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 In his article "Natural Rights, God, and Marriage in the American Founding," Vincent Munoz writes - "By calling our attention to the Founders' political theory of the family, Thomas West's new book leads us to ask whether a secular theory of natural rights and natural law can sustain the moral ecology necessary for self-government. If a secular natural-rights republic cannot sustain the family, it would seem to be neither a good nor attractive political theory. "In my judgment, Thomas West has written the best book on the political theory of the American Founding published in recent memory. Though it is not West's primary focus, his treatment of marriage and family in the Founding is particularly thought-provoking. West persuasively demonstrates that the Founders held virtue and morality to be necessary conditions for freedom and self-government." This book review nails it: a republic is a self-governing nation, that is, a people who must have the character to be able to govern themselves. This implies a big dose of self-control, not yielding to every whim of immediate self-gratification. History has shown that only a strong belief in God is able to provide this self-control for the vast majority of people. But in a secularized republic, a worldview of "liberty" - meaning you have the freedom to do whatever you want - simply can't provide the self-control needed for a self-governing nation to flourish. Get the whole story: read the full article & get our free weekly newsletter: subscribe below! |