Acton Institute Powerblog Archives

Post Tagged 'John Locke'

June 29, 2022

The ground is shifting under Francis Fukuyama’s feet

In Liberalism and Its Discontents, Francis Fukuyama aims to defend liberal political ideas and institutions against rising and now entrenched detractors from the postliberal left and the right. As he notes, “liberalism is under severe threat around the world … its virtues need to be clearly articulated and celebrated once again.” Continue Reading...
November 26, 2020

Talking around the turkey: pre-political blessings

Talking politics around the turkey can turn November 26th from a joyful celebration to a daunting day. While the laughing family, gleaming silverware, or perfectly cooked turkey of Norman Rockwell’s Freedom from Want painting is our ideal, reality sometimes looks very different. Continue Reading...
June 19, 2020

Seattle’s CHOP/CHAZ violates the purpose of government

The mayor and civil authorities took no action as protesters claimed a six-block section of downtown Seattle as the Capitol Hill Autonomous Zone. By their indifference and complicity, political leaders have failed into carry out the most primary functions and duties for which government is established. Continue Reading...
April 24, 2020

A free-market agenda for rebuilding from the coronavirus

On June 18, 1940, British Prime Minister Winston Churchill steeled his people for the Battle of Britain with a stirring speech in the House of Commons that concluded: “Let us therefore brace ourselves to our duties, and so bear ourselves, that if the British Empire and its Commonwealth last for a thousand years, men will still say, ‘This was their finest hour.’” Continue Reading...
October 17, 2018

The Spanish tradition of freedom in the 16th and 17th centuries

The following article is written by Angel Fernández Álvarez and translated by Joshua Gregor. This October 31, I will give a conference entitled The Spanish School of the XVI and XVII Centuries at Harvard University, in order to explain in detail the “institutional framework” and the principles of growth upheld by the late Spanish scholastics. Continue Reading...
August 29, 2016

John Locke: ‘Father of Liberalism’

On this day in 1632, one of the greatest champions of liberty and  someone often referred to as the “Father of Liberalism,” John Locke, was born.  Although Locke’s philosophy played a crucial role in the American founding, there is still much that we can learn from his writings today.  Continue Reading...
July 04, 2016

Natural rights and social duties

“Liberty is not the power of doing what we like, but the right to do what we ought.” – Lord Acton Today, people across the United States will march in parades, set off fireworks, and don red, white, and blue to huge family cookouts, all in celebration of the adoption of the Declaration of Independence. Continue Reading...