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Robert A. Ballingall

Robert A. Ballingall

The Conversation

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Today’s irreverent politics ignore ancient wisdom: The need to know your limits

Today’s irreverent politics ignore ancient wisdom: The need to know your limits

Many Americans have decried today’s politics as ‘shameless.’ The antidote, a political philosopher argues, may be more reverence – awe at just...

13.10.2026 5

The Conversation

Robert A. Ballingall

69% of Americans think the founders would be disappointed in democracy today. A French philosopher predicted why

James Madison called Montesquieu "the oracle who is always consulted," and his theory of liberty as "tranquility of mind" is worth revisiting now.

04.07.2026 20

Fortune

Robert A. Ballingall

As the US turns 250, a forgotten founding influence helps explain its current unease

Montesquieu shaped how Americans understood liberty, and his warning about a ‘tyranny of opinion’ speaks to today’s polarization.

02.07.2026 20

The Conversation

Robert A. Ballingall