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Saving Elephants | Millennials defending & expressing conservative values
Fusionism—the viewpoint advocated by the likes of William F. Buckley and Frank Meyer of order and liberty mutually reinforcing each other—has been the dominant form of conservatism in the United States for a generation. In the era of Trump and the rise of nationalist populism on the Right, however, fusionism has steadily lost influence. Should conservatives double down on what's worked in the past? Or is it time for a different approach that was advocated by some of the original critics of fusionism on the Right? Joining Saving Elephants host Josh Lewis is Jeffery Tyler Syck to argue for a conservative alternative to the fusionists and NatCons: humanist conservatism. The humanist conservative is interested in preserving the diverse daily practices of human existence, as advocated by noteworthy thinkers like Michael Oakeshott, Daniel Patrick Moynihan, and Peter Viereck. It's a quitter, more moderated form of conservatism that—Syck believes—could offer an antidote to the excess of the nationalist populous radicalism ascendant on the Right. About Jeffery Tyler Syck From jtylersyck.com Jeffery Tyler Syck is an Assistant Professor of Political Science at the University of Pikeville. Tyler's academic research focuses on the development of American democracy and the history of political ideologies. He is the editor of the forthcoming book “A Republic of Virtue: The Political Essays of John Quincy Adams” and is completing a second book manuscript entitled “The Untold Origins of American Democracy.” This second book describes how the political debates between John Quincy Adams and Andrew Jackson forever altered the republic created by the American founders – leaving behind an increasingly majoritarian democracy. His essays and articles on politics, philosophy, and history have appeared in several public facing publications including Law and Liberty, Persuasion, and the Louisville Courier-Journal. Tyler's academic work has recently been published in the journal Pietas. A native of Pike County Kentucky, Tyler's political thought and writing are strongly shaped by the culture of Appalachia. With their tightly knit communities, the mountains of Appalachia have instilled in him a love of all things local. As such his writing most often advocates for a rejuvenation of local democracy and a renaissance of rural culture. Tyler received a Doctor of Philosophy and Master of Arts in Government from the University of Virginia. He received a Bachelor of Arts in Government and History from Morehead State University where he graduated with honors. You can follow Tyler on Twitter @tylersyck
Simon Kennedy joins Jonathan for a conversation about twentieth century American conservative intellectual Peter Viereck and his critique of so-called new conservatism in America. Simon Kennedy has a PhD in history from the University of Queensland (UQ). He is currently Associate Editor of Quadrant Magazine and a Research Fellow in the Law School at UQ. His academic research is in the area of law and politics and their interaction with Christianity. The Political Animals is hosted by Dr Jonathan Cole, a scholar, writer and translator specialising in political theology: the intersection of religion and politics. Jonathan was a senior terrorism analyst at Australian intelligence agency the Office of National Assessments where he worked on Islamist terrorism and the global jihadist movement. You can contact Jonathan at polanimalspod@gmail.com.
For decades, the standard history of conservative intellectuals in the United States in the 20th century has been George Nash's magisterial The Conservative Intellectual Movement in America since 1945. Now, a young scholar, Joshua Tait, has produced a study of conservative intellectualism that compares favorably to Nash's in its depth of research and acuity of analysis. In this podcast discussion, Josh talks about his 2020 Ph.D. dissertation, “Making Conservatism: Conservative Intellectuals and the American Political Tradition.” He describes his interest in the post-World War II conservative intellectual project. This movement drew together the ideas and philosophies of the right that opposed the prevailing New Deal consensus and built a political coalition and set of institutions that could persuade the public and achieve political power. He discusses his interest in early conservative intellectual movements, including the New Conservatives, the Straussians, the traditionalists, and the libertarians - as well as the ideas and influence of specific figures on the right such as Peter Viereck, Russell Kirk, Willmoore Kendall, James Burnham, and William F. Buckley, Jr. Ultimately, Josh believes that the “fusionist” consensus forged around National Review magazine in the 1950s - which united traditionalists and libertarians under the shared banner of anti-communism - was always unstable and was glued together more by shared enemies on the left than by any genuine synthesis. He also describes how the catastrophism of leading conservative intellectuals, including Burnham and Kendall, ultimately made it impossible for conservatives to cooperate with liberals and centrists, thus depriving them of the ability to govern. He believes the conservative intellectual project should turn away from existentialist counter-revolution and seek to recover the prudence and historicism of traditionalist thinkers like Russell Kirk. This would facilitate a return to conservative politics grounded in realism, reform, and continuity.
On this episode, Harry and Philip dive into the big questions, "How can we balance liberalism and democracy?" and "Can a small government aimed only at protecting liberal freedom keep the system alive?" If you've ever wondered about the strengths and weaknesses of small government in building a healthy democratic society, join us and tune in! If you're interested in learning more about this subject and the writings we discuss in the episode: https://know-your-enemy-1682b684.simplecast.com/ (Know Your Enemy Podcast) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=67tHtpac5ws (Milton Friedman, father of Neoliberalism, discusses the pencil) Anarchy, State and Utopia, by Robert Nozick. Relevant excerpts http://econ2.econ.iastate.edu/classes/econ362/hallam/Readings/Nozick_Justice.pdf (here). https://fee.org/resources/i-pencil/?gclid=Cj0KCQjw6ZOIBhDdARIsAMf8YyF2EBYD-lkZWgOQYdgbEc3N9kMxtAncHtPu1axNmWn_n7RghuP_EWEaAq0bEALw_wcB ("I, Pencil," by Leonard Read.) "Federalist no. 10," James Madison. https://www.theatlantic.com/magazine/archive/1940/04/but-im-a-conservative/304434/ ( "But–I'm a Conservative!" by Peter Viereck, in The Atlantic.)
