Humane Pursuits

Research fellow in humanities, Mercatus Center. Revisiting the foundations of the American experiment. (Views are my own.)

[Humane Pursuits @humane_pursuits]

@DrJohnPinheiro @LyceumInstitute I wrote up some thoughts here too: https://t.co/ITHb4jO75c

[Humane Pursuits @humane_pursuits]

Listen here! Good prep for Saturday’s celebrations! 🇺🇸

[American Institute for Economic Research @aier]

What's so special about our nation's founding? @bradleybirzer talks with @DrPaulMueller about the radical idea that "all men are created equal."

[Humane Pursuits @humane_pursuits]

@AmRevInstitute I wrote about the edits to Jefferson’s draft here! https://t.co/ITHb4jO75c

[American Revolution Institute @AmRevInstitute]

250 years ago, the delegates to Congress were mulling over a draft of a declaration of independence, submitted two days earlier by Thomas Jefferson and the Committee of Five. Congress was set to return from recess on July 1 to vote for, or against, independence from Britain.

[Humane Pursuits @humane_pursuits]

@SusanWiseBauer There are always @bibleproject videos!

[Humane Pursuits @humane_pursuits]

@JoshPhillipsPhD Just play @bibleproject videos! lol

[Kris Mauren @kmauren]

Our 21st Acton University is now in the books, and I leave last week deeply grateful.

Each year, I am encouraged by the remarkable diversity of those gathered at #ActonU. Not merely diversity of background or nationality, but diversity of experience, vocation, tradition, and perspective. What unites this community is something deeper: a shared commitment to the principles of ordered liberty and to the difficult but necessary work of building a society that is both free and virtuous.

From the beginning, Acton University has sought to convene men and women from around the world who are willing to think seriously about the moral foundations of a free society. It is a kind of ecumenism of truth-seeking, where people of many faiths, traditions, and walks of life gather around enduring questions of human dignity, freedom, responsibility, and the common good.

I am especially grateful to this year’s plenary speakers: @magattew, Daron Babcock and Darris Lee, @Doug_DeVos, and @DavidBahnsen.

Magatte: Thank you for the reminder that sound economics is not an abstract concern. It matters for human flourishing. It matters because free enterprise, rightly understood, respects the dignity, creativity, and responsibility of the human person, and only this system can provide the starting point for so many seeking a better life.

Daron and Darris: Your story is inspiring. @BontonFarms is a shining example of what happens when communities work together and those closest to the problem are empowered to solve it. I’m excited to see how your community continues to grow and flourish.

Doug: Thank you for the encouragement that America’s best days are still ahead. We must cultivate the atmosphere in our communities and the attitude that leads us to take action in solving the problems of our society and building the future. Thank you for embodying this ethic in our community and for inspiring all at AU to take this perspective back to their own.

David: In a world that does not always invite hope, thank you for the poignant reminder. Against the posturing of so many politicians and activists, it is the entrepreneur who truly invests in the future and embodies the hope and belief that helps to move society forward. We’re grateful to have you in this movement, and look forward to advancing the cause of freedom far into the future.

Thank you to all who joined us in Grand Rapids this year. The responsibility is ours to build a free and virtuous society, and we look forward to hearing the stories of your work in building it.

@ActonInstitute

[Humane Pursuits @humane_pursuits]

All set for Saturday!

Thank you, @ReynSpooner

[Humane Pursuits @humane_pursuits]

@SoulCultivated Good ones!

[Thomas S. Kidd @ThomasSKidd]

Four books on Thomas Jefferson trace the life and thought of a Virginia slave owner who argued passionately for human liberty. -- excellent review by @RBrookhiser https://t.co/3toEKMFCxs via @WSJBooks

[Humane Pursuits @humane_pursuits]

Some thoughts about a few sets of changes made to the Declaration of Independence before being approved:
https://t.co/ITHb4jNzfE

[Humane Pursuits @humane_pursuits]

Jefferson’s original draft of the Declaration was edited by others before being adopted by Congress on #July4.
What do the layers of revision reveal about their ideas, reservations, and challenges? See below.
Thanks to @TWilliamsAuthor and @alzambone for inspiration!
#America250

[Humane Pursuits @humane_pursuits]

Prepared for next Saturday’s celebrations?

🎆 Get in the spirit by listening to @TWilliamsAuthor narrate some of the key episodes in American history where the significance of the Declaration of Independence has been invoked and debated. 🎙️

https://t.co/wGiLPlEiQd

[Ilia Murtazashvili @IMurtazashvili]

This is an important study. Essentially it shows faculty who teach contentious issues do not give strong arguments to views they oppose. I agree. Faculty set the agenda and try to convince students what they want in this way. But students see this and it reduces trust.

[Humane Pursuits @humane_pursuits]

Seems like a good introduction!

[University of Austin (UATX) @uaustinorg]

UATX Professor of Religion and Philosophy J.J. Kimche on the Talmud and why it matters.

00:00 — Intro
00:54 — Why this lecture is necessary
02:50 — What is the Talmud?
07:40 — The destruction of Jerusalem
09:46 — Scriptural interpretation
11:23 — The central curriculum of Jewish law, learning, & memory
13:30 — Argument & folklore
16:44 — Anti-Talmudism
19:07 — Why the Talmud can sound strange
20:26 — History's first “yo mama joke"
23:38 — How to read a Talmudic passage
25:37 — What is a Sukkah?
28:55 — Laying out the basic laws
30:59 — Seeking a scriptural source
33:23 — Finding practical differences between interpretations
39:25 — Form vs. material
43:45 — Legal driving age
49:09 — How to think

Recorded: June 1, 2026 at UATX.

[John Pinheiro @DrJohnPinheiro]

Fusionism. What it is and what isn’t…and what it never was. At #ActonU with @McGillPatterson @sladesr @kvallier and Jason Duncan.

[Dan Churchwell @dwchurchwell]

Another #actonu is in the books! One of my favorite things was getting the chance to interview @lukeburgis and Adam Macleod! A fascinating conversation on technology, desire, and the law!
@ActonInstitute

[Humane Pursuits @humane_pursuits]

.@tikvahfund, was this presentation ever published anywhere? If so, I am not aware of it.

[Humane Pursuits @humane_pursuits]

I first attended #ActonU in 2024, and my favorite session was, hands down, by Rabbi Mitch Rocklin from @tikvahfund on Jewish roots and antisemitism. I found it both moving and inspiring. It's still worth a listen . . . See below.

[Humane Pursuits @humane_pursuits]

Here you go: https://t.co/ue5lR6Vf9V