Today is John Dewey’s birthday, and though it’s been almost 60 years since this major Progressive figure passed away, thoughtful conservatives should acquaint themselves with his writings, since they had a profound impact on our society. Dewey, who is best known for his work on education’s role in democracy, wrote extensively on numerous topics, including philosophy, psychology, art, and politics during the course of a long academic career at the University of Michigan, the University of Chicago, and Columbia University. Dewey’s great themes are progress, democracy, and the experimental method …
Is America getting soft? President Obama seems to think so: The way I think about it is, you know, this is a great, great country that had gotten a little soft and, you know, we didn’t have that same competitive edge that we needed over the last couple of decades. We need to get back on track. Obama says he wants to remedy our softness and restore our competitive edge, yet the regulatory state that he constantly expands is actually the source of the problem. Our growingly intrusive government is …
Our country is at a tipping point, yet the last thing we need to do is start anew. “We don’t need to remake America or discover new and untested principles,” says Heritage’s Matt Spalding. At times like these, we should return to our First Principles, which provide us with the wisdom and guidance we need to get our country back on the right path. The new First Principles section of the Heritage website is a one-stop shop to access the lessons of American political thought. The place to start (especially if you …
