Plus, a modern Christmas classic. Spoiler: it’s a murder mystery

The best of intellectual conservative thought, every Thursday
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CATEGORY: JURISPRUDENCE (10 min)


** Clarence Thomas at the Crossroads ([link removed])
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Are the most pressing legal matters facing our nation bound to be determined either by legalistic originalism or realpolitik disguised as “living constitutionalism”?

If you’re a conservative, you have to wonder: Are those the only options?

Writing in Public Discourse, Christopher Goffos
argues ([link removed]) that Justice Clarence Thomas’s 1991 confirmation hearings offer us a blueprint for a better approach to constitutional interpretation today.

Goffos reads in Thomas’s remarks a distinctively American conception of natural law—one anchored in a text that predates even the Constitution itself.

What is that source . . .

And what makes Thomas’s insights so urgently needed today?

You’ll need to
turn to the text ([link removed]) yourself to answer those questions.

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CATEGORY: HOLIDAY READING (4 min)


** Christmas and the Uncanny ([link removed])
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The holidays are right around the corner. And, in First Things, John Wilson has the book ([link removed]) for your break: When Christmas Comes: A Yuletide Mystery, by Andrew Klavan.

It’s a novella, and an uncanny tale of “violence and betrayal and deceit” in small-town Ohio. But, Wilson
argues ([link removed]) , Klavan “refuses to harden his heart.”

Just in time for the holidays . . . a murder mystery?

And in this mystery and moral complexity, it becomes thoroughly Christmas-y. For “what is at the heart of the Christmas story, after all, but ‘the uncanny’ transformed into the blessedly ordinary, a baby . . . in his makeshift cradle?”

We're curious what you think about the connection Wilson makes between uncanny stories and novellas—and why it’s so important to see Christmas “from an unexpected angle” today.

You can find those insights
right here ([link removed]) . And who knows—you just might have found your post-Thanksgiving pleasure read.

Read Now » ([link removed])
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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 Racist Hypocrisy of Marquette University ([link removed]) via the Eagle Free Express

The Mask Hypocrisy Here is Ridiculous ([link removed]) via the Pepperdine Beacon
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CATEGORY: HUMANITIES (6 min)


** What Every Classics Major Should Know About the Discipline ([link removed])
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Ever found the Classics intimidating?

Maybe you want to read and study them but there are so many Greek and Latin names. So much drama.

How to Conquer Your Fear

The Classics might be Greek to most Americans, but they have lost none of their cultural relevance. From homilies to Hulu, the Classics continue to inform art, philosophy, and nearly every other field.

So this week’s Intercollegiate Review essay is an excerpt from Bruce S. Thornton’s guide to the Classics.

Get Introduced, Learn the Skills

Read Thornton’s guide ([link removed]) to learn:
* What the Classics really study
* The three skills Classics majors will draw on throughout their career
* The difference between ancient and modern understandings of classical poems and plays

If you’re thinking about studying the Classics, be sure to read this guide. And forward it to anyone you know who’s considering this path.

Read Now » ([link removed])
UPCOMING OPPORTUNITIES ([link removed])


** The George Washington Statesmanship Program, Application Deadline Dec. 3 ([link removed])
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What do you think it takes to be a great leader?

American history is filled with examples of individuals who navigated America through moments of crisis.

We need a new generation of leaders who—learning from the great men of our past—can apply those timeless principles to our present challenges.

That’s why ISI is launching the George Washington Statesmanship Program: Ideas and Applications in Politics, Philosophy & Economics ([link removed]) .

You’re invited to apply to this competitive program that will bring together a select group of twelve ISI alumni and young professionals from across the U.S. with top ISI faculty.

Throughout the program, fellows will:
* Study prominent thinkers and statesmen like Aristotle, Edmund Burke, Alexis de Tocqueville, Abraham Lincoln, Winston Churchill, and of course, George Washington

* Participate in a series of ‘modern day application’ sessions like “Civil Rights, Race, and Identity,” and “America is the World’s Technological City on a Hill”

* Enjoy a trip to Normandy to participate in the annual Tocqueville Conversations ([link removed]) conference at Alexis de Tocqueville’s family chateau and to visit historic sights including the beaches stormed by American troops in World War II

Sessions will take place virtually on Tuesday evenings from February through May 2022. Fellows will watch a 30-minute lecture prior to each session and will engage in a 90-minute Socratic discussion with an ISI faculty member during each session.

Applications for this program close on December 3, 2021. This is a free fellowship program; however, participants are expected to pay $500 toward their travel costs for the capstone trip to Normandy.

Apply Now » ([link removed])
“A classic is a book that has never finished saying what it has to say.”

—Italo Calvino


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** Who We Are, What We Do
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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.

Get the college experience you deserve—before you graduate.

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