The Conservative Mind: From Burke to Eliot
by Russell Kirk
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Book Summary Information
Author: Russell KirkEdition: Hardcover
Audio: English (Unknown); English (Original Language); English (Published)
Published: 2008-12-26
ISBN: 1607960699
Number of pages: 468
Publisher: www.bnpublishing.net
Book Reviews of The Conservative Mind: From Burke to Eliot
Book Review: Not a Good Polemic; Not a Good History; Not a Good Exposition. What's Left?
Summary: 1 Stars
I came to this book with very high hopes of hearing a well-presented literary history, and argument for, what Kirk calls the "conservative mind." Unfortunately, the book proved to be neither a good argument (Kirk hardly argues for anything, rhetoricizing not being the same as argument). His historical recounting is appalingly bad. And, as others have noted, he is quite mistaken in the thought that his attempts at literary turn of phrase make for a tedioius read.
As history, the chapters focusing on early American history are scorchingly bad. He suggests that the American revolution was a conservative revolution. To do this, of course, he ignores such facts as that, for the first time, a nation was premised on the absence of royalty, feudalism was quite abolished, and a written constitution that only slightly resembled the Magna Carta was produced. (For a great argument that the American revolution was radical rather than conservative, one can consult any number of books like The Radicalism of the American Revolution).
Kirk calls Alexander Hamilton the "most vigorous organizer" for "a federal government." The rest of us, of course, see this distinction as belonging to Madison, the primary author of the constitution and Federalist Papers, and president. Unfortunately, Kirk readily ignores this, which makes him quite the revisionist historian.
Neither can I be sure that Kirk intends to argue for the consevative position becuase, if this was his intent, he does about as bad a job as anyone could possibly do. Most of his arguments consist of quoting a figure who said what he wants to argue, and recapitulating the position in his own words. If he ever does tackle objections, he does little more than dismiss them out of hand without argument. I dare anyone who doubts this to read his redundant chapters on Burke and find one ARGUMENT againt one of Burke's detractors. (So that everyone knows, I am not saying that there are not good arguments against Rousseau, Condorect and the like; just that Kirk provides none.)
Anyway, rather than read this muddled piece in order to understand the conservative view, I would highly reccomend that one read Sowell's A Conflict of Visions: Ideological Origins of Political Struggles. It is better written and argued than Kirk. Sowell not only presents many of the same ideas as Kirk more clearly and convincingly, but his grasp of what is and is not a fact is much better than Kirk.
If your goal is to learn about, or hear a defense of, the conservative viewpoint, don't spend money on this volume because it will be money lost.
Summary of The Conservative Mind: From Burke to Eliot
The Conservative Mind by Russell Kirk is arguably one of the greatest contributions to twentieth-century American Conservatism. Brilliant in every respect, from its conception to its choice of significant figures representing the history of intellectual conservatism, The Conservative Mind by Russell Kirk launched the modern American Conservative Movement. A must-read.Politics & Government Books
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