Victor Davis Hanson: A Scholar's Journey
An in-depth exploration of a prominent classicist, military historian, and conservative political commentator, examining his academic contributions and public engagements.
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Overview
Classicist and Historian
Victor Davis Hanson, born September 5, 1953, is a distinguished American classicist and military historian. His scholarly work primarily focuses on ancient and modern warfare, as well as classical agrarianism. He holds the title of professor emeritus of classics at California State University, Fresno, and is a prominent Senior Fellow in classics and military history at the Hoover Institution.
Political Commentator
Beyond his academic pursuits, Hanson is widely recognized as a conservative political commentator. He contributes regularly to influential media outlets such as the New York Times, the Wall Street Journal, the National Review, and the Washington Times, offering insights on contemporary politics and historical parallels.
Notable Recognition
Hanson's contributions have been acknowledged with significant accolades. In 2007, he was awarded the National Humanities Medal by President George W. Bush. He also served as a presidential appointee to the American Battle Monuments Commission from 2007 to 2008, underscoring his expertise and public service.
Early Life
Roots in California
Victor Davis Hanson's formative years were spent in Selma, California, situated within the agricultural heartland of the San Joaquin Valley. This rural upbringing and connection to agrarian life have profoundly influenced his later academic and political perspectives, particularly his writings on family farming and rural communities.
Family Heritage
Hanson's ancestry includes Swedish and Welsh heritage. He was named after his father's cousin, who tragically lost his life during the Battle of Okinawa in World War II, a detail that perhaps subtly informed his later focus on military history and the human cost of conflict.
Foundational Education
His academic journey began at the University of California, Santa Cruz, where he earned a Bachelor of Arts in classics in 1975, graduating with general Cowell College honors. He then pursued advanced studies at Stanford University, completing his PhD in classics in 1980, solidifying his expertise in ancient civilizations.
Academic Career
From Farm to Faculty
Following his doctoral studies, Hanson spent four years, from 1980 to 1984, as a full-time orchard and vineyard grower. This practical experience in agriculture provided a unique foundation before he transitioned to academia, joining California State University, Fresno, in 1984 to establish a classical studies program.
Teaching Excellence
His dedication to teaching was recognized in 1991 when he received the American Philological Association's Excellence in Teaching Award, an annual honor for top undergraduate instructors of Greek and Latin. In 2006, the University of California, Santa Cruz, named him a distinguished alumnus of the year.
Visiting Scholar and Fellowships
Hanson's academic reach extended through various visiting professorships and fellowships. He was a visiting professor of classics at Stanford University (1991–1992) and a National Endowment for the Humanities fellow at the Center for Advanced Studies in the Behavioral Sciences (1992–1993). Further, he was an Alexander Onassis Fellow (2001), a Nimitz Fellow at the University of California, Berkeley (2006), and held the visiting Shifrin Chair of Military History at the U.S. Naval Academy (2002–2003).
Post-Retirement Engagements
In 2004, Hanson retired early from Cal State Fresno to dedicate more time to his political commentary and popular history. He subsequently held positions at several conservative-leaning institutions, including a fellowship at the Claremont Institute (2002), a Senior Fellowship at the Hoover Institution, and a William Simon Visiting Professorship at Pepperdine University's School of Public Policy (2009–2015). He also served on the boards of the Bradley Foundation and the HF Guggenheim Foundation.
Writing
Syndicated Commentary
Since 2004, Victor Davis Hanson has penned a weekly column syndicated by the Tribune Content Agency, alongside a regular column for National Review Online since 2001. His insightful commentary has earned him the Eric Breindel Prize for opinion journalism (2002) and the Bradley Prize from the Lynde and Harry Bradley Foundation (2008).
