How do nations recover from decline? In this discussion our panellists explore history, spirituality, and politics to uncover the forces that shape civilisations. From war and cultural revival to the crisis of meaning in the modern West, the speakers offer thought-provoking insights on rebuilding society.

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Reserve your 1st edition copy of our new book, The Best of Our Inheritance.
Pre-Order open until March 14, 2025: https://www.arcforum.com/store/p/the-best-of-our-inheritance-arc-research

With the return of the ARC Conference this February, we are launching our first book — a work that encapsulates the values and ideas that shape ARC’s mission. The Best of Our Inheritance brings together fifteen of the sharpest minds of our time to make a bold case for remembering the values of our civilisation. From Barry Straussʼ account of the Classical Tradition, Ayaan Hirsi Aliʼs personal reflections on the values of the West and its Christian roots to Nigel Biggarʼs chapter on human dignity and Joseph Laconte’s call to the artists, reading this book will give you a tangible vision for civilisational renewal.

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David Brooks is a bestselling author, columnist for The New York Times, and a contributor to The Atlantic. He is also a commentator on The PBS Newshour. His latest book is How To Know A Person: The Art of Seeing Others Deeply and Being Deeply Seen.

Rod Dreher is a journalist and author of the New York Times bestsellers The Benedict Option (2017) and Live Not By Lies (2020). His most recent book is Living In Wonder (2024). Dreher lives in Budapest.

Dr Amy Orr-Ewing is an author, speaker, and theologian. She has authored multiple books including Where is God in All the Suffering? and Why Trust the Bible?. Amy holds a DPhil in Theology from the University of Oxford and serves as Honorary Lecturer in Divinity at the University Aberdeen.

Niall Ferguson, MA, D.Phil., is the Milbank Family Senior Fellow at the Hoover Institution, Stanford University, and a senior faculty fellow of the Belfer Center for Science and International Affairs at Harvard, where he served for twelve years as the Laurence A. Tisch Professor of History.

The Hon. John Anderson AC FTSE served as Deputy Prime Minister of Australia for 6 years between 1999 and 2005 alongside The Hon. John Howard OM AC SSI. He now serves in a broad variety of civic and community pursuits and hosts Australia’s pre-eminent politico-cultural video podcast.

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00:00 National Uplift and War
02:05 The Role of Elites in Civilization
03:26 The Spirit of Western Civilization
04:10 Spiritual Thirst in the West
06:39 Redemption and Second Chances
08:00 The Meaning Crisis and Religion
10:19 Reconnecting with Transcendence
12:13 Politics and Cultural Renewal

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Go deeper with ARC Research. Read reports, articles, and academic papers underneath our talks - all pointed towards advancing education, promoting research, and developing ideas about the keys to human flourishing and prosperity. https://www.arcforum.com/research-papers

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