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THE HILLSDALE
Ta b l e o f C o n t e n t s
INDIVIDUAL TASTE: A CAUTIONARY TALE 4
Stacey Egger
MOVIE: CINDERELLA 28
Emily Lehman
SATIRE 30
Noah Weinrich
M i s s i o n S tat e m e n t
T h e H i l l s d a l e F o r u m March 2016
Letter
EDITORS-IN-CHIEF
Sarah Reinsel
Madeline Johnson
MANAGING EDITOR
Emily Lehman
EDITOR-AT-LARGE
Chris McCaffery
STAFF EDITOR
Andrew Egger
STAFF WRITERS
Timothy Troutner
Noah Weinrich
Micah Meadowcroft
Mark Naida
Forester McClatchey
ESSAYISTS
Stacey Egger
Birch Smith
Devin Creed 15
Minte Irmer
DESIGN
& PHOTOGRAPHY
Sarah Reinsel
Devin Creed 15
Minte Irmer
FACULTY ADVISOR
Dr. John Somerville
from the
Editors
MARCH 2016
&Community
Taste
T h e H i l l s d a l e F o r u m March 2016
Stacey Egger
T h e H i l l s d a l e F o r u m March 2016
Timothy Troutner
dependence upon
Gods grace. One
might admit such
Even Christ did not defend his innocence
guilt and still
but bore the guilt of others. It is when
contend that God
dialogue partners are willing to bear each
has guided and
the burdens of the misunderstandings,
sustained
ones
harsh denunciations, and defensiveness of
tradition in unique
ways. Even papal
the other and confess their own culpability
infallibility
and
and that of their tradition that unity can
the concept of a
come.
magisterium are
compatible
with
this humility. As
of distrust and even persecution, it
Balthasar
put
is easy for Orthodox, Catholics, and it, The individual Christian, at any
Protestants to rest in easy narratives rate, who enters into dialogue will
in which they emerge as the good immediately recognize that guilt is
guys, untouched by sin and division. shared by both sides and will be able
The Orthodox can point to western to confess this guilt openly without
crimes at the Siege of Constantinople harming the obligation to defend
and to their own adherence to ancient the truth. To do otherwise would be
tradition to create a narrative in which self-righteous, to see ourselves as the
they are have pristinely maintained innocent victimwhich can only be
the faith against the compromises and Christ, and even he did not defend
betrayals of the West. Protestants can his innocence but bore the guilt of
tell a story of abuses in the church that others. It is when dialogue partners
necessitated reforms which were met are willing to bear each the burdens
with anathemas and eventually with of the misunderstandings, harsh
warfare. Catholics can blame Luther denunciations, and defensiveness of the
for disrupting the church and throwing other and confess their own culpability
Europe into a more chaotic state while and that of their tradition that unity can
they maintained apostolic succession come.
and the fullness of truth. We can debate
Encounter and Dependence
the merits of each of these narratives, The humility to step outside the
but when each side adopts one of them narratives of victimhood we have told
as the complete story, dividing the about ourselves and notice the Churchs
world into the black-hat and white-hat wounds and our own culpability is the
cowboys, discussion will be impossible: first step towards dialogue, but it is
there will be no common ground and predominantly a negative one. It paves
no room for repentance on either side. the way for the most important step,
Instead, we should recognize that which is to recognize that we listen to
the Church, as a phenomenon which one another because we really have
is human as well as divine, always something to receive that we do not
struggles with the misunderstandings, already possess. Hillsdale freshmen
mistakes, and blatant sins of its leaders, frequently see dialogue as debate, where
theologians, and lay people. One need the goal is to win the other over to your
not give up ones Lutheranism to admit own position, not acknowledging the
that Luthers tone and temperament possibility that the other might have an
did not help matters, nor need one insight that will require you to modify
give up ones Catholicism in admitting your position while remaining true to
the abuses of the church and even your conviction. Perhaps discussion
dangerous slips toward accounts of with the Orthodox can help Protestants
salvation which did not fully emphasize and Catholics to appreciate the
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T h e H i l l s d a l e F o r u m March 2016
by Mark Naida
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T h e H i l l s d a l e F o r u m March 2016
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T h e H i l l s d a l e F o r u m March 2016
F
Mark Naida is a sophomore studying French
and English.
