25 Facts About Russell Kirk

Russell Amos Kirk was an American political philosopher, moralist, historian, social critic, literary critic, author, and novelist who influenced 20th century American conservatism.

Russell Kirk was an accomplished author of Gothic and ghost story fiction and is often cited as one of the most significant conservative men of letters of the 20th century.

Russell Kirk resigned in 1959, after growing disenchanted with the rapid growth in student number and emphasis on intercollegiate athletics and technical training at the expense of the traditional liberal arts.

In 1953, Russell Kirk authored The Conservative Mind, the published version of Russell Kirk's doctoral dissertation, contributed materially to the 20th century Burke revival, drawing attention to:.

Russell Kirk wrote extensively for two US-based conservative journals, National Review, which he helped found in 1955, and Modern Age, which he helped found in 1957.

Russell Kirk was the founding editor of Modern Age from 1957 to 1959.

Russell Kirk wrote other admired and much-anthologized works that are variously classified as horror, fantasy, science fiction, and political satire.

In 1984, Russell Kirk described the purpose of his fictional stories:.

Dr Jackman appears to be a prototype of Russell Kirk's best known character, Manfred Arcane, with the only difference being the former has no values while the latter does.

Russell Kirk has Arcane write his pseudo-memoir in a consciously Victorian style to underline that he does not belong in the 1960s.

In 1967, Russell Kirk published a short story "Belgrummo's Hell" about a clever art thief who unwisely tries to rob the estate of the ancient Scottish warlock, Lord Belgrummo, who is later revealed to be Arcane's father.

In 1982, The Portable Conservative Reader, which Russell Kirk edited, included writings by many of the conservatives Russell Kirk featured in The Conservative Mind.

Russell Kirk later was appointed a distinguished fellow at the Heritage Foundation, a Washington, DC-based conservative think tank, where he gave several lectures.

Russell Kirk taught one semester a year at Hillsdale College, where he was distinguished visiting professor of humanities.

In 1989, Russell Kirk was presented with the Presidential Citizens Medal by President Ronald Reagan.

In 1963, Russell Kirk converted to Catholicism and married Annette Courtemanche; they had four daughters.

Russell Kirk declined to drive, calling cars "mechanical Jacobins", and would have nothing to do with television and what he called "electronic computers".

Russell Kirk did not always maintain a stereotypically conservative voting record.

Russell Kirk supported Burkean conservatism, based on the writings and philosophy of Edmund Burke, which embraced tradition, political philosophy, belles lettres, and strong religious faith.

Russell Kirk, therefore, questioned the "fusionism" between libertarians and traditional conservatives that marked much of post-World War II conservatism in the United States.

Bradley J Birzer, a Hillsdale College history professor, argues that Kirk was immensely influential in inspiring the modern conservative movement, but not many of his followers agreed with his unusual approach to the history of conservatism.

Gerald J Russello argued that Kirk adapted what 19th century Orestes Brownson, an American Catholic writer, called "territorial democracy" to articulate a version of federalism that was based on premises that differ in part from those of the founders and other conservatives.

Russell Kirk further believed that territorial democracy could reconcile the tension between treating the states as mere provinces of the central government, and as autonomous political units independent of Washington.

Finally, territorial democracy allowed Russell Kirk to set out a theory of individual rights grounded in the particular historical circumstances of the United States, while rejecting a universal conception of such rights.

Russell Kirk identified these ideals as the perfectibility of man, hostility towards tradition, rapid change in economic and political systems, and the secularization of government.