Robert P. George, a professor of jurisprudence at Princeton University, spoke for the 2014 Pope Lecture Series about constitutional structures and limited governments, an event funded by a donation from the John W. Pope Foundation.
George, who never explicitly stated his political views, spoke about the importance of limited government to ensure that people reach their maximum potential.
George said that the only way rulers can remain public servants is if they restrain themselves from overreaching into the lives of the general public, and constitutionally, they are only to intervene when non-governmental entities do not suffice.
George also said that in an overreaching government, people and institutions can become completely dependent on government money and thus become ineffective.
According to George, families, religious institutions and other support organizations should be the primary source for public aid.
George briefly spoke about the Affordable Care Act, saying it is unconstitutional to force people to purchase a good or service.
According to George, the common good requires rulers and for these rulers to use their power to make decisions to benefit the common good.
“We don’t wait for customs or traditions to accomplish that,” George said. “We have institutions we’ve created and maintain to do that.”
George said that in order for something to be right and pertain to the common good, it must be “just.”
“Injustice harms the common good, and a harm to that order is a loss for everyone,” George said. “Even the beneficiaries and perpetrators because we all have a common goal. It’s for their good to live in a just society.”
George said that the reason the public should value democratic governments is because they allow for just conclusions to be made.
“We no longer need to pull out our guns, we tried that and it didn’t work,” George said. “We can vote and while the issue may not go away, people can live with the outcome because of the fairness.”
George spoke about the importance of government facilitation rather than complete government intervention, saying that the role of government is to be an auxiliary aid that enables people to work toward the common good for themselves.
In not allowing people the liberty to solve problems they could solve on their own or with the help of a non-governmental source, George said rulers cease to be public servants.
Robyn Sanders, a senior in political science who said she identifies as a democrat, said she has attended other lectures and feels that they have been overwhelmingly conservative.
“I can’t remember the last time I witnessed a more liberal speaker,” Sanders said. “I think they should do a better job to ensure that it is more representative of both sides. Like the dean said, it should be a safe environment to discuss dangerous issues, but you need to be given both sides or you are left defending yourself alone.”
Sam Potter, a freshman in political science who said he identifies as a conservative, said he has attended other political lectures and thinks the University does a decent job in offering lectures that cover both sides of the political spectrum.
