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CATEGORY: EDUCATION (16 MIN)
More than 30 years have passed since the end of the Cold War and the West’s victory over Communist Russia. Despite this defeat, Communism never fully died. It still lives in some nations and, most subversively, in the halls of American higher education.
In his Substack, Richard Hanania reviews Chris Rufo’s new book, America’s Cultural Revolution: How the Radical Left Conquered Everything. Rufo explores the lives of four scholars who perpetuated Marxist ideals through their work and, in doing so, corrupted many American students. They created political organizations and academic movements that shaped the modern college environment.
Hanania provides his own perspectives on Rufo’s work, discussing his thoughts on the origins of the woke scholarly mind. He mostly agrees with Rufo’s points, although he believes the intellectuals behind leftism had less of an impact than Rufo does. But Hanania does point to connections between the excesses of the civil rights movement and radical academics.
Hanania praises Rufo for bringing the stories of these heinous individuals to light, as it could encourage political action to save modern education. Because of phenomena like the school choice movement and pushback against Critical Race Theory, Hanania has hope for the future.
Read Hanania’s entire review here.
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Weekly Poll
RESULTS: 7/13/23
Last week, we asked: Should immigration from the global South to France go up or down? 93.2% of respondents answered "down" and 2.3% answered "up or remain the same."
Are most universities good or bad for America?
[A] Mostly good
[B] Mostly bad
[C] Unsure
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CATEGORY: CULTURE (6 MIN)
In 2023, the ideas of masculinity and femininity have never seemed more confusing to the average American. It’s even become controversial to say that there are certain inherent substantive differences between the sexes. Yet at the same time, everyone seems to acknowledge that men, in particular, have problems—why the contradiction?
Conor Fitzgerald, in his Substack, discusses phenomenon on social media of many women holding deep interest in the troubles of men. He asks why women have this curious nature while men seem to talk about their problems less.
Fitzgerald posits a few explanations. The first is the more natural empathetic nature of women who see the struggles of men close to them. The second relies on modern feminists, who try to save the patriarchal narrative by frantically arguing that, despite growing female success, men still oppress women—they’re just held back by their own mental problems.
His third explanation highlights women writers who are trying to unravel the political polarization between the sexes. And finally, Fitzgerald discusses the contradiction between traditional male desires for success and a culture which emphasizes traditional female preferences. Fitzgerald also notes that this explanation many also reveal why men may fear to talk about masculinity—the culture judges them harshly.
Read his full analysis here.
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CATEGORY: PODCAST EPISODE
In this episode, Joseph DeReuil, a student at Notre Dame and editor-in-chief emeritus of ND’s Irish Rover, joins the podcast to talk about:
- being sued by a Notre Dame professor
- what life is like on a Catholic college campus like Notre Dame, and how ISI and the Collegiate Network has helped him make a difference
- what aspiring journalists should pay attention to when honing their skills
Texts Mentioned:
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ISI’s 70th Anniversary Gala &
Linda L. Bean Center Dedication
September 28th, 2023
This fall, join us at our 70th Anniversary Gala featuring Tucker Carlson, Kevin Roberts, the president of the Heritage Foundation, and Linda Bean, entrepreneur and philanthropist. Together these are some of the most influential figures in America today.
We will also host a pre-event panel featuring longtime friends of ISI including Annette Kirk (Russell Kirk Center), Gene Meyer (The Federalist Society), Ed Feulner (The Heritage Foundation), and Dan McCarthy (ISI), discussing the 70th anniversary of three conservative classics: Russell Kirk’s The Conservative Mind, Leo Strauss’ Natural Right and History, and Robert Nisbet’s The Quest for Community.
We will have a lobster dinner in honor of Tucker and Linda’s mutual connection to the state of Maine, and seating will be limited to 150 guests. Our VIP ticket holders will have the chance to meet ISI trustees and event speakers in a private reception beforehand.
Reserve your tickets here!
Join us in Wilmington, DE >>>
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Because our student editors and writers are bravely bringing conservative ideas to their campuses, we’re highlighting their efforts here.
Three Top 14 Law Reviews Are Discriminating against Conservatives; Some Schools Slow-Walk Acceptances via The Chicago Thinker
“Law reviews at three T-14 law schools, Columbia (#8), Northwestern (#10), and Stanford (#1), are engaging in underhanded discrimination against conservative students. And at the University of Chicago Law School (#3), journal acceptances have been unexpectedly delayed for reasons that are not yet clear.”
The Ann Arbor City Council Wants to Make the City as Dangerous as Possible via The Michigan Review
“The resolution to ban traffic stops for minor traffic violations is titled the ‘Driving Equality Ordinance,’ and Ann Arbor’s reasoning for such a proposal was reportedly ‘racial inequality . . . endemic in the criminal justice system.’”
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CATEGORY: EDUCATION (29 MIN)
These academics who provide a far-left education which indoctrinates millions of Americans could at least earn some respect if they practiced what they preached. Intellectual consistency, after all, deserves some regard. Yet nearly every scholar and administrator in higher education lives as a walking contradiction—one which highlights how absurd their beliefs actually are.
In this week’s Intercollegiate Review archive, Mark Bauerlein details several of these contradictions to show the problems with a progressive approach to education. Bauerlein starts with the leftist idea that all histories have equal importance for students; not just U.S. history. But at the same time, those who hire history majors would be flabbergasted if candidates did not know parts of American history (and they wouldn’t worry as much about finer world history details).
Bauerlein then discusses the progressive impulse to balance the sexes in academic hiring. But male professors who hold to this egalitarian belief don’t resign or retire—they simply bemoan the supposed problem and continue making money. Bauerlein says these leftist beliefs destroy the excellence of the humanities.
“When aesthetic and intellectual judgments lose their predominance in the humanities, their study appeals to ever fewer students,” he writes.
Discover all of Bauerlein’s examples here.
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Thought of the Day:
“So much of left-wing thought is a kind of playing with fire by people who don't even know that fire is hot.”
- George Orwell
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Who We Are, What We Do
Too many college students feel isolated or attacked for questioning the ever-narrowing range of debate on campus.
We introduce you to the American tradition of liberty and to a vibrant community of students and scholars so that you get the collegiate experience you hunger for.
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