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'''Russell Kirk''' (1918 &ndash; 29 April 1994) was an American political theorist, conservative intellectual, historian of ideas, social critic, and man of letters, who is best known for his role in the American conservative movement. Kirk's 1953 book, ''The Conservative Mind: From Burke to Santayana'',<ref>It went into 7 editions, the later ones with the title ''The Conservative Mind: From Burke to Eliot''.</ref> attempted without complete success to lay claim to the history and direction of the modern conservative movement. His book traced the development of conservative thought in the Anglo-American tradition, giving pride of place to the ideas of 18th century British writer and statesman [[Edmund Burke]], an Irish Protestant who was sympathetic to independence for the American colonies.

'''Russell Kirk''' (1918 &ndash; 29 April 1994) was an American political theorist, conservative intellectual, historian of ideas, social critic, and man of letters, who is best known for his role in the American conservative movement. Kirk's 1953 book, ''The Conservative Mind: From Burke to Santayana'',<ref>It went into 7 editions, the later ones with the title ''The Conservative Mind: From Burke to Eliot''.</ref> attempted without complete success to lay claim to the history and direction of the modern conservative movement. His book traced the development of conservative thought in the Anglo-American tradition, giving pride of place to the ideas of 18th century British writer and statesman [[Edmund Burke]], an Irish Protestant who was sympathetic to independence for the American colonies.

==Life==

==Life==

Russell Amos Kirk was born in Mecosta, Michigan, in a house his grandfather built. He was the son of Russell Andrew Kirk, a railroad engineer, and Marjorie Pierce Kirk.  

Russell Amos Kirk was born in Mecosta, Michigan, in a house his grandfather built. He was the son of Russell Andrew Kirk, a railroad engineer, and Marjorie Pierce Kirk.  

Kirk obtained his B.A. at Michigan State University, thanks to a scholarship, then took an M.A. at Duke University. After serving in the Army during World War II, he attended the University of St. Andrews in Scotland. In 1953, he became the first American to be awarded the degree of doctor of letters by that university.  

Kirk obtained his B.A. at Michigan State University, thanks to a scholarship, then took an M.A. at Duke University. After serving in the Army during World War II, he attended the University of St. Andrews in Scotland. In 1953, he became the first American to be awarded the degree of doctor of letters by that university.

Kirk taught briefly at Michigan State. He resigned in 1959, after having become disenchanted with that university's academic standards, rapid growth in student numbers, and emphasis on intercollegiate athletics and technical training at the expense of the traditional liberal arts. Thereafter he ridiculed Michigan State as "Cow College" or "Behemoth University." He later wrote that academic political scientists and sociologists were "as a breed--dull dogs."<ref> Kirk, ''The Portable Conservative Reader''. 1982. page xxxviii.</ref> Late in life, he taught one semester a year at [[Hillsdale College]], where he was Distinguished Visiting Professor of Humanities.

Kirk taught briefly at Michigan State. He resigned in 1959, after having become disenchanted with that university's academic standards, rapid growth in student numbers, and emphasis on intercollegiate athletics and technical training at the expense of the traditional liberal arts. Thereafter he ridiculed Michigan State as "Cow College" or "Behemoth University." He later wrote that academic political scientists and sociologists were "as a breed--dull dogs."<ref> Kirk, ''The Portable Conservative Reader''. 1982. page xxxviii.</ref> Late in life, he taught one semester a year at [[Hillsdale College]], where he was Distinguished Visiting Professor of Humanities.

<blockquote>[One line] helped define the emerging struggle between neoconservatives and paleoconservatives. "Not seldom has it seemed," Kirk declared, "as if some eminent Neoconservatives mistook Tel Aviv for the capital of the United States." A few years later, in another Heritage Foundation speech, Kirk repeated that line verbatim. In the wake of the Gulf War, which he had opposed, he clearly understood that those words carried even greater meaning.<ref> See [http://www.chroniclesmagazine.org/Chronicles/July2004/0704Richert.html]</ref></blockquote>

<blockquote>[One line] helped define the emerging struggle between neoconservatives and paleoconservatives. "Not seldom has it seemed," Kirk declared, "as if some eminent Neoconservatives mistook Tel Aviv for the capital of the United States." A few years later, in another Heritage Foundation speech, Kirk repeated that line verbatim. In the wake of the Gulf War, which he had opposed, he clearly understood that those words carried even greater meaning.<ref> See [http://www.chroniclesmagazine.org/Chronicles/July2004/0704Richert.html]</ref></blockquote>

Neoconservative [[Midge Decter]] attacked Kirk's line as "a bloody outrage, a piece of anti-Semitism by Kirk that impugns the loyalty of neoconservatives." She claimed that Kirk "said people like my husband and me put the interest of Israel before the interest of the United States, that we have a dual loyalty." She told [[The New Republic]], "It's this notion of a Christian civilization. You have to be part of it or you're not really fit to conserve anything. That's an old line and it's very ignorant."<ref> See [http://www.cofcc.org/foundation/neoconservatism.htm]</ref>

Neoconservative [[Midge Decter]] attacked Kirk's line as "a bloody outrage, a piece of anti-Semitism by Kirk that impugns the loyalty of neoconservatives." She claimed that Kirk "said people like my husband and me put the interest of Israel before the interest of the United States, that we have a dual loyalty." She told [[The New Republic]], "It's this notion of a Christian civilization. You have to be part of it or you're not really fit to conserve anything. That's an old line and it's very ignorant."<ref> See [http://www.cofcc.org/foundation/neoconservatism.htm]</ref>

Paleoconservative [[Samuel Francis]] called Kirk's "Tel Aviv" remark "a wisecrack about the slavishly pro-Israel sympathies among neoconservatives.<ref>See [http://www.cofcc.org/foundation/neoconservatism.htm]</ref> He called Decter's response untrue, "reckless" and "vitriolic." Furthermore, he argued that such a denunciation "always plays into the hands of the left, which is then able to repeat the charges and claim conservative endorsement of them."<ref> See  

Paleoconservative [[Samuel Francis]] called Kirk's "Tel Aviv" remark "a wisecrack about the slavishly pro-Israel sympathies among neoconservatives.<ref>See [http://www.cofcc.org/foundation/neoconservatism.htm]</ref> He called Decter's response untrue, "reckless" and "vitriolic." Furthermore, he argued that such a denunciation "always plays into the hands of the left, which is then able to repeat the charges and claim conservative endorsement of them."<ref> See