It is June 2026 and for this month the Spirit of ‘76 theme is Liberty. We have covered Stoicism, History, Religion, War, and Tyranny, setting the stage for the discussion to turn to Liberty just in time for the 250th anniversary of the Declaration of Independence.
Liberty is the condition of being free to think, speak, and act according to one’s own judgment, within fair limits that protect others’ equal freedom. In philosophy, it often means not just the absence of coercion (“freedom from”), but also the genuine ability to pursue a life one has reason to value (“freedom to”). Liberty is a lack of restraint, but also enablement.
Liberty should not be taken for granted. Throughout human history, Liberty has been a rare state of affairs for most people in most places. The United States of America was the first democracy in the modern age, a throwback to ancient Greece revived by the Enlightenment. At the close of the Constitutional Convention in 1787, Maryland delegate James McHenry asked Benjamin Franklin, “Well, Doctor, what have we got—a republic or a monarchy?” To which Franklin famously responded, “A republic, if you can keep it.” The USA was an experiment in a revolutionary form of government that promised to be for the people and by the people, with Liberty and justice for all. Even then, the promise of freedom and enfranchisement was given outright to all the people yet, just the propertied white men. The fight to achieve freedom for all continued in America and elsewhere, and Liberty is an issue that is still very much in flux today.
Spirit of ‘76 is the seventh single and title track from the Spirit of ‘76 album. The track is a pump-you-up patriotic rock anthem. The lyrics invoke ideals taken directly from the Declaration of Independence. Liberty, equality, unalienable rights, and the pursuit of happiness are the themes that we inherit from our forefathers and which underpin the American Dream.
Thinking Thursdays Schedule in June
| June 4th, 2026 | Still Self‑Evident? Liberty in the Declaration and in American Life Today |
| June 11th, 2026 | From Natural Rights to the Great Society: The Making of Modern U.S. Liberalism |
| June 18th, 2026 | Ordered Liberty in American Constitutional Life |
| June 25th, 2026 | Liberty at 250: A Living Project, Not a Finished Promise |
By focusing on Liberty in June we will be ready for a special Fourth of July.
Thank you for reading,
Jared Endicott
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