Positions taken in Phi Beta Kappa orations between 1782 and 1837 were examined to determine whether partisan stands were taken on controversial issues. The orations that were located suggest that the speakers' social and political choices did not correlate with specific systems of ideas. The Enlightenment offered intellectual arguments as ways to oppose economic, political, and social transformations. For example, the power of human reason to discover a natural order in ethics, politics, and other realms received some attention. Orators with varying experiences employed the available philosophy in ways that helped them adapt to a developing market economy. Conflicts about the suitability of controversial oration topics arose because Americans were trying to shape their institutions. However, neither the personal nor educational backgrounds of the Phi Beta Kappa orators automatically served as a basis for predicting their responses to social and political questions. In the 19th century, educators aligned with the ruling orders found that the philosophy they advocated could promote unexpected consequences. Biographical information about Phi Beta Kappa anniversary orators during 1782-1837 is appended, along with a list of the orators and the title of their addresses, arranged by college/university and chronologically. A 15-page list of references concludes the dissertation. (SW)