Commentary
Viewpoints
Opinion
The Ideas That Formed the Constitution, Part 4: The Pioneers: Socrates, Xenophon, Plato, and the Founders

Greek philosopher Plato Aristocles (427-347 BC) with the philosopher and scientist Aristotle (384-322 BC). Picture Post/Getty Images
Robert G. Natelson, a former constitutional law professor who is senior fellow in constitutional jurisprudence at the Independence Institute in Denver, authored “The Original Constitution” (4th ed., 2025). He is a contributor to the Heritage Foundation’s “Heritage Guide to the Constitution.”
Author’s Selected Articles