This sentence is perfectly familiar. We know it as a core principle of our founding. But few, if any of us consider why Jefferson wrote it in exactly this way. Why unalienable rights" and not simply rights? Why self-evident" truths and not simply truths? Why does the Declaration make these distinctions? Do they really matter?
If these questions are challenging or Jefferson's words seem esoteric, it is because we no longer conduct our politics in the language of the Founders and we are no longer able to think as they once thought. In Congress and the media, political arguments are advanced by a torrent of policy studies and expert" opinions—not on the basis of self-evident truths, unalienable rights, and definitely not in the language of the Founders.
Common Sense Nation is a potent re-introduction to the political ideas of the Founders—in their own words and on their terms. It is dedicated to the proposition that the only way to fully unlock the profound and distinctive power of American self-government is to understand it as its inventors did. Common Sense Nation reclaims the language of liberty from entities that prefer to interpret our freedoms for us. For in knowing the Founders as they knew themselves, readers will learn the surprising depths of their own political powers as American citizens.
-
Creators
-
Publisher
-
Release date
November 24, 2015 -
Formats
-
Kindle Book
-
OverDrive Read
- ISBN: 9781594038266
- File size: 540 KB
-
EPUB ebook
- ISBN: 9781594038266
- File size: 540 KB
-
-
Accessibility
-
Languages
- English
Formats
- Kindle Book
- OverDrive Read
- EPUB ebook
subjects
Languages
- English
Why is availability limited?
×Availability can change throughout the month based on the library's budget. You can still place a hold on the title, and your hold will be automatically filled as soon as the title is available again.
The Kindle Book format for this title is not supported on:
×Read-along ebook
×The OverDrive Read format of this ebook has professional narration that plays while you read in your browser. Learn more here.