West contends that the Founders did not simply mix liberalism, republicanism, and Christianity; they filtered all other traditions through the primary lens of .
A major contribution of West’s work is demonstrating how "liberal" rights and "republican" virtue are . The Moral Conditions of Freedom The Founders in Full - Claremont Review of Books The Political Theory of the American Founding: ...
West disputes the idea that the Founding was a "blend" of disparate elements. He argues that while the Founders valued common law and Protestantism, they only accepted these insofar as they supported natural rights. ⚖️ The Role of Virtue and Public Policy West contends that the Founders did not simply
Thomas G. West’s The Political Theory of the American Founding: Natural Rights, Public Policy, and the Moral Conditions of Freedom (2017) challenges the modern scholarly view that the American founding was a confused "amalgam" of conflicting ideas. Instead, West argues the Founders shared a centered on natural rights . 🏛️ The Core Argument: Natural Rights as the Lens He argues that while the Founders valued common
Because individuals are naturally free, just government must be based on the consent of the governed .
The doctrine of equality and the laws of nature are the foundational core of their theory.