A Disputation of Juan de Mariana: The Illegitimacy of Assassination

September 20, 2024

In light of the Trump assassination attempts, the question of assassination seems to be at the forefront of everyone’s minds as they ponder its legitimacy. Americans seem to universally agree that it is perfectly legitimate to forcibly depose tyrants through assassination. Thus, the dispute between Trump sympathizers and Trump haters is not whether it is just to assassinate tyrants, but whether Trump is and/or will be a totalitarian tyrant. However, this is the wrong debate, and this presupposition defending assassination must be uprooted. … More A Disputation of Juan de Mariana: The Illegitimacy of Assassination

John Locke: Property Ownership, Monarchy, and the Purpose of Government

September 13, 2024

Date: September 12, 2024 Author: Asher K. Sisneros Teacher: Tom Woods Class: Western Civilization From 1493 John Locke was a 16th-century political philosopher who pioneered the modern understanding of property ownership and laid the groundwork for many libertarian economists like Murray N. Rothbard. Natural law—which he credited as coming from God—was the basis of his … More John Locke: Property Ownership, Monarchy, and the Purpose of Government

Classic Autobiographies – Transcript

September 11, 2024

Here is my personal transcript for the Ron Paul Curriculum’s Classical Autobiographies English class, listing all of the reading and writing assignments. Reading assignments: A Bus of My Own (1992), by Jim Lehrer The Persecutor (1973), by Sergei Kourdakov The Story of My Life (1903), by Hellen Keller Up From Slavery (1901), by Booker T. … More Classic Autobiographies – Transcript

The Levellers

September 4, 2024

Contrary to popular belief and standard textbook education, the Levellers were not socialists who believed in common ownership. Rather, the Levellers—led by Richard Overton, John Lilburne, and William Walwyn—were a 16th-century classical liberal movement born during the English Civil War, giving inspiration to modern-day libertarianism.  The root of their beliefs was in the principle of … More The Levellers

The English Civil War

September 4, 2024

Asher K. Sisneros Western Civilization Since 1492 Tom Woods September 4, 2024 The English Civil War was a war over sovereignty and whether it resided in kings or Parliament. Since James I, the Stuart dynasty toyed with implementing absolutism in England. However, even James I, who supported the political theory, could not implement it effectively, … More The English Civil War

The Defenestration of Prague and Peace of Westphalia

September 4, 2024

Asher K. Sisneros Western Civilization Since 1492 Tom Woods September 4, 2024 The Thirty Years’ War (AD 1619-1648) was a multi-decade and highly complicated civil war within the Holy Roman Empire. It is often touted as a religious war between Protestant and Catholic forces, and that is true, but it would be unfair to characterize … More The Defenestration of Prague and Peace of Westphalia

Destruction of the Indies by Las Casas

September 4, 2024

Asher K. Sisneros American Literature Dr. Gary North September 4, 2024 Cabeza de Vaca’s Adventures of the Unknown Interior of America and Las Casas’ A Brief Account of the Destruction of the Indies are two well-known Spanish manuscripts about the early colonization of North America. They may be similar in content and context, but the … More Destruction of the Indies by Las Casas

Religious Policy of Elizabeth I

August 27, 2024

Queen Elizabeth I (r. 1558-1603) succeeded Queen “Bloody Mary” Tudor to the throne. Unlike her two siblings, Queen Mary and King Edward VI, she adopted religious agnosticism. Under both of their leaderships, she had conformed to be politically accepted. Under Edward’s reign, she acted Protestant; under Mary, Catholic. Some argue that her faith was disingenuous. … More Religious Policy of Elizabeth I

Saint Bartholomew’s Day Massacre

August 27, 2024

Throughout the 16th century, France was tattered with religious wars; wars to squash religious pluralism in the country. The Protestant Huguenots were growing in numbers. By 1560, 10 percent of the nation was Protestant. The monarchy tried to mitigate this growth by launching repressive measures against the Huguenots, but those decrees were ignored.  Nobles sided … More Saint Bartholomew’s Day Massacre