How do philosophical and religious doctrines shape society? Volumes have been devoted to the subject, but this vast literature is often neglected in the day-to-day analyses of the pundit class and the policy community.
This oversight has come at great cost. Not only have the world’s major religious and philosophical traditions influenced the aspirations and attitudes of countless people around the world, but they have also helped shape the political, legal, and cultural norms and institutions that facilitate and constrain the actions of policymakers and the public.
The world’s religious and philosophical traditions offer alternative—often greatly conflicting—ideas about the proper structure of society, the limits of cooperative enterprise, the foundations of individual dignity and worth, and the significance of human agency. Independent Institute fellows are committed to understanding and engaging with this world of ideas. Their works illuminate the nature and consequences of these traditions and strive to promote ideas compatible with the advancement of human liberty.
