| |
First Principles of Freedom
The First Principles of Freedom course is designed to educate you on where the idea of freedom came from and its place in our country's founding. Upon completing this program, you will have a foundation of knowledge to build upon in order to continue the fight for freedom. We have broken the class down into several sections to give you the choice of what you would like to learn about:
1. The Argument for Liberty
Why not empower government to do everything for us? Are there actually moral limits on government power? Few writers have so clearly and concisely presented the argument for liberty as Frederic Bastiat. This class examines and considers these arguments as presented in Bastiat’s famous little book, The Law.
- Text: Bastiat’s The Law (iea edition); handouts
- Supplemental: Thomas Sowell, Conflict of Visions; Daniel Defoe, Robinson Crusoe
2. The Declaration of Independence and its Critics
What did the Second Continental Congress mean by “Nature and Nature’s God”? And what exactly is a self-evident truth? Abraham Lincoln lauded the Declaration as a “rebuke and a stumbling block to tyranny and oppression,” but others have dismissed it as relevant only to its historical moment or even as a statement of “self-evident lies.” Join us and discover the how and why the Declaration was written, what it meant in 1776, and why it remains important for freedom-loving people today.
- Text: The Declaration of Independence
- Recommended: Carl L. Becker, The Declaration of Independence; Thomas G. West, Vindicating the Founders
3. Federalism: A Nation of States (2 Hours)
The United States was established as a "compound republic," which offered the people a "double security" for their rights. How was this system really supposed to work and, well, what happened to it?
- Text: The United States Constitution; Federalist No. 10; Eugene W. Hickok, Why States? The Challenge of Federalism; Handouts
4. Power: Checks and Balances (2 Hours)
How was the original Constitution designed to restrain power and protect rights and how has the original design been changed to undermine these checks and balances?
- Text: The United States Constitution; Federalist No. 51
5. American Freedom 101
What’s America really about? With a look into the Declaration of Independence, Articles of Confederation, Constitution, and Federalist Papers, we’ll answer that question.
What are “Progressives”? Some people don’t like individual freedom—we’ll find out where there ideas came from and how to show that they’re wrong.
How you can be a Freedom Fighter: Learn the basics of persuasive writing, public speaking, contacting legislators, preparing for litigation, impacting elections, and engaging online.
Join the Freedom Foundation’s Trent England for American Freedom 101, 90-minutes that will supercharge your citizenship.
Request a Location
|
|
 
      
|
