| From | Intercollegiate Review <[email protected]> |
| Subject | Reagan and the legacy of fusionism |
| Date | November 30, 2023 7:09 PM |
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Was Ronald Reagan more of a populist or a fusionist? | Read Intercollegiate Review every Thursday for the best of intellectual conservative thought.
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CATEGORY: CONSERVATISM (7 MIN)
Resurrecting Reagan
[link removed]
For American conservatives, perhaps no name evokes stronger emotion than that of our fortieth president, Ronald Reagan. Reagan stood at the forefront of a conservative revolution, leading the country during a time of economic recovery and helping orchestrate the closing days of the Cold War. His relentless optimism inspired millions.
Today, many strands of conservatives wish to draw on Reagan as a muse. And just last month, ISI hosted a Modern Age debate
[link removed]
over Reagan’s beliefs. Washington Post writer Henry Olsen argued Reagan stood for more populist ideas than people might think, while scholar and author Donald Devine characterized Reagan as a fusionist with many libertarian solutions.
Devine continued his argument in the pages of The American Spectator
[link removed]
, battling Olsen’s contentions, in particular the idea that Reagan was in some way an FDR-style New Dealer. Devine cites multiple sources and his own personal experience in the Reagan administration to highlight the contrasts between Reagan and FDR. Devine points to cuts to Social Security, proposed reductions in Medicare, and non-defense spending cutbacks as evidence.
Devine also clashes with Olsen over fusionism, the mixing of traditionalist values and libertarian freedom. In fact, much of their Reagan row seems to serve as a proxy for the fight between populist conservatism and fusionism.
Read Devine’s article and learn more about this debate here
[link removed]
.
Read Now
[link removed]
Weekly Poll
RESULTS: 11/23/23
Last week, we asked: What is the best Thanksgiving side dish? Here are the results:
[A] Stuffing - 53.1%
[B] Mashed potatoes - 18.4%
[C] Green bean casserole - 6.1%
[D] Roasted brussels sprouts - 6.1%
[E] Sweet potato casserole - 12.2%
[F] Other - 4.1%
Do you think Ronald Reagan was more of a populist or a fusionist?
[A] Populist
[B] Fusionist
[C] Unsure
[link removed]
[link removed]
CATEGORY: CONSERVATISM (22 MIN)
Whose liberalism?
[link removed]
Notre Dame professor and author Patrick Deneen earned a great deal of attention for his 2018 work Why Liberalism Failed, in which he criticized liberalism in its many forms. Deneen would include both progressive and classical liberalism in that critique. His writing attracted many responses, including from Yale Law professor Samuel Moyn in a 2023 book: Liberalism against Itself: Cold War Intellectuals and the Making of Our Times.
In American Affairs
[link removed]
, Deneen replies to Moyn’s new book, revealing their differing characterizations of liberalism and their thoughts about the best future for American thought. Deneen mentions many of his agreements with Moyn, including their shared belief that “neoliberalism,” which stemmed from Cold War liberalism, has harmed the West. But then Deneen digs into the meat of their disagreement.
Deneen says Moyn separates liberalism into two progressive and classical strands, and that Moyn believes parts of liberalism are worth saving. Deneen, on the other hand, argues the two strands cannot really be separated from one another, since “progressive” liberalism stems from “classical” liberalism. Deneen also “would prefer to bury them both” rather than resuscitating that which cannot be saved.
Deneen also dives into a deep analysis of the other contentions in Moyn’s book. Read his full essay right here
[link removed]
.
Read Now
[link removed]
[link removed]
CATEGORY: PODCAST EPISODE
Thanksgiving & the Pilgrims | Susan Hanssen
[link removed]
In this episode, Professor Susan Hanssen joins the podcast to discuss:
the quintessentially American holiday of Thanksgiving and its history
how the Puritans and Pilgrims fit into the British political and cultural experience, how they end up in America, and how they shape America today
what remains in the American project as a “remnant” that’s powerful and worth conserving today
Texts Mentioned:
Thanksgiving Proclamation of 1789
[link removed]
by George Washington
William Bradford’s Journal
[link removed]
“A Model of Christian Charity”
[link removed]
by John Winthrop
Notes on the State of Virginia
[link removed]
by Thomas Jefferson
Proclamation of Thanksgiving
[link removed]
by Abraham Lincoln
Reflections on the Revolution in France
[link removed]
by Edmund Burke
The Mayflower Compact
[link removed]
A Defence of the Constitutions of the Government of the United States
[link removed]
by John Adams
The Captive Mind
[link removed]
by Czeslaw Milosz
The Conservative Mind
[link removed]
by Russell Kirk
The Roots of American Order
[link removed]
by Russell Kirk
“How America’s Adams Family Inherited and Preserved the Pilgrim Mind”
[link removed]
by Susan Hanssen
Watch Now
[link removed]
[link removed]
Christmas Open House
December 12th, 2023
Join ISI this Christmas and Holiday season at our Christmas Open House
[link removed]
in our newly dedicated Linda L. Bean Conference Center.
