In the first generation after the founding of the new American Republic, a young Abraham Lincoln, contemplated the slow, yet steady decline in civic education and in patriotism that inevitably would occur with each passing year removing Americans from the revolutionary generation of 1776. In his 1838 “Lyceum Address,” Lincoln sought to rally support for the principles of republican self-government, exhorting each successive generation to dedicate themselves to “the Perpetuation of Our Political Order” through a reverent respect for the rule of law within our constitutional republic.

In order to cultivate a firm and lasting foundation for civic education and civic thought as the basis for good citizenship and community engagement, Phronēsis, the Honors Minor degree and program in Politics & Ethics, is committed to the perpetuation of our political order by introducing our undergraduate students to the virtues and duties of thoughtful citizens in a republican form of government. “The Lyceum Initiative” of Phronēsis and of the Honors College, named after Lincoln’s speech, seeks to chart a viable path forward in our contemporary political and ideological landscape by restoring non-partisan, patriotic civic education as a vital aspect of our academic mission and education.

Under the auspices of Phronēsis, and in collaboration with the Tocqueville Forum on American Ideas and Institutions, and the Honors College, “The Lyceum Initiative” aims to promote curricular and co-curricular opportunities for students to learn about and discuss the fundamental principles and the institutions of American civic thought and education. 

The inaugural theme of The Lyceum Initiative for 2025-2026 is “The Declaration at 250!” 

Events associated with this theme, studying and celebrating the 250th anniversary of the drafting and signing of the Declaration of Independence in the summer of 1776, include a Lecture Series, student seminars and reading groups, learning away excursions, and other programming that advances civic discourse in a concerted effort to guide students toward understanding better the Declaration as the founding document of our Republic. 

LYCEUM LECTURE SERIES 2026

The Lyceum Initiative hosts a Lecture Series each academic year, focused on a theme of special interest to its mission. The theme for 2026 is "The Declaration at 250!" 

Each talk in the 2026 Lecture Series will focus upon one of the fundamental principles articulated in the Declaration of Independence, signed by delegates to the Continental Congress in July of 1776.

The principles embedded within the text of that Declaration established a foundation for the new Republics — and subsequently informed American political history and thought. Each lecture aims to clarify the understanding and significance of these principles in the context of the Revolutionary War and their presence in the governing documents created during the Founding Era. 

1/30               
“When in the Course of Human Events...” 
(On the Experience of Colonial Self-Government)
Dr. Douglas Erwing
Honors College Faculty
Ph.D. in History & J.D., University of Houston
 
2/6                
"The Pen's Virtue: Style as Character in Jefferson's Declaration" 
Dr. Scott Crider
Professor of English, University of Dallas
 
2/27               
“We Hold these Truths to be Self-Evident...”
(On Natural Rights and the New Republics)
Dr. Lisa Pace Vetter
Associate Professor of Political Science, University of Maryland, Baltimore County
 
3/27               
“To Secure these Rights Governments are Instituted...”
(On the Constitutionalism of the States)
Dr. John Dinan
Professor and Chair of Politics, Wake Forest University
 
4/24               
“Prudence, indeed, will dictate...” 
(On Statesmanship and Revolution)
Dr. Lucas Morel
Professor and Chair of Politics
Washington and Lee University, United States Semiquincentennial Commission
 

These lectures will serve also as book chapters in an edited volume (titled: Self-Evident Truths: The Enduring Vitality and Relevance of the Principles of the Declaration of Independence, after 250 Years) to be published as a timely resource for undergraduate students and high school teachers and a contribution academically to the 2026 celebrations of the Declaration.

VIDEO: Dr. Paul Carrese: "Civic Education for Our Constitutional Order"