First Principles

Western Civilization—Short Course

The defense of the West is close to the heart of what it means to be a conservative in the modern world. The following ISI short course in Western civilization will orient readers to the major questions, issues, and debates surrounding the concept of “the West” as it has been developed by conservative thinkers over the last century and a half. It not only contains more than seventy hyperlinks to helpful ISI and external resources; it also concludes with syllabi directing readers to essential books, articles, and online lectures in the field.

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Feature Articles

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Roots of Freedom: The Constitution
John W. Danford - 09/02/10

Was the American cause for independence a radical rupture from England, with the U.S. Constitution being a new and novel development, or was independence and the following constitutional order a continuation of Western precedent? Or was it a mix of the two? Read the following piece by John W. Danford to get a sense of how this question might be answered, and how America’s Constitution allows for modern liberty. . . . [more]

The Rule of Law and the Law of Nature
Russell Hittinger - 08/26/10

The rule of law is essential to a free society. But is the rule of law self-standing, independent from any other standard or source? If not, upon what does it depend? Russell Hittinger addresses these very questions in the following piece, which examines the influence of a “higher law” in the American experience, beyond the immediate civil society and its discourse. . . . [more]

The Common Law between England and America
Roger Scruton - 08/19/10

What is the relevance of of England—the idea of England and also the reality of it—to our situation here in America? This is a question British author Roger Scruton tackles in this engaging lecture focusing on England’s essence, which includes the common-law tradition. As he discusses, this tradition holds great importance for the American experience. . . . [more]

Rule of Law: The Great Foundation of Our Constitution
Matthew Spalding - 08/11/10

Western Political Models and Their Metaphysics, Part II: On the Differences between a Republic and a Democracy
Claude Polin - 05/26/10

Western Political Models and Their Metaphysics, Part I: The Two Political Philosophies of the West
Claude Polin - 05/19/10

From the ISI Journal Archives

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Natural Law, the Rule of Law, and Liberty
Edward B. McLean - 08/02/10

First Principles is redoubling its commitment to fostering a better understanding of the first principles of a free and humane society. For August and September we will be focusing on the rule of law. In this classic piece from the ISI archives, Edward B. McLean of Wabash College discusses how systems of law must be informed by the principles of the natural law. . . . [more]

Tradition and Social Change
Thomas Molnar (from IR 7:2, Fall 1970) - 07/28/10

Tradition is not the past, but the lived past, inseparable from the present and the future. . . . First Principles remembers Thomas Molnar, who passed away on July 20, with this essay he wrote for the Fall 1970 issue of the Intercollegiate Review. . . . [more]

Islam on the Move
Thomas Molnar (from IR 21:1, Fall 1985) - 07/28/10

Like pre-Bolshevik Russia, the intelligentsia of the Muslim world is divided between the “westernizers” who want to adopt the techniques of modernization, and the “fundamentalists” who seek first the religious/political kingdom. . . . First Principles remembers Thomas Molnar, who passed away on July 20, with this prescient essay he wrote for the Fall 1985 issue of the Intercollegiate Review. . . . [more]

Dissecting a Democratic Illusion
Russell Hittinger (from IR 41:2, Fall 2006) - 01/01/10

Real Men Prove Darwin Wrong (Again)
Peter Augustine Lawler (from IR 41:2, Fall 2006) - 01/01/10

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Taylor, John

Lifespan: (1753–1824)

Planter, agricultural reformer, legislator, and U.S. Senator, John Taylor of Caroline was the premier political theorist behind Jeffersonian conservatism. A critic of Alexander Hamilton’s financial plans, Taylor authored ... [more]

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The Home of American Intellectual Conservatism — First Principles

September 06, 2010

First Principles

Western Civilization