About 45 students attended a panel discussion titled “Conceptions of Duty: Ancient and Modern” between the history and politics departments on Nov.16 in Phillips Auditorium.
The event, hosted by the Hillsdale College Veterans’ Association, included history professors Bradley Birzer and Paul Rahe, and politics professors John Grant and Thomas West.
“Every semester we put on some kind of discussion panel with a topic that is relevant and relates to a military issue. It’s a different voice to add to the discourse of campus,” said Hillsdale College Veteran’s Association president Michael Aavang, who served in the United States Marine Corps from 2007 to 2012.
Birzer placed his comments on duty in the context of understanding personhood and the dignity of man, especially in light of the anniversary of the fall of the Berlin Wall, Veteran’s Day, and the recent terror attacks in Paris, France.
He also quoted from Cicero’s “On Duties” and said that the line of thought that runs from Socrates to George Washington suggests that there is no great conflict between western ancient and modern conceptions of duty.
“Duty, grace, and love is what makes history works,” Birzer said. “The little moments of sacrifice that almost no one knows about — the things that happen quickly. These moments allow for the continuation of civilization and humanity.”
Rahe’s comments focused on the ancient conception of duty and citizenship.
“There is no life outside of the city — that’s why exile was a form of capital punishment,” he said. “You don’t choose your city. You’re born to it. The city is the focus of your life. Family life is secondary. The city offers what Christianity offers: immortality. One’s joys and duties are the same and bound up in a community that one’s existence has no part from.”
Rahe also mentioned that from a Christian perspective, politics is limited in both its scope and consequence because men are pilgrims on earth.
Grant discussed the moral and political crisis in the modern West, suggesting that America’s current ideals are nihilistic, though not relativistic, and generally destructive of civilization.
Some of his advice to students included reasoning to know what is good, promoting Christianity and moral decency, protecting the family, working hard, and concentrating on the duties of citizenship.
“And men, get up the courage to ask a girl on a date. Don’t embrace the ‘Hillsdating’ culture on campus — that is one of the miniature horseman of the apocalypse,” Grant said.
West provided a summary of duty from the perspective of the Founders, the progressives, and post-1960s liberals. He emphasized the differences between the progressive and the post-1960s attitudes toward duty, likening the progressive impulse to moral decency and the common good to the Founders.
“The Hillsdale College attitude is that the big problem with America today is the progressive era and the one figure who is the evil genius is Wilson,” West said. “We’re not getting that right at the college.”
Students who attended the event said they were surprised that the history and politics departments both attended the panel because they traditionally disagree on a range of intellectual issues.
“All four panelists are very smart. Everyone there is brilliant,” senior Alex Buchmann said. “The event was less of a debate and more of a presentation of different viewpoints. The real debate from what was said will more likely take place in classrooms or at dinner tables.”