The Witherspoon Institute

23 years of advancing scholarship, cultivating leadership, and promoting human flourishing. Thank you to all who have made the Witherspoon Institute's mission possible.

Congratulations to the Princeton Class of 2026.

Bearing the name of John Witherspoon, one of Princeton University’s early presidents, the Witherspoon Institute is especially grateful for the opportunity to continue, in our own way, a tradition of serious inquiry and moral reflection that has long marked this place.

Through seminars, friendships, and conversations that seek wisdom rather than mere utility, we are honored to participate in Princeton’s enduring intellectual tradition alongside so many thoughtful students over the years.

To all graduates: may your education continue long after commencement.

You can now register for our Kickoff Webinar next Friday, June 5!

Learn more about our essay contest for high school juniors and seniors below!👇

First prize wins $3K and is published in Public Discourse

As America approaches the 250th anniversary of the Declaration of Independence, the Witherspoon Institute’s Herbert W. Vaughan Senior Fellow, Prof. Robert P. George, will reflect on the Declaration as America’s “promissory note” — a statement of principles the nation has never perfectly fulfilled, yet one that continues to call us toward justice, civic friendship, and the common good.

The lecture will be delivered at Stanford Law School’s Constitutional Law Center during its conference “The Declaration of Independence at 250,” taking place May 15–16.

Link below for more information.

This first Alumni Spotlight features three stories from Witherspoon alumni. We’ve gathered a handful of short reflections that capture moments that stayed with them long after their time in our programs. Together, they offer a small but illustrative glimpse into the Witherspoon formation, which unfolds slowly through conversation, friendship, and sustained attention.

Link below.

Hear from Dr. Ana Samuel, Academic Director at Cana Vox, for a meaningful evening of insight, conversation, and practical guidance. This webinar is designed to equip parents to address today’s questions surrounding sexual identity and attraction with clarity and confidence.

Dr. Samuel will explore the cultural and ethical challenges facing both parents and children today. Drawing from CanaVox’s new book, Courageous Conversations, she will share how embracing truth, love, and natural law can lead to a flourishing life for people of any faith.

CanaVox is a global organization dedicated to advancing the natural law understanding of marriage, family, and human sexuality.

Link below.

Robert P. George, Witherspoon Institute's Herbert W. Vaughan Senior Fellow, will deliver the 2026 Frederic R. and Molly S. Kellogg Biennial Lecture in Jurisprudence on the topic, “Why Liberal Secularism Fails.”

For more than half a century, the dominant theories of justice in the West have all been built on liberal secularism, codified by thinkers like John Rawls, Ronald Dworkin, and Jürgen Habermas. But does this view give a coherent vision for how people with deep moral and religious differences can live together in peace?

Prof. George examines the limits of liberal secularism and proposes an alternative rooted in human dignity, civil liberty, and republican self-government.

Link in first comment.

Last Saturday evening, students traveled to Philadelphia for a cultural excursion to hear the Philadelphia Orchestra perform works by Rachmaninoff and Schumann.

Experiences like this are at the heart of our programs: forming students not only through ideas, but through shared encounters with what is true, good, and beautiful.

A new episode of Madison's Notes is out.

With Holy Week and Passover starting next week, host Ryan Shinkel interviewed R.J. Snell, the academic programs director at The Witherspoon Institute and editor-in-chief of Public Discourse, to talk about the philosophy of hope.

They discuss Charles Taylor's A Secular Age, the quest for re-enchantment in technology, politics, and culture, and examples of authentic hope, from Anglo-Saxon warriors to Soviet dissident writers, plus much more.

https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/s5e3-the-philosophy-of-hope-on-immanence-and/id1515595812?i=1000757225010