CATEGORY: PHILOSOPHY (7 min)
Charles Taylor turned 90 recently. Writing in City Journal, Fred Bauer makes the case for the Canadian philosopher as the great diagnostician of modern identity politics.
It all begins with “authenticity”—attaching “moral importance to a kind of contact with myself, with my own inner nature.”
Why are people desperately remaking their identities? Why do they bow down at the altar of woke ideology?
Because, Taylor’s work shows us, it pulls the individual away from all commitments or “horizons of significance.” Hence we fumble about for meaningful choices, finding them in everything from “gender expression” to “fighting systemic racism.”
But Bauer thinks Taylor offers you something far better than just critique: “a middle way,” avoiding triumphalism and despair, that finds virtues within modernity.
If you want to truly grasp what’s wrong—and right—with the modern world, you might begin with The Ethics of Authenticity. But read Bauer’s essay first, to get you started on your way.
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CATEGORY: CLASSICAL MUSIC (7 min)
A man is walking through a field. He looks at the landscape ahead of him and directs his steps to his preferred destination.
A man is walking through a field—backwards.
He can’t see what he’s moving towards, and the ground around him trips him up. As things move farther away, he sees everything more clearly.
The first man, Joshua Gibbs explains, is how progressives view history. The backwards-walker is the conservative understanding.
The progressive is interested in what’s new. The conservative more clearly perceives the true value of what’s in the past. “Time,” he writes, “transforms things.”
You’ll be interested to see where Gibbs takes these observations.
He thinks the conservative understanding of history should inform everything from what we prioritize in the classroom to whether or not “Bach was pop music back in his own day.” And he touches on Dante, ripe camembert, and the Conversion of Paul the Apostle.
“Time destroys earthly things, but divine things absorb time and transform time from a corrupting power into a sanctifying power.” That’s the power of great art.
You’ll be ready to read, hear—even taste!—that transformation after reading his piece.
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Because our student editors and writers are bravely bringing conservative ideas to their campuses, we’re highlighting their efforts here.
College Dems Turn Blind Eye to Anti-Semitism via the Princeton Tory
Student Union Abuses its Power to Demonize Greek Life via the Danforth Dispatch
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CATEGORY: TECHNOLOGY (8 min)
Happiness requires robust human interaction.
And yet many people choose technology over personal relationships.
Smartphones and other innovations created to connect us are actually isolating us.
In fact, increased smartphone use has been linked to depression, thoughts of suicide, and suicide attempts.
How do we treat the disease of loneliness?
By turning to Kurt Vonnegut.
The famous writer saw the digital age as a cheap imitation of the spiritual world.
So when you’re seeking connection online, you’re looking for the cure to loneliness in the disease itself.
But Vonnegut has some remedies for you.
Put down your smartphone and close your laptop . . . after you finish the article.
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ISI is excited to invite you to our second annual Homecoming Weekend!
Last year's inaugural event definitely lived up to its name—our beautiful 20-acre campus was buzzing with the energy of intelligent discussions and the vibrant community that ISI is known for.
And this year, we're doubling down to create an even greater experience for faculty, students, alumni, and friends of ISI.
You’re invited to join us as we gather once again at ISI's main campus near Wilmington, Delaware on May 13—14 for our second annual Homecoming Weekend.
Highlights of Homecoming Weekend include:
- A Friday night dinner at Wilmington’s historic Hotel du Pont honoring the winner of ISI’s 2022 Conservative Book of the Year award, Victor Davis Hanson for his book The Dying Citizen
- Additional Saturday Reunion Luncheons for Graduate Fellows; Honors Scholars and Society Leaders; and Collegiate Network Editors, Interns, and Fellows past and present to reconnect with their ISI friends
- Our ISI reunion conference Saturday afternoon featuring panels on the purpose of the liberal arts and the future of higher ed
- Saturday evening reception featuring food, live music, and dancing on ISI’s campus
This is your chance to experience what ISI has to offer as the top resource for conservative education and community.
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“That is part of the beauty of all literature. You discover that your longings are universal longings, that you're not lonely and isolated from anyone. You belong.”
—F. Scott Fitzgerald
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Thank you for reading. Share with a friend!
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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.
Get the college experience you deserve—before you graduate.
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