# Was Madison an Original Thinker?

Gary Rosen discussed the nature of James Madison's political philosophy at this symposium celebrating the 250th anniversary of Madison's birth. It is said that he is a liberal or a republican, a nationalist or an advocate of states' rights, a follower of the "court" party or of its "country" rival. Taxonomies seldom do justice to individuals, and this is especially true when dealing with a thinker of Madison's depth. Madison was more than just a supremely capable politician and legislator. He was a self-consciously philosophical statesman, one who freely related the issues of his day to a wider theory of politics.

- Kind: Talk
- Year: 2001
- By: Library Of Congress. Manuscript Division
- Genres: History
- Archive: [Library of Congress](https://www.loc.gov/item/2021688077/)
- Licence or status: Rights statement at the Library of Congress (as the archive states it)
- Credit: Library of Congress
- Who can watch: Tweens profiles and older (the archive gives no rating; placed by Invisible Network from its collection and subjects)

[Watch now](https://invisiblenetwork.ai/watch/archive/loc/2021688077?play=1)