Should Our Constitution Evolve Over Time?

What does it mean to preserve and defend the Constitution of the United States? As a nation, we are constantly growing and changing, as are the political climes in which we live. Ought not our founding document be allowed to shift with us, to meet the new demands of our advanced society? To do such a thing would be against its very definition, and against the spirit behind its creation. It is not in the nature of a statue to move, or to change. It is created immobile, to preserve the beauty of its form, and the artistry of the hand that made it. Just so with our founding document:

The following video is a clip from the Introduction to Hillsdale’s Online Course: “Constitution 101.” 

Even on the linguistic level, the Constitution is defined by its solidity, and unchangeableness. Adherence, then, seems a better response than innovation. 

Watch the full lecture

Transcript:

Let me pause that and bring up the Constitution because I'll tell you a weird thing. The word "constitution" and the word "statute" are cognate. That means they come from a common root in Latin, and the word "statue,” like the David, also comes from that root.  So you've got "constitution," "statute" and "statue." What the Latin word means is to set something up firmly in place so it will stay.  So you can see why a statue and a statute and especially a constitution aim to do that.