The Witherspoon Institute

Congratulations to the Princeton Class of 2026.

Bearing the name of John Witherspoon, one of Princeton University’s early presidents, the Witherspoon Institute is especially grateful for the opportunity to continue, in our own way, a tradition of serious inquiry and moral reflection that has long marked this place.

Through seminars, friendships, and conversations that seek wisdom rather than mere utility, we are honored to participate in Princeton’s enduring intellectual tradition alongside so many thoughtful students over the years.

To all graduates: may your education continue long after commencement.

A new episode of Madison's Notes is out.

With Holy Week and Passover starting next week, host Ryan Shinkel interviewed R.J. Snell, the academic programs director at The Witherspoon Institute and editor-in-chief of Public Discourse, to talk about the philosophy of hope.

They discuss Charles Taylor's A Secular Age, the quest for re-enchantment in technology, politics, and culture, and examples of authentic hope, from Anglo-Saxon warriors to Soviet dissident writers, plus much more.

https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/s5e3-the-philosophy-of-hope-on-immanence-and/id1515595812?i=1000757225010