Hillsdale College’s Online Constitution Courses!
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Phone: (517) 437-7341
Location : Hillsdale, MI, US
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Constitution 201 is a new 10-week online course examining American progressivism: its historical roots and principles; its rejection of America’s founding principles and Constitution; its political successes in the New Deal, the Great Society, and in recent years; the ongoing political debate between progressives and conservatives; and the chance of a constitutional revival. View more information about Constitution 201.
Constitution 101 is Hillsdale’s first online course. It follows closely the one-semester course required of all Hillsdale College undergraduate students as part of the College’s rigorous Core Curriculum.
Overview
America’s Declaration of Independence, Thomas Jefferson said, was the product of “the American mind.” Our Constitution was made with the same purpose as the Declaration—to establish a regime where the people are sovereign, and the government protects the rights granted to them by their Creator.
The word “constitution” means “to ordain and establish something.” It also means “to set a firm thing strongly in place.” It is linked to two other words: statute and statue. All three words—constitution, statute, and statue—connote a similar idea of establishing something lasting and beautiful.
The Constitution, then, is a work of art. It gives America its form. To fully know the “cause,” or purpose, of America, one must know the Declaration of Independence. Thomas Jefferson, its author, mentioned four thinkers for their contribution to molding “the American mind”: Aristotle, Cicero, Algernon Sidney, and John Locke.
Studying these philosophers is a wondrous task in itself, and it greatly helps our understanding of America, just as informed the statecraft of the Founders. Knowing the meaning of the Declaration and Constitution is vital to the choice before us today as to whether we will live under a Constitution different than the one bequeathed to us.
View more information about Constitution 101 at https://constitution.hillsdale.edu/page.aspx?pid=1243
There is no fee to register for these courses, but there is a suggested donation of $50 to help cover the expense of making this course available to all Americans.
Please email constitution@hillsdale.edu with any questions.
Hillsdale College
33 E. College St. Hillsdale, MI 49242 | Phone: (517) 437-7341 | Fax: (517) 437-3923
