True Conservatism

“Well-written, erudite, and humane. . . . A sparkling book, a tribute to the essential connection between true conservatism and deep engagement with, and respect for, ‘the best that has been thought and said.’ His learning is impressive, his writing pellucid, his ratiocination lacking neither courage nor civic spirit.”—Daniel J. Mahoney, National Review “A penetrating and insightful exploration of contemporary politics, judged against the standards set up by the past, and a challenge to progressive and absolutist approaches to politics in all forms.”—James Piereson, New Criterion “A deeply nuanced view of conservatism. . . . Rigorous and philosophically demanding, Kronman’s book invites principled argument from every side.”—Kirkus Reviews “A book of conservatism on guard for its vices as well as its virtues, and addressed to opponents more than devotees. Anthony Kronman, a friend of liberty and human greatness, writes for readers who think and enjoy the best.”—Harvey C. Mansfield, Harvard University “What do you get when a fine mind, furnished with broad and deep knowledge of the best that has been thought and said by the greatest thinkers in the Western tradition, wrestles with the most profound questions facing us as human beings? You get a book like Professor Kronman’s True Conservatism.”—Robert P. George, Princeton University “Anthony Kronman challenges the shallow prejudices of the moment with philosophical depth and his characteristic verve. His humane conservatism will go far in lifting us out of today’s ideological impasse—so long as we are enlightened enough to take its arguments seriously.”—Bryan Garsten, author of Saving Persuasion: A Defense of Rhetoric and Judgment