About the Institute

The Wynnewood Institute was founded in 2003 by Thomas Patrick Burke, Th.D., Professor Emeritus of Religion at Temple University. It is named after its place of origin, a suburb of Philadelphia. The inaugural lecture by the English philosopher Roger Scruton, "The Defense of the West: How to Begin" was held on April 12, 2005.

Wynnewood's Mission

Benjamin Franklin famously told us that we have a republic, if we can keep it. The Wynnewood Institute believes that the achievements of Western civilization can be kept only if they are understood and prized. The aim of the Institute is to explore and explain the fundamental ideas and values that have been distinctive of the West, especially those associated with the ideals of the free society and the free market.

Our Perspective

Our philosophical perspective can be described as classical liberalism combined with conservatism. As classical liberals we believe in freedom. This means that the role of government, which always acts by coercion, should be limited to the tasks that alone can be accomplished by coercion, namely the protection of the nation and its citizens against aggression foreign and domestic. A free society is one that possesses freedom of religion, freedom of speech and the press, freedom of conscience, freedom of association, and commercial or market freedom. These freedoms are limited by the requirement that they be employed peacefully. A free society has no obligation to tolerate forms of religion or speech that promote aggression. We therefore view just laws and a properly regulated military and police as essential safeguards of freedom.

But freedom by itself is not enough. As Edmund Burke wrote about the claim of the French revolution to bring liberty to the people of France: "The effect of liberty to individuals is that they may do what they please; we ought to see what it will please them to do, before we risk congratulations which may be soon turned into complaints." Conservatism points out that some of the things we can do with our freedom are very much better than others.

What We Do

Lectures

The Institute holds two series of lectures for the public:

The Wynnewood Lectures feature speakers who are known nationally or internationally for their original contributions to classical liberal or conservative thought. These lectures are intended to represent original contributions to our nation's cultural and intellectual life.

Our Public Policy lectures are concerned with particular current questions of policy and the speakers are chosen for their expertise in those areas.

We strive to offer lectures of a high academic order. Even if you hold a different viewpoint, we hope that you will feel enriched and stimulated by them. A discussion period follows each lecture to provide an opportunity for open-ended inquiry. Magis amica veritas. All lectures are followed by a reception.

Recordings of our public lectures are available on DVDs and audio CDs. It is our intention to publish the Wynnewood Lectures in book form.

Coming Lectures
Past Lectures

Courses

We also offer courses to the general public in a variety of fields. The purpose of these is to disseminate a deeper understanding of traditional American and Western ideals and values. We do not guarantee that our courses, any more than our lectures, will be models of "political correctness."

Courses for Fall 2008 
Past Courses

Research

The Wynnewood Institute sponsors research which promotes a better understanding of Western civilization, especially in areas related to classical liberal and conservative thought.

Our main research interests center on rethinking the idea of justice, and consequently rethinking the many areas of private and public policy that have been affected by the revolution that took place in the West's conception of justice during the twentieth century.  These effects have been felt in areas as diverse as our demographic future, the family and relations between the sexes, the marketplace and the economy, the churches and organized religion in general, and education, to mention only a few.

Research Areas