This festive evening will feature local award-winning historian W. Barksdale Maynard from the University of Delaware. He will speak on his book The Brandywine: An Intimate Portrait. From the Battle of the Brandywine in 1777—a character-forming crucible of war for George Washington—to the rise of the Brandywine School of Art, our region has made rich contributions to American liberty, arts, and culture.
Don't miss an open bar reception, lecture, and Q&A as we celebrate the Brandywine Valley’s contributions to the American tradition!
Join us in Wilmington, DE >>>
[link removed]
Because our student editors and writers are bravely bringing conservative ideas to their campuses, we’re highlighting their efforts here.
We Need Allies Across the Political Spectrum: Riley Gaines
[link removed]
via The Minnesota Republic
“Twelve-time All-American swimmer Riley Gaines Barker spoke at a forum in Coffman Union, hosted by Students for a Conservative Voice, on November 27. She spoke about when she faced an unfair challenge at the 2022 NCAA Women’s Swimming Championship: Tied down to one-hundredth of a second, Riley shared the pool with transgender swimmer Lia Thomas.”
An Interview with Wes Virdell
[link removed]
via The Texas Horn
“Wesley ‘Wes’ Virdell is a Republican candidate in the race for Texas House District 53, currently represented by Andrew Murr... Virdell, who also serves as the state director of Gun Owners of America (GOA), previously challenged
[link removed]
Representative Murr in the 2022 Republican Primary.”
An interview with John Medaille on healthcare reform
[link removed]
via The Collegiate Commons
“While many students may pass by Indiana University Hospital on their way to class, 87 percent
[link removed]
of rural Indiana residents live in a primary care shortage area. Healthcare costs have also risen enough for the Indiana legislature to form a special committee
[link removed]
to figure out how to address the problem. As such, The Collegiate Commons took the opportunity to review the healthcare policies put forward by John C. Medaille, retired businessman and theology instructor at the University of Dallas, in Towards a Truly Free Market
[link removed]
.”
Thinking About Rome
[link removed]
via The Stanford Review
“As the [TikTok] trend implies, the Roman Empire has been top of mind for at least half of America recently. But this fixation on Rome stretches far beyond grapes and aqueducts. Implicit in American men’s affinity for Rome is a chilling recognition that our empire is mirroring its descent from glory.”
CATEGORY: ECONOMY (9 MIN)
Morals and money
[link removed]
The continuing debate over the moral and economic framework for America has generated many different opinions about the capitalist system at the heart of our country. Some have criticized capitalism as hopelessly immoral, others proclaim it as the genius of the nation, and still others bring many levels of nuance to their interpretation.
Donald Devine brought his own perspective to this issue in his 2021 book The Enduring Tension: Capitalism and the Moral Order. For this week’s Intercollegiate Review
[link removed]
archive, Alexander William Salter reviews Devine’s book and helps to communicate his ideas about markets and conservatism. He specifically focuses on two of Devine’s arguments.
First, Salter argues, along with Devine, that market liberalism developed out of a wide breadth of medieval institutions and historical tradition. Salter claims this opposes Patrick Deneen’s argument that market liberalism broke from traditional wisdom. And second, Salter discusses Devine’s emphasis on the necessity of Western tradition to ground market liberalism as a “legitimizing source”—in other words, the tension of fusionism.
“For those comfortable with the tension between liberty and order, who can even find something creative and compelling in that tension, Devine’s conclusions give reasons for hope,” Salter writes.
Read his entire review here
[link removed]
.
Read Now
[link removed]
Thought of the Day:
“If we ever forget that we're one nation under God, then we will be one nation gone under.”
- Ronald Reagan
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.
Join the Club
[link removed]
Follow on Twitter Friend on Facebook Forward to Friend
Copyright © 2023, All rights reserved.