13
CAPITALISM
&
COMMUNITY
We Need Both
by
Birch Smith
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T h e H i l l s d a l e F o r u m March 2016
everyone except their loving but very scheme of goods and judgments. They
busy parents (who are, after all, simply say to the free-market thinker not
trying to provide the very best for Your theories are wrong about how
little Johnny and Sally). Elderly family to achieve your goods, but Your
members, rather than being cared for as theories do not encompass the range
an integral part of a healthy and multi- of goods and virtues necessary for the
generational family structure, are left good life, and may in fact limit peoples
in nursing homes (the best that money understanding of those goods. In this
could buy, of course) distant from their I think there is no doubt that they are
loved ones.
correct. There are two responses to
Finally, the effects on the complete this: one can choose to define the role
community. Plato succinctly described of the political community as purely
the problem in Book VIII of the economic in terms of protecting rights
Republic when he says, speaking of a and the free marketand to do this one
commercial society, From there they must adopt an openly modernist view
proceed further into money-making, of the stateor one can conceive of
and the more they value it, the less they the political community as a complete
value virtue. Or arent virtue and wealth community,
somehow
oriented
so opposed that if they were set on a towards the real flourishing of each
scales, theyd always incline in opposite of its members. It is no mistake that a
directions? The pursuit of wealth is at good portion of both Platos Republic
heart an individualistic pursuit, while and Aristotles Politics have to do with
the pursuit of virtue is only constituted the education of citizens, and in light of
in a certain way of relating to things the myriad failures and insufficiencies
external to oneself. A community of the modernist project to advance
centered on the pursuit of wealth is of human flourishing in non-economic
necessity an incomplete community, considerations, it seems that thinkers
almost incapable of properly pursuing like Alasdair MacIntyre and John
the sorts of goods, practices, or virtues Finnis present viable and compelling
that constitute human flourishing.
alternatives and projects.
These are the general outlines of the
Those of us who are attracted by
main criticisms of Western
capitalism, and because they
are not criticisms within
The modern self views the world in
a framework of economic
thought they have not
a fundamentally economic sense:
been, and perhaps cannot
choices are based not on practical
be, answered within pure
economic theory. This is
reasonableness in weighing goods
because, unlike competing
and virtues, but on cost/benefit
economic theories, they do
not primarily attempt to deny
analyses based on subjective
the validity of the economic
preferences and values.
reasoning of capitalist thinkers;
rather, they choose to operate
within an entirely different
15
sort of preconditions
for most effectively
Between the lines of advertisements
pursuing a flourishing
life: health, a certain
lies a pervasive message about the
amount of expendable
centrality of material possessions to the
income, leisure, etc.
If the claims about
good life, and the relative unimportance
the free market thinkers
of true common goods.
about
their
own
discipline are in fact
correctand I think
they arethen it may
very well be one of the
those projects, however, would do
most important tasks for modern social
well to avoid the sort of sweeping
philosophers to go beyond the easy
oversimplification prevalent among
task of criticizing a tradition to the far
some critics of free-market economies.
more difficultand enrichingtask of
To be sure, capitalist systems have a
reinvigorating one. It is true that there
multitude of faults and failings. But
are a wide range of non-economic
they have also made extraordinary
goods, but for this to be a meaningful
progress in freeing people to be able to
thing to say there must also be a range
secure the genuine goods, and pursue
of economic goods. The hubris of
the practices, that are essential for the
the economist in presuming that his
good life. We must not forget that we
discipline is capable of addressing the
have less expensive food and clothing,
entirety of human action is folly, but so
fuel, and power, better technology,
is the hubris of the social philosopher
superior medical care and educational
in presuming that the economist has
opportunity, faster communication,
nothing to offer.
and greater distribution of information
It would be hypocritical on my part
in modern capitalist countries than
to chasten social philosophers on this
in any other time or place in history.
account without at least gesturing
And I am inclined to agree with freetowards a solution. No one ought to be
market advocates that these advances
surprised by what I point towards as the
(or at least the speed at which they have
potential reconciliation between the
occurred) are not possible in any other
compelling claims of both parties to this
economic system. While none of these
debate: after all, it is the solution offered
things are intrinsically good, all of them
by the very same ancient thinkers that
enable us to pursue the things that are.
