
Countering the Left's Long March
Milton Friedman, a founding member of The Philadelphia Society, observed that turning the intellectual tide away from the romance with Marxism is the “essential element in strengthening and preserving a free society.” He argued that creating the intellectual foundations for a free and ordered society would require contributions not only from economists but also from “sociologists, historians, novelists, playwrights, etc.” This cultural turn was in part a response to the rise of the New Left in the second half of the 20th century. Thinkers of the Frankfurt School, such as Herbert Marcuse, helped advance the Gramscian strategy of developing a new cultural hegemony to displace the cultural hegemony of the “bourgeois.” Thus began the Left’s long march through the institutions, which sought to break down the cultural influence of prevailing religions, scholarly establishments, and civic mores.
The contest between the New Left and the increasingly politically oriented Conservative movement in the U.S. has left us with deracinated institutions and unmoored individuals. Can we turn the tide in the battle of ideas? Can we restore or re-imagine the institutions that will best protect and promote human flourishing? This conference will challenge us to consider the needed responses to cultural Marxism, which will include attention to the inseparable relationships between a nation’s economy and its culture.
Additional details forthcoming. Please contact Charissa Reul for more information.
- Not a member? Visit How to Attend for more information.
- Fellowship applications due Wednesday, July 19, 2023.
Friday, September 22 |
4:00–6:00 |
Registration |
5:30–6:00 |
Fellowship Orientation |
5:45–6:50 |
"Welcome to Ohio" Reception Sponsored by The Buckeye Institute |
7:00–9:00 |
Dinner & Program Chair: Bridgett Wagner, President, The Philadelphia Society Keynote Address: Glenn Loury, Brown University - "The Case for Black American Patriotism" |
Saturday, September 23 |
8:30–10:00 |
Ideology, Power, and the Distortion of American Institutions Chair: Paul Kengor, Grove City College Paul Dragos Aligica, Mercatus Center Virginia Arbery, Wyoming Catholic College Phil Magness, American Institute for Economic Research |
10:00–10:30 |
Coffee Break |
10:30–12:00 |
The Role of the Entrepreneur in Shaping Institutions Chair: Dylan Pahman, Acton Institute Nathan Bond, Rifle Paper Co. Michael Munger, Duke University Nikolai Wenzel, Universidad de Hesperides |
12:00–1:30 |
Luncheon Program Chair: Danny Boggs, U.S. Court of Appeals, Sixth Circuit Keynote Address: Alice Batchelder, U.S. Court of Appeals, Sixth Circuit - “Progressivism’s Long March Through the Law” |
2:00–3:30 |
The Role of Culture and Community: Renewing Social Institutions Chair: Emilie Kao, Alliance Defending Freedom Jason Jewell, Faulkner University Luke Sheahan, Duquesne University Delano Squires, The Heritage Foundation |
3:30–4:00 |
Coffee Break |
4:00–5:30 |
Subsidiarity, Federalism, and the Common Good Chair: David Bobb, Bill of Rights Institute Paul Ray, The Heritage Foundation Alexander Salter, Texas Tech University Tony Woodlief, State Policy Network |
5:30–6:30 |
Reception |
Please contact Charissa Reul with questions or for more information.