The movement called neo-conservatism has provided the intellectual foundation for the resurgence of American conservatism in our time. And if neo-conservatism can be said to have a father or an architect, that person is Irving Kristol. Schooled in radical socialism in the 1930s, Kristol grew disillusioned with the left and rose to become an ideological foe of the Soviet Union, an active editor and publisher, and a prolific writer in his own right. He helped move a generation of intellectuals to the conservative cause. Neoconservatism is the most comprehensive selection of Mr. Kristol’s influential writings on politics and economics, as well as the best of his now-famous essays on society, religion, culture, literature, education, and—above all—the "values" issues that have come to define the neo-conservative critique of contemporary life. Composed over almost fifty years, these writings offer some of the most lucid, insightful, entertaining, and intellectually challenging essays of our time. “Often persuasive, and very wise...From the beginning, Mr. Kristol’s writing has exhibited a wealth of common sense and understated wit. This book is full of both.”—Andrew Sullivan, New York Times Book Review. “Mr. Kristol possesses a genius for making his sophisticated and nuanced arguments appear the commonplace of everyman.... He has thought and written with admirable clarity, honesty, and courage.”—James Nuechterlein, Wall Street Journal.
Here are the best of Kristol's now famous essays on society, religion, morals, culture, literature, education, and on the values issues which have come to define the neoconservative critique of contemporary life. These essays display the provocative ideas and style that have caused Irving Kristol to be justly regarded as the "godfather" of the conservative movement.
Part 1 SECTION I Chapter 2 An Autobiographical Memoir 3 Part 3 SECTION II: RACE, SEX AND FAMILY Chapter 4 Welfare: The Best of Intentions, the Worst of Results 43 Chapter 5 The Tragedy of "Multiculuralism" 50 Chapter 6 Reflections on Love and Family 54 Chapter 7 Men, Women and Sex 58 Chapter 8 AIDS and False Innocence 63 Chapter 9 Life Without Father 67 Part 10 SECTION III: FROM ADVERSARY CULTURE TO COUNTERCULTURE Chapter 11 American Intellectuals and Foreign Policy 75 Chapter 12 Capitalism, Socialism, and Nihilism 92 Chapter 13 The Adversary Culture of Intellectuals 106 Chapter 14 The Cultural Revolution and the Capitalist Future 123 Chapter 15 Countercultures 136 Part 16 SECTION IV: CAPITALISM AND THE DEMOCRATIC IDEA Chapter 17 Machiavelli and the Profanation of Politics 151 Chapter 18 About Equality 165 Chapter 19 The Frustrations of Affluence 179 Chapter 20 Utopianism, Ancient and Modern 184 Chapter 21 Social Reform: Gains and Losses 200 Chapter 22 Business and the "New Class: 205 Chapter 23 Corporate Capitalism in America 211 Chapter 24 On Conservatism and Capitalism 230 Chapter 25 The American Revolution as a Successful Revolution 235 Chapter 26 What is "Social Justice?" 253 Chapter 27 Adam Smith and the Spirit of Capitalism 258 Chapter 28 Socialism: An Obituary for an Idea 300 Part 29 SECTION V: THE CONSERVATIVE PROSPECT Chapter 30 American Historians and the Democratic Idea 313 Chapter 31 Urban Civilization and Its Discontents 328 Chapter 32 The Republican Future 344 Chapter 33 "The Stupid Party" 349 Chapter 34 The Emergence of Two Republican Parties 354 Chapter 35 The New Populism: Not to Worry 359 Chapter 36 The Coming "Conservative Century" 364 Chapter 37 The New Face of American Politics 369 Chapter 38 America's "Exceptional Conservatism" 373 Part 39 SECTION VI: ON JEWS Chapter 40 God and the Psychoanalysts 389 Chapter 41 Einstein: The Passion of Pure Reason 405 Chapter 42 Is Jewish Humor Dead? 420 Chapter 43 Christianity, Judaism, and Socialism 429 Chapter 44 The Future of American Jewry 442 Part 45 SECTION VII: SOME BACKWARD GLANCES Chapter 46 Memoirs of a "Cold Warrior" 457 Chapter 47 Memoirs of a Trotskyist 469 Chapter 48 My Cold War 481 Chapter 49 Index of Names 487
Overview
The movement called neo-conservatism has provided the intellectual foundation for the resurgence of American conservatism in our time. And if neo-conservatism can be said to have a father or an architect, that person is Irving Kristol. Schooled in radical socialism in the 1930s, Kristol grew disillusioned with the left and rose to become an ideological foe of the Soviet Union, an active editor and publisher, and a prolific writer in his own right. He helped move a generation of intellectuals to the conservative ...