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CATEGORY: CONSERVATISM (29 MIN)
The New York Times hardly stands as a bastion of conservative thought, and some of its readers have long discarded the idea of a balanced journalistic diet. But one conservative writer remains respected by many NYT consumers, and his continued influence keeps progressives curious about what their opponents really believe.
In The New Yorker, Isaac Chotiner profiles Ross Douthat, an alumnus of ISI's Collegiate Network and NYT columnist, allowing Douthat to discuss his work, his faith journey, and his family life in significant detail. Chotiner chronicles Douthat’s career and reminds readers that 15 years ago, Douthat was already calling for Republicans to adopt more family-focused and working-class policies.
Chotiner analyzes Douthat’s unique combination of strong religious conservatism and self-described “conspiracy-adjacent views” with his critiques of the GOP and his opposition to Donald Trump. Douthat advocates strong pro-life positions and warns of the secularizing of America, yet he uniquely commands the attention of leftist readers who would otherwise discount or disdain others with the same arguments.
Chotiner also gives Douthat’s perspectives on the relationship between church and state, examining Douthat’s pairing of strong Catholic faith with pragmatic criticisms of those further to his right.
Read Chotiner’s balanced and comprehensive article right here.
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Weekly Poll
RESULTS: 9/7/23
Last week, we asked: What should conservatives focus on? Here are the results:
[A] Unity against the left - 35.7%
[B] Correct principles - 61.9%
[C] Unsure - 2.4%
Should conservatives try to persuade liberals?
[A] No, we should focus on appealing to the base
[B] Yes, persuasion is still important
[C] Unsure
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CATEGORY: CULTURE (19 MIN)
Ross Douthat’s concern about the rise of secularism and lack of church attendance may be fair, but that doesn’t mean that religion is on the decline. After all, many different religions have existed throughout history, and when one falls, another usually takes its place. If Americans are leaving Christianity, they’re probably joining something else.
For First Things, Louise Perry argues that the United States and the rest of the West are experiencing a revival of paganism. She begins by defining paganism, revealing its uncomfortably close relationship with the Christian church throughout history. Drawing on thinkers like T. S. Eliot, Perry says paganism differs from Christianity in its focus on the power of this world and a disdain for weakness.
In the American context, she focuses largely on the debate about abortion, detailing the beliefs of Peter Singer and other thinkers who take the pro-abortion argument to its logical conclusion: that killing some newborn babies should be legally acceptable. And Perry connects this movement to the rise in Canada of physician-assisted suicide. She notes that advocates of both these horrific beliefs phrase their arguments in terms of kindness and treat death in a strangely “sacred” way.
If you deny the sacredness of life while sanitizing death, Perry writes, you are a modern-day pagan.
Read her full thoughts here.
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CATEGORY: PODCAST EPISODE
In this episode, Zena Hitz joins the podcast to talk about:
- the enduring value and necessity of a liberal arts education
- how class and economic considerations describe the shifts towards “practical” studies and coursework to the neglect of “the fundamental questions”
- the connection between ascetic practice and proper reasoning, and how education requires retreat from the present things
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 >>>
American Economic Forum
November 1st, 2023
ISI invites you to our 2023 American Economic Forum to hear leading conservative economists, political leaders, and intellectuals discuss how to untangle the American economic crisis. Join us on November 1st at the Catholic University of America for a discussion of the central economic issues that we face today and how to chart a better course for a more prosperous, humane economy.
You’ll hear panels and lectures on a range of important topics such as AI, social capital, immigration and wages, American economic history, and more.
Students can register for this conference FOR FREE. Reserve your seat here!
Join us in Washington, DC >>>
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Because our student editors and writers are bravely bringing conservative ideas to their campuses, we’re highlighting their efforts here.
The Inside Story of Why UChicago Fell from First Place to Thirteenth in FIRE’s Free Speech Rankings via The Chicago Thinker
“Sean Stevens, FIRE’s director of polling and analytics, told the Thinker that ‘there is a singular reason’ for UChicago’s fall: the school’s controversial refusal to give registered student organization (RSO) status to the campus chapter of Turning Point USA (TPUSA).”
The Collegiate Commons unmasks teacher secretly harassing pro-life students online via The Collegiate Commons
“The Collegiate Commons discovered through publicly available information the owner of an Instagram account that appears to frequently harass pro-life students, teens, and minors is Colleen Luckett, a forty-nine-year-old self-employed English as a Second Language (ESL) instructor in Denver, Colorado.”
Drag show planned at Notre Dame via The Irish Rover
“The Film, Television, and Theatre Department (FTT) intends to bring a drag performance to Notre Dame’s campus on Friday, November 3, the Rover learned in an interview with FTT professor Pam Wojcik.” This article was mentioned in a piece by TheBlaze.
Free expression year launches with a law school panel via The Cornell Review
“A panel of law professors discussed the purpose of academic freedom in a Law School event that kicked off Cornell's theme year.”
Cities Are Prioritizing Illegal Migrants Over Citizens, and Ann Arbor Could Soon Be One of Them via The Michigan Review
“Though Ann Arbor has not officially declared itself as a sanctuary city, the city council has passed ordinances instructing the police to no longer cooperate with the law by ignoring the immigration status of those they apprehend.”
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CATEGORY: CULTURE (11 MIN)
Conservatives have long debated the worth, usefulness, and effects of our ever-changing technological revolution. Does social media have a generally good or bad impact on society? Are the medical advances that save more human lives worth the cost in morally questionable research tactics?
None of these questions seem to have easy answers, and three years ago, Ross Douthat gave his own take on technological progress and its relationship with American culture in his book The Decadent Society: How We Became the Victims of Our Own Success. For this week’s Intercollegiate Review archive, Patrick Deneen reviews Douthat’s book and shares his own thoughts on culture and technology.
Deneen starts with Douthat’s perspectives. He writes that Douthat diagnoses society with a case of decadence, which expresses itself (in part) as technological deceleration and stagnation. As part of the solution to this decadence, Douthat encourages a revival of scientific advance towards the inventions and innovations that Americans should have developed long ago.
Deneen pushes back on Douthat’s perspective on technology, pointing to advances like widespread birth control and virtual connections that devalue physical ones as harms to society.
“What if we are experiencing decline masked as progress, not mere stagnation?” Deneen asks.
Read Deneen’s review in full right here.
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Thought of the Day:
“These are the days when the Christian is expected to praise every creed except his own.”
- G.K. Chesterton
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Join ISI’s new Alumni Giving Club
It’s never been easier for you to support our mission—and stay part of our community—with ISI’s new Alumni Giving Club!
For just $19.53 a month, you can join the fight and “pay it forward” by educating the next generation for ordered liberty.
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