Agrarian and Military History
Hanson's early works established his scholarly reputation. His PhD thesis, Warfare and Agriculture (1983), posited that Greek warfare was intrinsically linked to agrarian life, challenging assumptions about agricultural devastation during classical conflicts. Donald Kagan lauded this work as "the most important work in Greek history in my lifetime." The Western Way of War (1989) delved into ancient Greek battle experiences and the Hellenic origins of Western military practices. The Other Greeks (1995) argued for a unique middling agrarian class as the foundation of Greek city-state values, while Fields Without Dreams (1996) and The Land Was Everything (2000) mourned the decline of family farming in America.
Leadership and Conflict
In The Soul of Battle (1999), Hanson examined the careers of Epaminondas, William Tecumseh Sherman, and George S. Patton, contending that democratic warfare excels in swift, decisive campaigns but falters in prolonged occupations. Ripples of Battle (2003) explored the enduring impact of historical conflicts on art, literature, and governance. His A War Like No Other (2005), a New York Times notable book, offered a unique perspective on the Peloponnesian War, analyzing it through different methods of combat. The Savior Generals (2013) highlighted the rare leadership qualities that emerge in dire military situations, tracing the paths of five great commanders.
Contemporary Issues
Hanson has also addressed modern societal and political themes. Mexifornia (2003) served as a personal memoir and a commentary on immigration from Mexico, predicting a crisis if traditional integration and assimilation values were not upheld. His later works include The Second World Wars (2017), The Case for Trump (2019), The Dying Citizen (2021), and The End of Everything (2024), reflecting his continued engagement with historical analysis and contemporary American challenges.
Carnage and Culture
Western Military Superiority
In his influential work, Carnage and Culture (2001), published in the UK as Why the West Has Won, Hanson posited that the military dominance of Western civilization, originating with the ancient Greeks, stems from specific cultural attributes. These include consensual government, a tradition of self-critique, secular rationalism, religious tolerance, individual freedom, free expression, and free markets.
Rejecting Determinism
Hanson's thesis explicitly rejects racial explanations for Western military pre-eminence. Furthermore, he diverges from environmental or geographical determinist explanations, such as those presented by Jared Diamond in Guns, Germs, and Steel (1997), emphasizing instead the unique cultural framework as the primary driver.
Critical Dialogue
The book sparked considerable debate. Military officer Robert L. Bateman critiqued Hanson's argument regarding Western armies' preference for decisive battles of annihilation, citing the Second Punic War and the Roman adoption of the Fabian strategy. Hanson, in response, clarified that the Romans initially sought decisive battles but were compelled to a Fabian strategy only after defeats, ultimately returning to decisive engagements once military capacity was rebuilt. He also noted that the Carthaginians, having adopted Western methods, also sought decisive battles.
Classical Education
The Demise of Homer
In Who Killed Homer? The Demise of Classical Education and the Recovery of Greek Wisdom (1998), co-authored with John Heath, Hanson explored the decline of classical education in the United States. The authors argued that a profound understanding of Western culture necessitates knowledge of classical Greece and Rome, asserting that "the answer to why the world is becoming Westernized goes all the way back to the wisdom of the Greeks—reason enough why we must not abandon the study of our heritage."
Favorable Reception
Political scientist Francis Fukuyama reviewed the book positively in Foreign Affairs, noting that historical Western thinkers were deeply immersed in Greek thought. Fukuyama highlighted the book's defense of a traditionalist approach against postmodernist critiques and pragmatic, career-oriented questioning of the classics' value in a technology-driven society.
Scholarly Critiques
Despite positive reviews, the book also faced criticism from classicists like Victoria Cech and Joy Connolly. Cech argued that Hanson and Heath constructed an idealized view of classical attitudes to highlight modern flaws, rather than accurately portraying ancient cultures, particularly regarding individual freedom and state relations. Connolly pointed out the authors' dismissal of feminist scholarship on Greek sexism, suggesting a focus on what was "wrong with us" rather than a nuanced understanding of ancient societies.
