Imprimis Podcast: American Virtues – 2025 Commencement Address

Host: Hillsdale College
Guest Speaker: Victor Davis Hanson, Wayne and Marcia Buskey Distinguished Fellow in History
Date: August 27, 2025
Based on Speech Delivered: May 10, 2025, at Hillsdale’s 173rd Commencement
Theme: Exploring American virtues—honor, tradition, optimism—through the lens of Hillsdale College, and reflecting on their enduring relevance for both graduates and the nation.

Episode Overview

Victor Davis Hanson delivers a commencement address celebrating the unique virtues upheld by Hillsdale College: honor, tradition, and optimism. He uses personal anecdotes and historical perspective to contrast Hillsdale’s culture with broader trends in American higher education, emphasizing the responsibility of graduates to carry these virtues forward into society.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Hillsdale’s Growing Influence [(00:05-02:30)]

• Hanson notes a surge in national attention toward Hillsdale College, especially in light of current events where Harvard seeks greater independence from federal oversight while still accepting substantial government funding.
• Quote:

  “Harvard University suddenly wishes to be free of Washington, D.C. … the public has been directing Harvard to consult Hillsdale, whose model disavowal of federal funding is longstanding and principled.” (00:20, Victor Davis Hanson)

• Hillsdale’s independence from federal funding is highlighted as a principled, apolitical stance, ensuring the college’s academic and operational freedom regardless of the party in power.

2. Model for Civic and Classical Education [(02:30-03:10)]

• With the Department of Education seeking to restore civic and classical education, Hillsdale serves as a beacon:

  “Today [Hillsdale] is more the nation's guide to the rediscovery of personal integrity, gratitude to the old breed that came before, and happiness and hope about the future.” (02:50, Victor Davis Hanson)

3. Honoring American Virtues: Three Observations From Campus [(03:10-07:30)]

a) Campus Honor Code (Bicycle Anecdote)

• Hanson recounts leaving his bicycle unlocked overnight—unthinkable elsewhere, but nothing happened at Hillsdale.

  “I walked to campus that morning expecting my bike to be either vandalized or stolen. Yet there it was … just as I had left it.” (03:40)

• This reflects a campus-wide culture of respect for property grounded in an internal code of honor, not external enforcement.

b) Curriculum Rooted in Tradition

• The college’s bookstore lacked the “studies” courses (e.g., gender, ethnic, environmental) common elsewhere.

  “Instead, there were courses listed in all classical aspects of philosophy, literature, languages, history, mathematics, and science.” (05:00)

• Hanson marvels at Hillsdale’s trust in the ancient model of liberal education, unaltered by modern “faddish” trends.

c) Community Optimism and Fellowship

• Unique spirit of happiness: smiles, greetings, and genuine camaraderie across campus, unlike the dourness found elsewhere.

  “The rare upbeat mood of the campus … is a glimpse into the fundamental Hillsdale notion of confidence in our civilization and the need for fellowship and positivity to preserve it.” (06:00)

4. Honor: The Foundation of Civilization [(07:30-08:30)]

• Students are urged to uphold the honor code not only for personal integrity but for the sustenance of civilization itself.

  “Without such individual vows of honesty and compassion for others, civilization in aggregate cannot be sustained.” (08:01)

• The pervasiveness of situational ethics and a victim mentality in society is critiqued as corrosive.

5. Tradition: Reverence For the Past [(08:30-09:50)]

• The Latin root of “tradition”—traditio—reminds us that we are transmitters of inherited wisdom.

  “We seem unaware that thinkers of the past … worried that material progress and greater wealth would result in moral regress.” (09:00)

• Hanson urges graduates not to judge the past by present standards but to understand the context and hardships previous generations endured.

6. Optimism: Positivity as Cultural Strength [(09:50-11:10)]

• Despite increased pessimism in elite circles, Hanson encourages optimism—rooted in gratitude and confidence—as the engine of American resilience.

  “With optimism and confidence in the citizenry, a civilization grows rather than shrinks. It becomes secure, not depressed or beset by self-loathing.” (10:25) “The strength of this country … has always been its singular ability to remain not just unshaken but confident in its values, its resilience, and its inherent strength to overcome all challenges.” (10:50)

7. Call to the Class of 2025: Leadership and Example [(11:10-11:58)]

• Graduates are called upon to serve as examples of these enduring virtues, as the nation looks toward Hillsdale for guidance.

  “I am confident that by your education, your code of comportment, your reverence and your optimism, you will become natural leaders and exemplars … in the era to come that will be America’s greatest renaissance and also I think its most decent.” (11:40)

Notable Quotes and Memorable Moments

• On Honor:

  “Students at Hillsdale do not steal bicycles because their personal code of honor forbids it, because they are concerned that the poor victim would suffer without his property, and because they know that … their own culture and civilization would crumble.” (08:10, Hanson)

• On the Importance of Tradition:

  “We must remember the different circumstances faced by previous generations … Yet our ancestors were able to endure suffering and challenges that we now can scarcely imagine.” (09:20)

• On Optimism in Dark Times:

  “It is now chic to be moody and pessimistic and uncool to be upbeat and cheerful. But the strength of this country … has always been its singular ability to remain … confident in its values, its resilience, and its inherent strength.” (10:50)

Segment Timestamps

• 00:05 – Erica introduces the episode, theme, and Victor Davis Hanson
• 00:20–02:30 – Hillsdale’s independence and national attention
• 02:30–03:10 – Hillsdale as a guide for civic and classical education
• 03:10–07:30 – Hanson’s three campus observations: honor, curriculum, community spirit
• 07:30–08:30 – Discussion of honor as foundational virtue
• 08:30–09:50 – Importance of tradition and perspective on the past
• 09:50–11:10 – Role of optimism in personal and national resilience
• 11:10–11:58 – Final exhortation to graduates: carry forward and exemplify these virtues

Conclusion

Victor Davis Hanson’s address elevates Hillsdale College’s pursuit of honor, tradition, and optimism as not only a model for education, but also as needed virtues for America’s renewal. His anecdotes, historical allusions, and advice to the 2025 graduates offer a compelling vision of educational and moral leadership rooted in classical and civic values.

For more talks and issues from Imprimis, sign up at hillsdale.edu.