Spring Break
Grateful for critics, unafraid of controversy
Jake Morgan - Special to The Collegian
Issue date: 4/23/09 Section: Opinion
In the recent GSA debacle, anyone with a modicum of true ideology should have been disappointed with the philosophical backsliding of almost everyone involved. The refusal of the Office of Student Affairs to either grant or deny the alliance official status has put discussion of the college's identity back in the closet, as it were, and instead attempted to meld together advocacy and politics in the name of expedience.
The embarrassing backpedaling of the Classical Liberal Organization, putting up ridiculous acronyms instead of principles and criticizing one of the clearest (and accurate) Collegian articles in recent history undermined the philosophical legitimacy of the organization, while confusing the campus. The rhetoric from internal CLO meetings, though, provides the clearest case in point. Holding the constitution of the organization aloft, the coordinator reminded us that it was only a "piece of paper," and that "in the face of approaching tanks," such a guide of principle was useless. If principle is useless in the face of rationality, then perhaps it is time to turn our bended knee to the Central Planning Board, because the oxymoron of rational individualism cannot hold.
If you want to learn about the Mission of Hillsdale or Tradition in general, go talk to Dr. Bob Blackstock, or ask Dr. Birzer to send you his convocation address.
I don't claim to hold a monopoly on knowledge in that category and, as a student, am still perfecting my understanding of our identity. I do, however, claim ground to my argumentation, something to anchor my understanding of the world to. Before we damn The Collegian for "[creating] controversy where there is none," perhaps we should ask why we fear controversy.
The only way to avoid controversy is to surrender belief to the gods of compromise, substitute prudence for individuality and to annihilate any understanding of the "Good, True and Beautiful." The adoption of prudence is the confusion of the soul, the infection of relativism. In some traditions, it is called sin.
I opened this article with a list of peers I still consider intellectual adversaries. In a larger sense though, and I hope they would agree, we are philosophical comrades against the modernist tendency that would have us destroy any idea of right, any concept of belief.
It is on that common ground we will take our stand.
The embarrassing backpedaling of the Classical Liberal Organization, putting up ridiculous acronyms instead of principles and criticizing one of the clearest (and accurate) Collegian articles in recent history undermined the philosophical legitimacy of the organization, while confusing the campus. The rhetoric from internal CLO meetings, though, provides the clearest case in point. Holding the constitution of the organization aloft, the coordinator reminded us that it was only a "piece of paper," and that "in the face of approaching tanks," such a guide of principle was useless. If principle is useless in the face of rationality, then perhaps it is time to turn our bended knee to the Central Planning Board, because the oxymoron of rational individualism cannot hold.
If you want to learn about the Mission of Hillsdale or Tradition in general, go talk to Dr. Bob Blackstock, or ask Dr. Birzer to send you his convocation address.
I don't claim to hold a monopoly on knowledge in that category and, as a student, am still perfecting my understanding of our identity. I do, however, claim ground to my argumentation, something to anchor my understanding of the world to. Before we damn The Collegian for "[creating] controversy where there is none," perhaps we should ask why we fear controversy.
The only way to avoid controversy is to surrender belief to the gods of compromise, substitute prudence for individuality and to annihilate any understanding of the "Good, True and Beautiful." The adoption of prudence is the confusion of the soul, the infection of relativism. In some traditions, it is called sin.
I opened this article with a list of peers I still consider intellectual adversaries. In a larger sense though, and I hope they would agree, we are philosophical comrades against the modernist tendency that would have us destroy any idea of right, any concept of belief.
It is on that common ground we will take our stand.
Viewing Comments 1 - 2 of 3
ejeezy
posted 4/25/09 @ 6:23 PM EST
Metaphysical Rock? physical realization? The wasteland of pragmatism? Mr. Morgan I disagree with your opinion on multiple key points, including your ill-founded belief in truth (with a capital T), but what disgusts me more then your opinion is your unbelievable ignorance. (Continued…)
A Charger
posted 5/10/09 @ 11:23 PM EST
The same forces which in the last century spawned the sexual revolution, the welfare state, and destruction of the American family have arrived at Hillsdale College. (Continued…)
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