Political Views
Political Evolution
Victor Davis Hanson, once a registered member of the Democratic Party, transitioned to a conservative stance. He publicly supported George W. Bush in the 2000 and 2004 presidential elections. As of 2020, he identified as a registered independent, reflecting a nuanced political alignment.
Support for Trump
Hanson became a vocal supporter of Donald Trump, authoring the 2019 book The Case for Trump. In this work, he characterized Trump's often controversial language as "uncouth authenticity" and commended his "uncanny ability to troll and create hysteria among his media and political critics." The book received praise from Trump himself.
Neoconservative Leanings
Some commentators have described Hanson as a neoconservative, particularly due to his views on the Iraq War. He stated, "I came to support neocon approaches first in the wars against the Taliban and Saddam, largely because I saw little alternative." In his 2002 work, An Autumn of War, he advocated for a resolute approach to conflict, urging to "go to war hard, long, without guilt, apology or respite until our enemies are no more," emphasizing the moral clarity to confront and eradicate evil.
Debates
Race Relations Commentary
In July 2013, in response to Attorney General Eric Holder's discussion of "the Talk" given to black sons about interacting with police, Hanson published a column titled "Facing Facts about Race." In it, he offered his own version of "the Talk," suggesting the need to caution his children about young black men in inner cities, arguing that they were statistically more prone to violent crimes, thus justifying police focus.
Responses to Race Commentary
Hanson's column drew significant criticism. Ta-Nehisi Coates of The Atlantic labeled it "stupid advice," questioning its logic by drawing parallels to discriminatory employment practices. Arthur Stern deemed the column "inflammatory" and "undeniably racist" for presenting controversial opinions as fact without sufficient statistical evidence. Kelefa Sanneh of The New Yorker found it "strange" that Hanson presented fear of violent crime as a "white or Asian" problem, implying a lack of awareness of the more complex realities faced by African-American parents. Hanson, in turn, accused Sanneh of "McCarthyite character assassination" and "infantile, if not racialist, logic."
Obama Administration Criticism
Hanson was a notable critic of President Barack Obama's foreign policy. He accused the Obama administration of "appeasing" Iran and Russia, attributing the outbreak of the war in Ukraine in 2014 to these policies. In May 2016, Hanson argued that Obama's failure to maintain a credible threat of deterrence had destabilized the world, suggesting that the ensuing months could be "the most dangerous since World War II."
Personal Life
Marriages and Family
Victor Davis Hanson married Cara Webb on June 18, 1977, and together they had three children: two daughters and a son. Their marriage concluded in divorce in 2005. In 2013, Hanson remarried, tying the knot with Jennifer Heyne.
Personal Tragedies
Hanson has faced significant personal loss. In 2014, his youngest daughter, Susannah, passed away due to leukemia. Additionally, his mother, sister-in-law, and maternal aunt have all succumbed to cancer, highlighting a profound personal connection to the disease.
Enduring Home
He continues to reside on a family farm located outside Selma in California's Central Valley. This property has been in his family since the 1870s, maintaining a deep-rooted connection to the agrarian lifestyle that has frequently appeared as a theme in his scholarly and popular writings.
Published Works
Selected Books
Victor Davis Hanson is a prolific author, with a bibliography spanning classical studies, military history, and contemporary political commentary. His works include:
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References
References
- Victor Davis Hanson and John Heath, Who Killed Homer? The Demise of Classical Education and the Recovery of Greek Wisdom (San Francisco: Encounter Books, 2001), p. 28.
- Interview, Proceedings, March 2003.
- The end of the neo-cons? BBC News, February 9, 2009
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Important Notice
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This is not a political endorsement or professional advice. The information provided on this website regarding Victor Davis Hanson's views, career, or any related topics is for academic study and general knowledge. It should not be interpreted as an endorsement of any political stance, nor as a substitute for independent research, critical analysis, or consultation with experts in relevant fields such as history, political science, or classical studies. Always refer to primary sources and diverse scholarly perspectives for a comprehensive understanding.
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