Creating a Nation Series: In the wake of America’s 250th anniversary, this series turns to what has followed the Revolution – how a still-young country continues to define, redefine, and extend its ideals.
As America marks the 250th anniversary of the Declaration of Independence, the question the Founders wrestled with feels newly urgent: what kind of education does a free society require? Justin Dyer, professor of government and inaugural dean of the School of Civic Leadership at UT Austin, argues that the answer lies in a renaissance of liberal and civic education — and that the Founders understood this from the start. Drawing on his expertise in American political thought, natural law, and constitutional history, Dyer will revisit the founding debates about education and freedom and make the case for why those debates matter more than ever today.