The Witherspoon Institute at Princeton University is hosting a First Principles Seminar on August 8-19. This year's topic is "Natural Law Theory: The Old Versus the New".

What are the fundamental principles and premises that inform and guide human behavior at both the individual and societal levels? Does ethical theory have an objective basis and, if so, how can we come to know and understand it?

The Seminar on First Principles offers a unique opportunity to examine these and other issues through study and interaction with scholars renowned for their work in the fields of philosophy and politics. The seminar will bring together university students and noted authors and lecturers in the kind of small-group, focused setting that is ideal for an in-depth discussion of these topics.

In addition to the main seminar, the following individual sessions will be held: “First Principles” ; “The Family and the Law” ; “Embryo Ethics: Justice and Nascent Human Life” ; “What’s Sex Got to do With it: Marriage, Morality, and Rationality” ; “Economic Freedom, Political Freedom, Ethics and Justice” ; “The Family and the Markets” ; “Islam 101: Theology, History, Practice” ; “Islam and the West: Politics, International Relations, and Religion” ; “Christian Wisdom and Modern Politics: Classical Approaches to Contemporary Problems”

The faculty for the seminar includes:

Dr. Thomas D’Andrea (Fellow, Wolfson College, Cambridge University), Professor Chris Tollefsen
(Associate Professor of Philosophy, University of South Carolina), Professor Hadley Arkes
(Edward N. Ney Professor of Jurisprudence and American Institutions, Amherst College), Professor Robert P. George (McCormick Professor of Jurisprudence, Princeton University),Professor Harold James (Professor of History, Princeton University), Professor Michael Doran (Assistant Professor of Near Eastern Studies, Princeton University), Professor Jeanne Heffernan (Assistant Professor of Humanities and Augustinian Traditions, Villanova University).

Enrollment is open to all university students. The seminar begins at 9am on Monday, August 8th and ends at 5pm Friday, August 19th. Check-in will begin at noon Sunday, August 7, and check-out will be completed by noon Saturday, August 20.

Deadline: The application deadline is May 15th.

Cost: The fee for the seminar is $500.00. This includes tuition, room and board, and incidental seminar materials. It does not cover books, transportation, or other incidental expenses. For those in need, there are a limited number of partial scholarships available.

Location: The seminar will be held at Princeton University. Students will stay in campus suites.

Application Process: Any student interested in attending should submit the application form (available at http://www.winst.org/FPapplication.doc), a resume, and an essay of 500 words explaining why you wish to participate in the seminar. We also require one faculty letter of recommendation, submitted by the writer directly to the Witherspoon Institute. All materials should be sent to:

Ryan Anderson
randerso@winst.org
609 688 8779

For more information, visit http://www.winst.org