The Liberal Arts and National Character: Lessons from John Witherspoon

Carol Rifelj Lecture Series

John Witherspoon (1723-1794) was a clergyman and important political figure in the American Revolution, the only minister among the signers of the Declaration of Independence. He also served as president of what is now Princeton University. At the confluence of those roles, Witherspoon argued that the cultivation of public character among leaders and citizens was an essential guarantor of the health of a nation, especially a newly formed one. He also believed that higher education played a key role in the promotion of public character. This lecture will explore what Witherspoon meant by public character, how he thought higher education contributed to it, and what that might mean for an understanding of the public purposes of liberal education in the US today.