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Report on the Liberty Fund Conference

Institute President, Michael Van Hecke, and I participated in a Liberty Fund conference in September, enjoying an intense weekend of educational discussion in beautiful southwestern Michigan.  Sponsored by the Center for the American Idea and the Liberty Fund, the conference consisted of six discussion sessions over two days devoted to considering the goals, content, and challenges of education in a democratic republic.

The weekend was hosted by the Russell Kirk Center in Mecosta, Michigan; and Annette Kirk’s gracious presence at many of the weekend events was a great bonus.  The venue of Liberty Fund conferences is an important aspect of the experience.  The Russell Kirk Library and the Kirk home in the quiet village of Mecosta surrounded by the gentle forests and hills of southwestern Michigan (with numerous deer and wild turkey) provided the inspiration and therapeutic of natural beauty.

The discussions highlighted the difficulties faced by those who approach education without a concrete view of what is truly good for man.  One session considered authors who present a caricature of conservative educators as intending to inculcate blind obedience in students, even though thoughtful conservatives really believe that the classical tradition has a wisdom which teachers propose to their students, encouraging questions that will allow them to make it their own.  We also discussed the rise, merits, and demerits of publicly-funded and administered education.  Another session critiqued the prominence of ethno-centric history, in which the goal of history is seen to be establishing student self-esteem through developing ethnic pride.  The final session considered Cardinal Newman’s view that collegiate education aims to develop the intellectual strengths which can satisfy human nature’s desire to know.
           
Not all of the questions that were raised admitted of easy answers.  One of the beautiful aspects of Liberty Fund conferences is the attention to forming a community of discussion among the participants.  Unhurried dinners and evening hospitality sessions allowed us to pursue topics more deeply, and strengthened us through experiencing the fellowship of others who know the vocation that teaching really is.

Learn more about the Center for the American Idea and the Liberty Fund by visiting their websites: http://americanidea.org/ and http://www.libertyfund.org/

Andrew Seeley, Ph.D.