The Founders' Key Lecture Series: “The American Mind”

Today is the second lecture in our 10-part The Founders' Key Lecture Series lecture series.  If you missed part-one click here.

Today’s lecture, “The American Mind” is described this way by its sponsor The Allan P. Kirby, Jr. Center for Constitutional Studies and Citizenship of Hillsdale College.

America’s Declaration of Independence, Thomas Jefferson said, was the product of “the American mind.”  Our Constitution was made with the same purpose as the Declaration—to establish a regime where the people are sovereign, and the government protects the rights granted to them by their Creator.

 The word “constitution” means “to ordain and establish something.”  It also means “to set a firm thing strongly in place.”  It is linked to two other words: statute and statue.  All three words—constitution, statute, and statue—connote a similar idea of establishing something lasting and beautiful.

Larry P. Arnn is the twelfth president of Hillsdale College.  Under Dr. Arnn’s leadership since May of 2000, Hillsdale College has conducted the $608 million Founders Campaign for capital and endowment goals, launched the Allan P. Kirby, Jr. Center for Constitutional Studies and Citizenship (located in Washington, D.C.), expanded the core curriculum to include a required course on the U.S. Constitution, and established an Honor Code that all matriculates to the College sign.  As a professor of politics and history at Hillsdale, Dr. Arnn regularly teaches courses on Aristotle, on Winston Churchill and on the American Constitution.

Dr. Arnn is on the board of directors of The Heritage Foundation and the Claremont Institute.  From 1985 to 2000, he served as President of the Claremont Institute.  Formerly the director of research for Sir Martin Gilbert, the official biographer of Winston Churchill, Dr. Arnn is the author of Liberty and Learning: The Evolution of American Education and The Founders’ Key: The Divine and Natural Connection Between the Declaration and the Constitution and What we Risk by Losing It.  He received his B.A. at Arkansas State University, graduating with highest distinction, and his M.A. and Ph.D. from the Claremont Graduate School. 

The Founders' Key Lecture Series

The Founders' Key By Larry P. Arnn

The Founders' Key: The Divine and Natural Connection Between the Declaration and the Constitution and What We Risk by Losing It 

Like many Americans we believe that America is at a crossroads and that this November’s election will be one of the most important in our nation’s 220 year existence.  Over the next 10 days we will present Hillsdale College’s 10-part lecture series presented by Dr. Larry P. Arnn at The Allan P. Kirby, Jr. Center for Constitutional Studies and Citizenship of Hillsdale College. This lecture took place on December 2, 2011 at The Allan P. Kirby, Jr. Center in Washington D.C.

Dr. Arnn believes historians today commonly claim that the Constitution of 1787 marked a break with the Declaration of Independence of 1776, even speaking of two foundlings. Arnn contends this is both false and destructive of liberty. In fact, the principles of the Declaration command the arrangements of the Constitution, and the arrangements of the Constitution embody the principles of the Declaration. It is critical today to regain an understanding and love of the unity of these two grand documents.

We hope you will join us over the next 10-days and watch these very important lectures, reacquaint yourself with the Declaration of Independence, the U.S. Constitution and strongly consider what you learn when choosing a candidate to represent your interests in November and other elections between now and then.  Here is “The Founders' Key" - Larry P. Arnn, the first lecture in this series.