Our mailing address is:
Intercollegiate Studies Institute
3901 Centerville Road
Wilmington, DE 19807
unsubscribe from all emails
[link removed]
update subscription preferences
[link removed]
Email not displaying correctly?
View it in your browser
[link removed]
.
[link removed]
CATEGORY: CONSERVATISM (7 MIN)
Resurrecting Reagan
[link removed]
For American conservatives, perhaps no name evokes stronger emotion than that of our fortieth president, Ronald Reagan. Reagan stood at the forefront of a conservative revolution, leading the country during a time of economic recovery and helping orchestrate the closing days of the Cold War. His relentless optimism inspired millions.
Today, many strands of conservatives wish to draw on Reagan as a muse. And just last month, ISI hosted a Modern Age debate
[link removed]
over Reagan’s beliefs. Washington Post writer Henry Olsen argued Reagan stood for more populist ideas than people might think, while scholar and author Donald Devine characterized Reagan as a fusionist with many libertarian solutions.
Devine continued his argument in the pages of The American Spectator
[link removed]
, battling Olsen’s contentions, in particular the idea that Reagan was in some way an FDR-style New Dealer. Devine cites multiple sources and his own personal experience in the Reagan administration to highlight the contrasts between Reagan and FDR. Devine points to cuts to Social Security, proposed reductions in Medicare, and non-defense spending cutbacks as evidence.
Devine also clashes with Olsen over fusionism, the mixing of traditionalist values and libertarian freedom. In fact, much of their Reagan row seems to serve as a proxy for the fight between populist conservatism and fusionism.
Read Devine’s article and learn more about this debate here
[link removed]
.
Read Now
[link removed]
Weekly Poll
RESULTS: 11/23/23
Last week, we asked: What is the best Thanksgiving side dish? Here are the results:
[A] Stuffing - 53.1%
[B] Mashed potatoes - 18.4%
[C] Green bean casserole - 6.1%
[D] Roasted brussels sprouts - 6.1%
[E] Sweet potato casserole - 12.2%
[F] Other - 4.1%
Do you think Ronald Reagan was more of a populist or a fusionist?
[A] Populist
[B] Fusionist
[C] Unsure
[link removed]
[link removed]
CATEGORY: CONSERVATISM (22 MIN)
Whose liberalism?
[link removed]
Notre Dame professor and author Patrick Deneen earned a great deal of attention for his 2018 work Why Liberalism Failed, in which he criticized liberalism in its many forms. Deneen would include both progressive and classical liberalism in that critique. His writing attracted many responses, including from Yale Law professor Samuel Moyn in a 2023 book: Liberalism against Itself: Cold War Intellectuals and the Making of Our Times.
In American Affairs
[link removed]
, Deneen replies to Moyn’s new book, revealing their differing characterizations of liberalism and their thoughts about the best future for American thought. Deneen mentions many of his agreements with Moyn, including their shared belief that “neoliberalism,” which stemmed from Cold War liberalism, has harmed the West. But then Deneen digs into the meat of their disagreement.
Deneen says Moyn separates liberalism into two progressive and classical strands, and that Moyn believes parts of liberalism are worth saving. Deneen, on the other hand, argues the two strands cannot really be separated from one another, since “progressive” liberalism stems from “classical” liberalism. Deneen also “would prefer to bury them both” rather than resuscitating that which cannot be saved.
Deneen also dives into a deep analysis of the other contentions in Moyn’s book. Read his full essay right here
[link removed]
.
Read Now
[link removed]
[link removed]
CATEGORY: PODCAST EPISODE
Thanksgiving & the Pilgrims | Susan Hanssen
[link removed]
In this episode, Professor Susan Hanssen joins the podcast to discuss:
the quintessentially American holiday of Thanksgiving and its history
how the Puritans and Pilgrims fit into the British political and cultural experience, how they end up in America, and how they shape America today
what remains in the American project as a “remnant” that’s powerful and worth conserving today
Texts Mentioned:
Thanksgiving Proclamation of 1789
[link removed]
by George Washington
William Bradford’s Journal
[link removed]
“A Model of Christian Charity”
[link removed]
by John Winthrop
Notes on the State of Virginia
[link removed]
by Thomas Jefferson
Proclamation of Thanksgiving
[link removed]
by Abraham Lincoln
Reflections on the Revolution in France
[link removed]
by Edmund Burke
The Mayflower Compact
[link removed]
A Defence of the Constitutions of the Government of the United States
[link removed]
by John Adams
The Captive Mind
[link removed]
by Czeslaw Milosz
The Conservative Mind
[link removed]
by Russell Kirk
The Roots of American Order
[link removed]
by Russell Kirk
“How America’s Adams Family Inherited and Preserved the Pilgrim Mind”
[link removed]
by Susan Hanssen
Watch Now
[link removed]
[link removed]
Christmas Open House
December 12th, 2023
Join ISI this Christmas and Holiday season at our Christmas Open House
[link removed]
in our newly dedicated Linda L. Bean Conference Center.
