped to mitigate the unintended and often unseen adverse consequences grades have on their students. Hopefully, the session will liberate teachers and students to pursue the intrinsic goods of learning over against the fleeting and extrinsic rewards of making the grade.
Washington and Hamilton: The Indispensable Alliance Stephen Knott
This talk will examine the critical role played by two key statesmen from the founding era: George Washington and Alexander Hamilton. The extraordinary relationship between Washington and Hamilton shaped not only the contours of presidential power but all aspects of the American experiment. I will argue that Washington and Hamilton forged the indispensable alliance of the early republic, and in so doing, created “an empire . . . in many respects the most interesting in the world.” Both men fought to convince their fellow citizens to abandon parochial interests and “think continentally.” These men were the leading nationalists of the founding generation: they wanted the citizenry to think of themselves as Americans, not as Virginians or New Yorkers. Their partnership, founded on mutual respect despite occasional disagreements, endured through the revolution and contributed to building the nation’s political and economic institutions. While serving as Washington’s aide-de-camp during the American Revolution, Hamilton played a critical role — not only in military matters but also by contributing ideas that would later influence the development of a strong central government. Together, Washington and Hamilton navigated the uncertainties of independence, blending pragmatism and principle as they confronted the practical realities of governance. It is my belief that without George Washington and Alexander Hamilton, the American Revolution would likely have failed, as would the ratification of the U.S. Constitution. While Thomas Jefferson’s eloquent rhetoric continues to inspire, it was due to the nation-building efforts of these two statesmen that we can celebrate America’s semiquincentennial in 2026.
Theodore Roosevelt and the Jews Andrew Porwancher
Join Professor Andrew Porwancher as he uncovers the close-knit and often surprising relationship between Theodore Roosevelt and the Jewish community. This lecture traces Roosevelt’s deep connection with the Jewish people at every step of his dazzling ascent. But it also reveals a man of profound contradictions. Drawing on fresh research from his newest book, American Maccabee, Porwancher explores the complicated bond between the leader of a youthful nation and the people of an ancient faith.
The Apportionment of the House of Representatives: A Drama of Politics and Mathematics Jake Tawney
The House of Representatives has always been something of the “people’s house” in the legislative branch of American government. Its membership is determined by population and popular vote. The Constitution of the United States says that the actual number of seats given to each state should be “according to their respective Numbers,” which hints at proportionality. However, the Constitution is strangely silent on how this calculation is to be carried out. The heart of the matter is a mathematical problem with massive political ramifications. While politics is always interesting and complicated, in this case, the mathematics gives the politics a run for its money. How did the Framers and the early statesmen set about to allocate seats in the House of Representatives? How did that method change with the passing of each decennial census? More importantly, how did existing political realities influence the choice of method, and how did the choice of method influence future politics? Finally, why do we not hear about this controversy much today? This talk is a short narrative history that will explore these and other questions as we consider the problem of apportionment in the House of Representatives.