Thomas Aquinas College Lectures & Talks "Foreign Policy Principles Underlining the Constitution"
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Feb 27, 2026 
Dr. Thomas West, a scholar of political thought and constitutional history at Hillsdale College, gives a lecture on the Founders' foreign policy principles. He discusses natural rights and duties, how the Constitution limits foreign policy to defense, the founders' wariness of alliances, and the case for non‑intervention and national sovereignty. The talk traces this logic from Vattel to Monroe and contrasts it with 20th century globalism.
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Founders Ground Rights In Natural Law And Consent
- The Declaration grounds rights in natural law and limits government to securing those rights for consenting citizens only.
- Thomas West cites the Virginia and Massachusetts texts plus Federalist arguments to show consent makes membership and protection exclusive to citizens.
Foreign Policy Is Primarily National Defense
- The founders treated foreign policy primarily as the protection of the body politic and its citizens, distinct from domestic duties to secure rights and property.
- West cites the Massachusetts preamble and the U.S. Preamble to show common defense is the Constitution's explicit foreign-policy purpose.
War Was Seen As Defensive And Regrettable
- War is a legitimate but regrettable instrument reserved for defense; the Constitution empowers Congress to declare war and the President to conduct it.
- West uses the Barbary Wars and founders' citations to illustrate limited, defensive uses of force.