This festive evening will feature local award-winning historian W. Barksdale Maynard from the University of Delaware. He will speak on his book The Brandywine: An Intimate Portrait. From the Battle of the Brandywine in 1777—a character-forming crucible of war for George Washington—to the rise of the Brandywine School of Art, our region has made rich contributions to American liberty, arts, and culture.
Don't miss an open bar reception, lecture, and Q&A as we celebrate the Brandywine Valley’s contributions to the American tradition!
Join us in Wilmington, DE >>>
[link removed]
Because our student editors and writers are bravely bringing conservative ideas to their campuses, we’re highlighting their efforts here.
We Need Allies Across the Political Spectrum: Riley Gaines
[link removed]
via The Minnesota Republic
“Twelve-time All-American swimmer Riley Gaines Barker spoke at a forum in Coffman Union, hosted by Students for a Conservative Voice, on November 27. She spoke about when she faced an unfair challenge at the 2022 NCAA Women’s Swimming Championship: Tied down to one-hundredth of a second, Riley shared the pool with transgender swimmer Lia Thomas.”
An Interview with Wes Virdell
[link removed]
via The Texas Horn
“Wesley ‘Wes’ Virdell is a Republican candidate in the race for Texas House District 53, currently represented by Andrew Murr... Virdell, who also serves as the state director of Gun Owners of America (GOA), previously challenged
[link removed]
Representative Murr in the 2022 Republican Primary.”
An interview with John Medaille on healthcare reform
[link removed]
via The Collegiate Commons
“While many students may pass by Indiana University Hospital on their way to class, 87 percent
[link removed]
of rural Indiana residents live in a primary care shortage area. Healthcare costs have also risen enough for the Indiana legislature to form a special committee
[link removed]
to figure out how to address the problem. As such, The Collegiate Commons took the opportunity to review the healthcare policies put forward by John C. Medaille, retired businessman and theology instructor at the University of Dallas, in Towards a Truly Free Market
[link removed]
.”
Thinking About Rome
[link removed]
via The Stanford Review
“As the [TikTok] trend implies, the Roman Empire has been top of mind for at least half of America recently. But this fixation on Rome stretches far beyond grapes and aqueducts. Implicit in American men’s affinity for Rome is a chilling recognition that our empire is mirroring its descent from glory.”
CATEGORY: ECONOMY (9 MIN)
Morals and money
[link removed]
The continuing debate over the moral and economic framework for America has generated many different opinions about the capitalist system at the heart of our country. Some have criticized capitalism as hopelessly immoral, others proclaim it as the genius of the nation, and still others bring many levels of nuance to their interpretation.
Donald Devine brought his own perspective to this issue in his 2021 book The Enduring Tension: Capitalism and the Moral Order. For this week’s Intercollegiate Review
[link removed]
archive, Alexander William Salter reviews Devine’s book and helps to communicate his ideas about markets and conservatism. He specifically focuses on two of Devine’s arguments.
First, Salter argues, along with Devine, that market liberalism developed out of a wide breadth of medieval institutions and historical tradition. Salter claims this opposes Patrick Deneen’s argument that market liberalism broke from traditional wisdom. And second, Salter discusses Devine’s emphasis on the necessity of Western tradition to ground market liberalism as a “legitimizing source”—in other words, the tension of fusionism.
“For those comfortable with the tension between liberty and order, who can even find something creative and compelling in that tension, Devine’s conclusions give reasons for hope,” Salter writes.
Read his entire review here
[link removed]
.
Read Now
[link removed]
Thought of the Day:
“If we ever forget that we're one nation under God, then we will be one nation gone under.”
- Ronald Reagan
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.
Join the Club
[link removed]
Follow on Twitter Friend on Facebook Forward to Friend
Copyright © 2023, All rights reserved.
Our mailing address is:
Intercollegiate Studies Institute
3901 Centerville Road
Wilmington, DE 19807
unsubscribe from all emails
[link removed]
update subscription preferences
[link removed]
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