With Republicans in control of Washington, many suspect that conservatism is on the ascent. Others are wondering what conservatism even means in 2016. In which version of conservatism does President-Elect Donald J. Trump believe? How would Trump answer the question that David Brooks posed to Barack Obama about Edmund Burke before he became president? Robert Lacey’s new book, Pragmatic Conservatism: Edmund Burke and His American Heirs (Palgrave MacMillan, 2016), offers the start of an answer. Lacey is associate professor of political science at Iona College. He has previous written American Pragmatism and Democratic Faith. His new book argues for Burke as a pragmatist and more closely aligned with the current philosophy of many liberals than movement conservatives. In order to make this case, Lacey compares Burke to Walter Lippmann, Reinhold Niebuhr, and Peter Viereck, the American heirs. As Donald Trump ascends to the presidency, Lacey’s book should be read to understand whether business pragmatism of the new president resembles the conservative pragmatism of Burke or something altogether different. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
With Republicans in control of Washington, many suspect that conservatism is on the ascent. Others are wondering what conservatism even means in 2016. In which version of conservatism does President-Elect Donald J. Trump believe? How would Trump answer the question that David Brooks posed to Barack Obama about Edmund Burke before he became president? Robert Lacey’s new book, Pragmatic Conservatism: Edmund Burke and His American Heirs (Palgrave MacMillan, 2016), offers the start of an answer. Lacey is associate professor of political science at Iona College. He has previous written American Pragmatism and Democratic Faith. His new book argues for Burke as a pragmatist and more closely aligned with the current philosophy of many liberals than movement conservatives. In order to make this case, Lacey compares Burke to Walter Lippmann, Reinhold Niebuhr, and Peter Viereck, the American heirs. As Donald Trump ascends to the presidency, Lacey’s book should be read to understand whether business pragmatism of the new president resembles the conservative pragmatism of Burke or something altogether different. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
With Republicans in control of Washington, many suspect that conservatism is on the ascent. Others are wondering what conservatism even means in 2016. In which version of conservatism does President-Elect Donald J. Trump believe? How would Trump answer the question that David Brooks posed to Barack Obama about Edmund Burke before he became president? Robert Lacey’s new book, Pragmatic Conservatism: Edmund Burke and His American Heirs (Palgrave MacMillan, 2016), offers the start of an answer. Lacey is associate professor of political science at Iona College. He has previous written American Pragmatism and Democratic Faith. His new book argues for Burke as a pragmatist and more closely aligned with the current philosophy of many liberals than movement conservatives. In order to make this case, Lacey compares Burke to Walter Lippmann, Reinhold Niebuhr, and Peter Viereck, the American heirs. As Donald Trump ascends to the presidency, Lacey’s book should be read to understand whether business pragmatism of the new president resembles the conservative pragmatism of Burke or something altogether different. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
With Republicans in control of Washington, many suspect that conservatism is on the ascent. Others are wondering what conservatism even means in 2016. In which version of conservatism does President-Elect Donald J. Trump believe? How would Trump answer the question that David Brooks posed to Barack Obama about Edmund Burke before he became president? Robert Lacey’s new book, Pragmatic Conservatism: Edmund Burke and His American Heirs (Palgrave MacMillan, 2016), offers the start of an answer. Lacey is associate professor of political science at Iona College. He has previous written American Pragmatism and Democratic Faith. His new book argues for Burke as a pragmatist and more closely aligned with the current philosophy of many liberals than movement conservatives. In order to make this case, Lacey compares Burke to Walter Lippmann, Reinhold Niebuhr, and Peter Viereck, the American heirs. As Donald Trump ascends to the presidency, Lacey’s book should be read to understand whether business pragmatism of the new president resembles the conservative pragmatism of Burke or something altogether different. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
With Republicans in control of Washington, many suspect that conservatism is on the ascent. Others are wondering what conservatism even means in 2016. In which version of conservatism does President-Elect Donald J. Trump believe? How would Trump answer the question that David Brooks posed to Barack Obama about Edmund Burke before he became president? Robert Lacey’s new book, Pragmatic Conservatism: Edmund Burke and His American Heirs (Palgrave MacMillan, 2016), offers the start of an answer. Lacey is associate professor of political science at Iona College. He has previous written American Pragmatism and Democratic Faith. His new book argues for Burke as a pragmatist and more closely aligned with the current philosophy of many liberals than movement conservatives. In order to make this case, Lacey compares Burke to Walter Lippmann, Reinhold Niebuhr, and Peter Viereck, the American heirs. As Donald Trump ascends to the presidency, Lacey’s book should be read to understand whether business pragmatism of the new president resembles the conservative pragmatism of Burke or something altogether different. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
With Republicans in control of Washington, many suspect that conservatism is on the ascent. Others are wondering what conservatism even means in 2016. In which version of conservatism does President-Elect Donald J. Trump believe? How would Trump answer the question that David Brooks posed to Barack Obama about Edmund Burke before he became president? Robert Lacey's new book, Pragmatic Conservatism: Edmund Burke and His American Heirs (Palgrave MacMillan, 2016), offers the start of an answer. Lacey is associate professor of political science at Iona College. He has previous written American Pragmatism and Democratic Faith. His new book argues for Burke as a pragmatist and more closely aligned with the current philosophy of many liberals than movement conservatives. In order to make this case, Lacey compares Burke to Walter Lippmann, Reinhold Niebuhr, and Peter Viereck, the American heirs. As Donald Trump ascends to the presidency, Lacey's book should be read to understand whether business pragmatism of the new president resembles the conservative pragmatism of Burke or something altogether different. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Joseph Ellis, MHC Professor of History on the Ford Foundation, pays tribute to Peter Viereck at a memorial symposium honoring Viereck's life and work.