Clarence Thomas lashes out against modern progressivism: ‘It seeks to replace the basic premises of the Declaration of Independence’

Supreme Court Justice Clarence Thomas delivered a scathing critique of modern progressivism during a speech Wednesday at the University of Texas in Austin.

During his remarks, Thomas described this political philosophy as an existential threat to the nation's founding principles, on the occasion of the commemoration of the 250th anniversary of the signing of the Declaration of Independence.

The justice, the longest-serving on the high court, urged new generations to reclaim and defend the values of the founders, which he said have "fallen out of favor" in recent decades. "I think if we don’t stand up and take ownership of our country, and take responsibility for it, we are slowly letting others control how we think and what we think," Thomas warned.

At the center of his remarks, the conservative justice drew a direct line between current progressivism and a departure from the original meaning of the Constitution. "Progressivism seeks to replace the basic premises of the Declaration of Independence, and hence our form of government."

Thomas explained that this philosophy holds that human rights and dignity do not come from God, but from the government itself, which demands from citizens "a subservience and weakness incompatible with a Constitution premised on the transcendent origin of our rights."

Thomas concluded with an optimistic and forceful call to action, especially directed at the law students present:

"In my view, we must find in ourselves that same level of courage that the signers of the Declaration have so that we can do for our future what they did for theirs," he said.

According to Thomas, the durability of American democracy depends on it.