Interns from the Mackinac Center for Public Policy gathered at the Kirk Center on July 8, 2022, for a day-long seminar on “Dimensions of Contemporary Conservatism.” Faculty speakers included Dr. Glenn Moots from Northwood University and Dr. Sarah Estelle from Hope College. The day began with a session led by Dr. Moots focused on the following topic and related questions: What was the American Founding? Have we abandoned the Founding today? Are we now a nation without a source? Or do we yet have within us the beliefs, practices, and institutions necessary to renew the promise of the Founding for a new generation? The interns were hopeful that the latter path is still available to them.

Dr. Estelle led a session provocatively called “The Economic Way of Loving.” She offered a marvelous presentation on the meaning of love beginning with Aristotle and moving to the moderns, and showed how often economic laws and policies came alongside love rightly understood and supported human flourishing. A final panel led by Kirk Center Executive Director Dr. Jeff Nelson engaged the two speakers and the interns in an especially spirited discussion on the nature, benefits, and drawbacks of globalism. The day ended with a trip to Mecosta’s local bookstore and ice cream shop.