The most important epistemological conflict of our time is not between a belief in science and a belief in religion, but between belief and denial of mankind’s transcendence. As the world has grown more secular, people increasingly search for technological solutions to non-technological problems. Many academics, bureaucrats, and ordinary citizens believe in perfecting the world through science or “expert management,” but this pursuit misses a fundamental truth about human nature. Namely, that we are fallen and imperfectible creatures, bound to make mistakes. Denying this truth risks abridging human freedom because truth and freedom are fundamentally related.

The Honorable Janice Rogers Brown, retired judge of the United States Circuit Court for the District of Columbia, delivers an evening plenary address as part of Acton University 2018 on June 21, 2018 at DeVos Place in Grand Rapids, Michigan.