Washington University in St. Louis is, and always has been, a champion of academic freedom and viewpoint diversity. The Ordered Liberty Project reinforces our commitment to the open debate and exchange of ideas that are critical for knowledge creation and educating future leaders. This initiative aims to build on WashU’s dynamic environment where students and faculty engage in thoughtful discussions on pressing societal issues, promoting a deeper understanding of the role of government and individual liberties.
The Ordered Liberty Project will encourage inquiry that values a well-ordered society as an important means of supporting and furthering human flourishing, while urging careful evaluation of whether government intervention strengthens that balance or risks eroding it.
We believe this project will enhance our campus culture and research excellence while furthering public discussion of the role of citizens in a free society.
Murray Weidenbaum, The Competition of Ideas
Good public policy is arrived at, not by the uncritical adoption of the positions of a self-proclaimed ‘white hat,’ but by the competitive give-and-take among all of the interest groups in the marketplace of ideas.