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The Conservative Mind: From Burke to Eliot

This book delves into the intellectual foundations of conservatism, examining the ideas and principles that have shaped the political and cultural landscape over centuries. more

Author

Russell Kirk
Russell Kirk

Russell Kirk, an American historian, was born in October 1918 and died on April 29, 1994. His research focused on conservative thought, American history, and culture, and had a profound impact on 20th-century American politics and culture. more

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“To check centralization and usurping of power ... we require a new laissez-faire. The old laissez-faire was founded upon a misapprehension of human nature, an exultation of individuality (in private character often a virtue) to the condition of a political dogma, which destroyed the spirit of community and reduced men to so many equipollent atoms of humanity, without sense of brotherhood or purpose.”

MenHumansCharacterPoliticalSpiritPurposeHumanityCommunityVirtueConditionsHuman NatureIndividualityConservativeChecksDestroyedAtomsBrotherhoodDogmaLaissez FaireCentralization
Book:The Conservative Mind: From Burke to Eliot
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“Why do we not exhaust the heritage of the ages, spiritual and material for our immediate pleasure, and let posterity go hang? So far as simple rationality is concerned, self-interest can advance no argument against the appetite of present possessors. Yet within some of us, a voice that is not the demand of self-interest or pure rationality says that we have no right to give ourselves enjoyment at the expense of our ancestors' memory and our descendants' prospects. We hold our present advantages only in trust.”

GivingSelfAgeSpiritualVoiceInterestMemoriesSimplePleasureMaterialsPureDemandAdvantageConcernedArgumentConservativeEnjoymentExpensesAppetiteHeritageAncestorRationalityPosteritySelf InterestDescendantsProspects
Author:Russell Kirk
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“The great question of the seventies is, shall we surrender to our surroundings, or shall we make our peace with nature and begin to make reparations for the damage we have done to our air, to our land, and to our water?”

DoneWaterAirLandConservativeSurrenderDamageSeventiesSurroundingsReparations
Book:Public Papers of the Presidents of the United States: Richard M. Nixon, 1970
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“Restoring nature to its natural state is a cause beyond party and beyond factions. It has become a common cause of all the people of this country. It is a cause of particular concern to young Americans, because they more than we will reap the grim consequences of our failure to act on programs which are needed now if we are to prevent disaster later.”

PeopleIfsCountryStatesYoungCausesNaturalPartyCommonParticularNeededConsequenceConcernProgramConservativeDisasterReapGrimFactionsRestoringFailure To Act
Author:Richard M. Nixon
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“We still think of air as free. But clean air is not free, and neither is clean water. The price tag on pollution control is high. Through our years of past carelessness we incurred a debt to nature, and now that debt is being called.”

ThinkingYearsStillsPastWaterAirCleanConservativeDebtPollutionTagCarelessnessClean WaterPrice TagClean AirPollution Control
Book:Public Papers of the Presidents of the United States: Richard M. Nixon, 1970
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“As our cities and suburbs relentlessly expand, those priceless open spaces needed for recreation areas accessible to their people are swallowed up-often forever. Unless we preserve these spaces while they are still available, we will have none to preserve.”

PeopleStillsSpaceCitiesForeverNeededAreasConservativeAvailablePreservesPricelessRecreationSuburbsOpen Spaces
Book:Public Papers of the Presidents of the United States: Richard M. Nixon, 1970
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