Abraham Lincoln’s Example of Statesmanship & Unity During the Civil War w/ Dan Mahoney & Jon Schaff

By the end of this section, you will explain how Lincoln’s leadership during the Civil War impacted American ideals over the course of the war

BRI Senior Teaching Fellow Tony Williams sits down with Jon Schaff, author and Northern State University professor of government, to discuss Lincoln's respect for civic virtues and why they are so important in a democracy. Schaff reviews the relationship between civic virtues and efficient political processes, emphasizing the importance of civil discourse. What are the dangers of passions in creating lawlessness and tyranny? And why are restraint, moderation, and prudence essential traits for a good ruler to possess? Schaff is the author of "Abraham Lincoln's Statesmanship and the Limits of Liberal Democracy" and "Age of Anxiety: Meaning, Identity, and Politics in 21st-Century Film and Literature." About Jon Schaff: Professor Schaff is a professor of government at Northern State University and specializes in the study of American political thought and institutions. He has published on the presidency and political thought of Abraham Lincoln, politics and literature, and politics and popular culture. He has been a department chair and faculty athletic representative and has received the Outstanding Faculty Award from NSU.

What constitutional principles comprised Lincoln’s political philosophy? In this Scholar Talk video, BRI Senior Teaching Fellow Tony Williams sits down with Lucas Morel, Professor of Politics at Washington & Lee University, to discuss Morel's new book, "Lincoln and the American Founding." Morel explains how the natural rights republicanism of the Declaration of Independence and the principles of the Constitution formed the foundation of Lincoln’s political philosophy. This philosophy also shaped Lincoln’s statesmanship regarding the moral evil of slavery. What is the relationship between political ideas and actions in pursuit of justice, and which civic virtues are necessary for a principled leader to rule justly?