modern critics like MacIntyre and
We would also do well to note that
Finnis draw from. Any community that
both Plato and Aristotlewell before the
wishes to incorporate a free-market
advent of anything that could be called
economic system must also take special
modern capitalismwere cognizant of
care to the education of its citizens and
the dangers of a society which is focused
the health of its social milieu. After
primarily on the acquisition of wealth.
all, the thing Plato identifies as being
Thus the problems of consumerism and
fundamentally opposed to virtue seems
materialism are certainly not limited to
to be not wealth itself but rather a
capitalism, and, likewise, the adoption
focus on wealth as an end in itself, and
of an alternative economic system (as is
a corresponding estimation of wealth
sometimes suggested) is no guarantee
over virtue.
that those problems will be eliminated.
What is needed, then, is a sort of
It may be argued that a free-market
non-materialist free market in which
system is uniquely likely to produce
two principles are understood: first,
that sort of problem, and this may be
that the free market is the best system
in fact correct. But a free market system
for securing the best economic,
is also uniquely capable of securing the
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T h e H i l l s d a l e F o r u m March 2016
informational,
and
technological
milieu for persons to pursue and
realize their own flourishing; second,
that the purpose of the free market is
not to secure wealth for its own sake,
but for the sake of the very goods and
flourishing that it helps to efficiently
secure. With proper education, the
mechanisms of a properly understood
and bridled market economy can, I
believe, be brought to serve proper
ends.
We ought not delude ourselves
into thinking this task to be a simple
one,
for
modern
materialism,
individualism, and commercialism
are at present deeply ingrained within
the free market system. But nothing
about a market-based economy in
itself is necessarily incompatible with
the goals of Aristotelian or Thomistic
ethics, because economics is at heart
a discipline focused on efficiently
reaching a certain goal. At present it is
paired with the goals of individualism,
materialism, and commercialism,
but it does not have to be so. An
understanding of markets can tell us
what the costs or effects of a particular
action within the markets may be, and
if we are willing to pay those costs to
pursue a non-quantifiable good, so be
it. What economic analyses can offer
us, in the end, is an insight into the
most effective and least intrusive ways
of practically reaching that good.
Western society will be far less
conducive to living the good life than it
otherwise would be until it realizes that
the goals of Aristotelian ethicswhich
are good goalsare not incompatible
with the goals of a market-based
systemwhich are also good goals. We
are correct to criticize modern society
for rejecting history and tradition and
failing to learn their valuable lessons
and truths. But let us then be willing to
learn from those modern developments
which can be incorporated into our
tradition of inquiry for the pursuit and
realization of human flourishing in a
complete community. F
Birch Smith is a sophomore studying
philosophy and history.
(Bildungsroman)
in Korea: Life as the Other
War, Mission, and Memory
(Bildungsroman)
by
Minte Irmer
18
T h e H i l l s d a l e F o r u m March 2016
19
in Korea
Life as the Other
by
Devin Creed
T h e H i l l s d a l e F o r u m March 2016
21
Micah Meadowcroft
22
T h e H i l l s d a l e F o r u m March 2016
T h e H i l l s d a l e F o r u m March 2016
THAT LOVE
TOO MAY
LAST
Speakerboxxx/The Love Below was
released as a double record in 2003.
Although Big Boi and Andr 3000
were immersed in separate artistic
experiments at the time, their double
album contains a rich dialogue,
which will be the the subject of this
double essay.
DISC I
Forester McClatchey
DISC 2
Mark Naida
DISC I, continued
by
Forester McClatchey
An Arundel Tomb
by Philip Larkin
T h e H i l l s d a l e F o r u m March 2016
DISC 2, continued
by
Mark Naida
27
Cinderella
Have Courage, and Be Kind.
by
Emily Lehman
watched the new Cinderella movie tentatively, waiting for vulgar humor, a sudden
flamboyant display of CGI, or a swipe at traditional gender roles. Accustomed
to the endless litany of remakes, sequels, and parodies, I expected that this movie
would attempt to wink knowingly at the audience in one way or another, and waited
for the jarring, if expected, blow. To my surprise, it never came: Cinderella addressed
the jaded adults skepticism through simple, unapologetic beauty, not seeking to set
itself apart and thereby making itself like nothing I had seen before.
