CATEGORY: COMMUNITY (9 min)
There are a few facts that are true about all ISIers . . .
. . . and one of the biggest is love of C.S. Lewis. So, when we saw this review in The Imaginative Conservative by Bradley J. Birzer, we knew you had to read it.
Birzer makes his case that the best book of 2022 is Fr. Michael Ward’s After Humanity—a guide to C.S. Lewis’s classic The Abolition of Man.
You see, The Abolition of Man rings as prophetically today as it did when Lewis penned it during the darkest days of World War II.
Fr. Ward presents The Abolition of Man in its cultural and philosophical context, reviews its ideas in the light of Lewis's other writings, and meticulously lays out its arguments in shimmering prose.
Birzer thinks it might just be the best book on Lewis . . . and the best book he’s read this year.
Get a taste of why—and then pick it up for yourself!
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CATEGORY: BOOK REVIEW (5 min)
Think about the arrogance it takes to “improve” on Beethoven . . . by shoving new “woke” lyrics and scenes of protest into his operas.
So the “Ode to Joy” gets retrofitted:
“Family, friends, share your opinion, push for gender equality . . . / Together we can make hate history.”
It’s grotesque.
And it’s coming to an opera hall near you, writes Heather Mac Donald in City Journal.
Fidelio as a BLM critique of mass incarceration . . .
. . . Beethoven’s Ninth Symphony featuring the Baltimore rapper “Wordsmith” . . .
Stravinsky’s The Soldier’s Tale transposed to a piece on Vietnam Era racism . . .
This impulse to bastardize the classics isn’t new, Mac Donald writes. But it’s still a wretched idea.
Why? Because it deprives audiences of the chance to actually encounter the classics.
Read her spirited case for showing Beethoven some respect right here.
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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 Case for Mandatory National Service via The Stanford Review
Christopher Phillips Slams CNN’s Sham Reporting on ‘Tucker Carlson Tonight’ via the Chicago Thinker
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CATEGORY: ETHICS (12 min)
You’ve probably encountered the trolley problem in class and maybe even online.
You know, the moral conundrum of saving one life versus five?
Thought experiments like this are as old as philosophy itself.
But as it turns out . . .
There are thousands of these thought experiments—are they helpful?
Like trolleys, thought experiments carry some baggage.
Take your understanding of ethics to a new level with this Aeon essay by Professor James Wilson.
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Have you registered for our second annual Homecoming Weekend yet?
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 . . .
And if you're under 30, tickets are only $50!
But hurry, ticket sales close on May 9th.
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.
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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“A garden is a grand teacher. It teaches patience and careful watchfulness; it teaches industry and thrift; above all it teaches entire trust.”
—Gertrude Jekyll
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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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