The Claremont Conservative Turns One

Whenever you celebrate a birthday, it's important to remember the past year, that which you accomplished, that which you failed to accomplish as you turn toward the coming year.

With that in mind, we must remember what brought us to this point.

Larry Arnn, President of Hillsdale College, once used the phrase "Claremont Conservative" to describe the special kind of civics teaching that goes out here in Claremont, CA. I liked the name and so it stuck. Here is what Larry Arnn said.

"A Claremont Conservative is someone who believes in the principles of the Declaration of Independence - that all men are created equal, and that government exists to defend our natural rights to life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness. A Claremont Conservative agrees with Alexander Hamilton that citizens are capable of governing themselves through "reflection and choice," and that we do not need bureaucratic experts telling us how to raise our children or run our businesses. A Claremont Conservative thinks the opinions of American citizens are as important, if not more, than the opinions of bureaucrats."

Ken Masugi, once explained what it means to be a “Claremont conservative.”

Claremont Institute conservatism is of a different order. Norman Podhoretz calls us "Super-Hawks." Other labels, both serious and jocular, include Lincoln conservative, Declaration of Independence conservative, Claremonster, or (my favorite) Jaffanese American. The theory and practice of the Declaration of Independence informs our politics and our scholarship. Behind the Declaration stands both biblical religion and Greek philosophy. We look as well to the American Founders, Lincoln, and Churchill as teachers of virtue. We look about us and see both the makings of total disaster and the best possibilities of politics. To be a Claremont conservative involves an inexhaustible quest as well as a commitment to a life of action.

So welcome to the inexhaustible quest. We hope you enjoy it.

--Charles Johnson, founder of The Claremont Conservative