We all know the story. Cinderella, the wicked stepmother, the odious stepsisters,
even the helpful little mice are as familiar to us as our worn copies of Goodnight
Moon and ragged teddy bears. And, refraining from such exciting innovations as
a prince fan club (Ella Enchanted), crazy puppet-like monsters (Mirror Mirror), a
talking snowman (Frozen), or at least one catchy musical number (all of the above),
Cinderella differs from its fairy-tale-adaptation predecessors by beingsimple. Its
just the story that we heard when we were children.
Or is it? From the moment the movie begins, with an enthralling soundtrack, rich
set, and lush costumes, we are drawn into Cinderellas perfect world. The account of
her childhood would be saccharine if it werent so golden, to borrow the narrators
description. She is a beautiful child, stunningly so, unfairly so. Her familys farm
is both castle-like and endearing. The natural world surrounds little Cinderella
with perfect beautyfor under ten minutes. Because just after Cinderellas mother
is singing her little girl to sleep, Lavenders blue, dilly, dilly, lavenders green . . .
suddenly she is dying and telling a weeping golden-haired little girl to have courage,
and be kind.
Stop right there. Perhaps we could seize upon this moment for sarcasm, irony,
cynicism. Have courage and be kind? Isnt thatclichdsomewhere? Isnt that
something weve all heard before? Perhaps not. But even if it is, nonetheless it defends
itself through itself: its nothing more than simple advice from a simple movie, one
that will show us that having courage and being kind is not sweet, easy and painless
all the time.
And from that moment on, following again almost word for word the story we
heard when we were children but didnt fully understand, the plot takes a dizzying
drop into darkness. The stepmother appears, beautiful enough for us to understand
why Cinderellas broken father has fallen for her. And there are the stepsisters,
already worn-out and repulsive to us from their constant reappearance in the storys
tellings and retellings.
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T h e H i l l s d a l e F o r u m March 2016
FROM THE
GOOGLE DRIVE OF
THE HILLSDALE FORUM
Madeline Johnson
12:13 PM Feb 25
*Hi, Maddy here, poking my customarily censorious head in. Richard Starr of the Weekly
Standard states as an editorial mantra, Do not publish a single word you dont understand. So that is why Im here.
Senior Memories
by
Noah Weinrich
Madeline Johnson
12:15 PM Feb 25
Madeline Johnson
12:20 PM Feb 25
Madeline Johnson
12:22 PM Feb 25
I don't understand...
12:26 PM Feb 25
30
12:13 PM Feb 25
Madeline Johnson
Madeline Johnson
T h e H i l l s d a l e F o r u m March 2016
Madeline Johnson
12:23 PM Feb 25
Madeline Johnson
12:30 PM Feb 25
?
Madeline Johnson
12:33 PM Feb 25
That time when the one guy talked. Man, was he controversial.
Remember? With the whipped cream and plywood? Wow.
Truly once in a lifetime.
When the townspeople ran Chik-fil-A out of town on a rail.
The time when an adolescent leopard got loose from the
Hillsdale County Fair and mauled philosophy professors. Lee
Cole was close to death. Timothy Troutner finally, weeping,
killed it with a Summa. Then Alex Winston declared October
25th Pope Day.
Madeline Johnson
12:32 PM Feb 25
Madeline Johnson
12:36 PM Feb 25
Goats Blood.
All I can think about is Alasdair MacIntyre.
Going to Checker Records, ordering everything off the menu,
then pouring each drink onto Broadlawn to pay respect to Dr.
Arnn.
Sneaking into a girl's dormitory, spending the night there, then
leaving before being detected even though you live there.
Finally learning how to read.
When Hell week comes around and you had to relieve some
stress, you and your friends would all pile in a car and go fox
hunting.
The pink squirrels.
Madeline Johnson
12:42 PM Feb 25
Madeline Johnson
12:40 PM Feb 25
April 1
hillsdaleforum@gmail.com
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T h e H i l l s d a l e F o r u m March 2016