“Linking religious, political, and economic liberty, the Judeo-Christian culture has established the rule of law, codified respect for human rights, and conceived constitutional democracy. It has engendered the development of science and technology, as well as economic creativity and innovation.”
– The Discovery Institute
Headquartered in Seattle, the Discovery Institute is an intellectual jewel of our nation. It has an impact upon our lives by coalescing top scholars from around the globe to explore how “science and technology can advance free markets, illuminate public policy, and support human dignity and the metaphysical foundations of a free society.” As mentioned on its website:
Founded in 1991 by Bruce Chapman and George Gilder, the Discovery Institute is a non-profit, non-partisan organization focused on research, education, action, and cultural renewal. . . . It organizes conferences, seminars, and educational programs for both young people and adults. It produces and disseminates books, articles, reports, and a wide array of multimedia content designed to inform the public. Join us, and together we can change our world.
Five Themes
The Discovery Institute is organized around five major themes: intelligent design, economics, technology, education, and additional programs. Let’s highlight each:
(1) Intelligent Design: Center for Science & Culture. The teleological argument for the existence of God can be summarized as: “If design exists, then a Designer exists. Design exists. Thus, a Designer exists.” Such a simple argument puts “first things first” — that is, the existence of God and thus a God-based society. As the Center for Science & Culture proclaims: “Human beings and nature are the result of intelligent design rather than a blind and undirected process.” That sacred truth needs to be defended because, as the cornerstone of a successful society, it has profound implications for our rights, our freedoms, and the moral law. Our rights originate from God, not government; our freedoms must be protected in order to fulfill the telos of our design by a purposeful Designer; and the moral law rooted in God’s good nature is a bulwark against tyranny because the moral rules are not man-made and therefore cannot be unmade by man. Vice President John G. West plays a leading role in promoting a God-based society and recently published the book Endowed By Our Creator:
You can see his video here:
The theme of Intelligent Design also includes discussions about the origins of life, evolution, DNA, and Imagio Dei. “The Center for Science and Culture has 40 affiliated academic Fellows representing disciplines such as physics, astronomy, chemistry, molecular and cellular biology, biochemistry, microbiology, mathematics, history and philosophy of science, law and political science.” Essentially, this Center stands strongly against the godless materialism mindset that dominates much of academia today.
(2) Economics: Center on Wealth & Poverty. The Mission of Discovery Institute’s Center on Wealth & Poverty is this: “To apply the perennial truths of economics and ethics to the urgent challenges of today. We are building a sustained argument against the progressive ideological regime that increasingly dominates America’s institutions and rebuilding the foundation of the nation’s first principles: freedom, equality, charity, and the pursuit of happiness for all.” George Gilder is the featured scholar here, as is his classic Wealth & Poverty (1981), which presents perennial truths about what causes wealth and poverty. Gilder’s defense of free-market capitalism as the engine of wealth is impressive, and he emphasizes the serious threat of a large, regulating, bureaucratic government’s role to stifle such wealth creation. In short, big government’s over-regulation makes us poorer because it restrains innovation; and big government’s welfare programs hurt families because they devalue the father. “The welfare culture,” says Gilder, “tells the man he is not a necessary part of the family; he feels dispensable, his wife knows he is dispensable, his children sense it.” He also states unapologetically: “The first priority of any serious program against poverty is to strengthen the male role in poor families.”
Here’s a sample of Gilder’s insights in “Why Capitalism Works”:
(3) Technology: Natural and Artificial Intelligence. The third theme of technology showcases the Walter Bradley Center for Natural and Artificial Intelligence, whose mission is this: “To explore the benefits as well as the challenges raised by artificial intelligence (AI) in light of the enduring truth of human exceptionalism. People know at a fundamental level that they are not machines. But faulty thinking can cause people to assent to views that in their heart of hearts they know to be untrue. The Bradley Center seeks to help individuals — and our society at large — to realize that we are not machines while at the same time helping to put machines (especially computers and AI) in proper perspective.” To see insights about “Artificial Intelligence Hype”, click here:
The third theme of technology also includes support for driverless cars. “The ACES Northwest Network is focused on developing and promoting these new mobility technologies, because together they promise to create a future that is far better than any one of these technologies could produce alone.” ACES is the acronym for Autonomous, Connected, Electric, and Shared. Finally, technology includes the “Technology & Democracy Project” that aims “to promote governmental attitudes that are pro-technology and pro-free enterprise.”
(4) Education: American Center for Transforming Education. The fourth theme for the Discovery Institute is education. Dr. Keri D. Ingraham heads up the American Center for Transforming Education: “The mission of Discovery Institute’s American Center for Transforming Education is to work with state government policymakers, parents, educators, business leaders, and other education stakeholders to transform our nation’s education system. We advocate for policies that empower parents, promote innovation, and equip students with the skills, knowledge, and character necessary to thrive as citizens in their communities and as contributors to our increasingly competitive economy.” At its heart, this Center advocates for school choice, which empowers parents to select the school that best fits their needs. School choice is a pro-family reform that our nation needs. Click the image below to see Dr. Ingraham being interviewed:
(5) Additional Programs. Finally, in addition to the four major Centers above, the Discovery Institute offers other programs on: Human Exceptionalism; Citizen Leadership; Regional Development, especially electric transportation; Religion, Liberty, and Civic Life; and finally, International Affairs.
Changing the World by Changing Our Ideas
“Ideas rule the world,” an old saying goes. Any organization that seeks to love our neighbors and a society must first understand the fundamental role ideas play. Ideas inspire our choices, and they shape our relationships with each other and to the natural world around us. Those choices and relationships form our souls and society at large. As a premier institution of world-class academics, the Discovery Institute understands the central role of ideas to navigate a successful society through our modern era. May the history books of our nation give due tribute to the role of the Discovery Institute for upholding ideas that link religious, political, and economic liberty in order to bolster the Judeo-Christian tradition. In that spirit, and to that shared common goal, FPIW is proud to be a Strategic Partner with the Discovery Institute.