Cellphones and politics, Adam Smith and abolition, church and state, and more . . .

The best of intellectual conservative thought, every Thursday
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CATEGORY: CULTURE (6 min)



** Our Politics Will Improve When We Turn Off Our Phones ([link removed])
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That probably sounds counterintuitive.

Your phone updates you on what’s happening in your hometown and in the country.

It gives you the power to document and share events, good and bad.

So . . .

How Is Going Offline Supposed to Help?

Writer Casey Chalk believes going offline will help soothe tensions and improve our politics.

Drawing on the wisdom of Alexis de Tocqueville and Cal Newport, he argues:
* We can improve our communities and relationships in ways more effective than activism

* Our phones obscure our most important civic duties

The real question is, Are we willing to put down our phones and do the hard work?

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CATEGORY: ECONOMICS (6 min)



** The Father of Capitalism and the Abolition of Slavery ([link removed])
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Was the slave trade responsible for the Industrial Revolution?

That’s what some historians (*cough*, activists) will claim.

So let’s talk about Adam Smith.

Adam Smith: Slavery Is Evil and Hurts the Economy

In Quillette, Matthew Lesh explores Smith’s classic works.

Turns out Adam Smith had moral arguments against slavery—and economic ones.

He was one of those early “angels” who argued against slavery before the abolition movement was a thing.

Is he an antidote to academic activism?

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CATEGORY: POLITICAL PHILOSOPHY (44 min)



** The Constitution of Church and State ([link removed])
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There’s still hot debate about whether America is a Christian nation.

To appreciate just how steeped in Christianity America is, you have to brush up on your history.

Listen as Professor Jason Jewell sketches the historical—and tumultuous—development of the relationship between church and state.

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** What Does the Common Good Look Like Now? ([link removed])
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There’s a lot of debate right now about the common good.

And how those debates play out will make a huge difference for the future of conservatism . . . and of the country.

Join us on Thursday, July 2, at 7 p.m. ET with Robert P. George, America’s “most influential conservative Christian thinker” (New York Times Magazine).

Robert P. George will answer such questions as:
* Just what IS the “common good” anyway?

* Is the common good compatible with liberty and individual rights?

* Are there dangers in going too far in pursuit of the common good?

Spots are limited, so reserve yours now.

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We introduce you to the American tradition of liberty and to a vibrant community of students and scholars so that you get the collegiate experience you hunger for.

Get the college experience you deserve—before you graduate.

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