Robert P. George on teaching and free thought, defending Peter Singer, and natural law

People of true principle are rare commodities in this age of bitter political divisions and cultural discord. What matters exclusively for too many, is winning. Indeed, we live in such strident times that some find it difficult to be friends with people with whom they disagree. In this sense, we have lost the crucial understanding to living in mutual comity, that reasonable people can have radically differing opinions.

Not so, Wesley’s guest on this week’s episode of Humanize, Princeton Professor Robert P. George. George describes himself as a true classical liberal. He is unapologetically pro-life. But he adamantly defends the academic freedom of people who have contrary beliefs, such as the utilitarian philosopher, Peter Singer. George is a committed Catholic. But he mixes and interacts easily with people of all faiths, and none at all. And, he is a strong advocate for natural law who respectfully debates those with diametrically opposed opinions about the means for making a good society.

George describes how he went from a coal mining family in West Virginia to the height of academic life as a professor at Princeton University. He describes his love for teaching and his belief that the only limitation on academic freedom does not involve ideas per se, but the “currency” of academic engagement, i.e., the quality of thinking, documentation, and argumentation that an advocate brings to his or her opinions. Wesley challenges George on his defense of Peter Singer, in an interesting and thought-provoking exchange, and asks whether the same criteria would apply to a racist. George’s answer may surprise. Finally, George gives a short primer on natural law theory, which is the philosophical basis for the founding of the United States. This is a fascinating conversation with one of the great academics of the current era.