Jim Dwyer on Homeschooling Philosophy, Law, and Regulation

James Dwyer is a professor of law at William & Mary Law School and the co-author of Homeschooling: The History & Philosophy of a Controversial Practice (University of Chicago Press, 2019). Following the arc of Jim’s excellent book (co-authored with historian Shawn Peters), we discuss some foundational questions related to homeschooling, such as: What is the state’s role in family affairs? To what extent are children their own people? What basic human goods does every young person deserve to access? And most interestingly, what is the proper way to regulate homeschooling in the United States? Professor Dwyer received his law degree from Yale Law School and a Ph.D. in political and moral philosophy from Stanford University. He teaches Family Law and Youth Law (among other subjects) and has authored a half dozen books and dozens of articles on child-welfare related topics.