The New Conservatism and its Critics - by Joseph Prud'homme (Hardcover)

About the Book

The rise of Donald Trump has underscored the importance of understanding the intellectual defenses of a so-called New Conservatism. This book contains essays defending new forms of conservatism.

Book Synopsis

The New Conservatism and its Critics examines the pressing issue of contemporary conservatism in the United States in light of the presidency of Donald Trump, providing a wealth of new insights on American conservative thought across its 23 detailed chapters. After reflections on the classical liberal inheritance within much in American conservatism, it brings together leading thinkers defending the so-called New Conservatism. Condemning "establishment" conservatives as misguided, ineffective, or both, New Conservatives are now highly influential-and they deserve to be addressed seriously. To this end, the book contains original chapters defending New Conservatism by such influential scholars as Patrick Deneen, Roger Kimball, Arthur Milikh, and Scott Yenor. It also offers critiques of this movement by scholars generally sympathetic to conservative or classical liberal positions but who remain skeptical of New Conservative thought, including chapters by Robert George, Joshua Mitchell, William Ruger, and David Corey, as well as chapters by prominent thinkers critical of conservativism-both new and old-including Corey Brettschneider, Laura Field, and Jacob T. Levy. The work concludes with reflections on conservatism in our contemporary era by R.R. Reno and Wilfred McClay. In a time of heightened political polarization and misconceptions, this extensive volume will advance the understanding of contending political theories in contemporary American life.

Review Quotes

The New Conservatism and its Critics is an important collection that should be essential reading for anyone wanting to understand the current intellectual debates on the right.
Yale Law School

This book provides a detailed and nuanced analysis of the monumental changes that have transpired in conservative ideology and policy since the election of Donald J. Trump. It offers a collection of intellectually stimulating articles from distinguished scholars, authors, and pundits, representing a wide range of opinions and perspectives across the political spectrum on the most important social and moral issues facing the nation. It allows the reader to step back from the typical emotive response to Trump on the left and the right in the popular forum and seriously engage contemporary issues of the day and new ways of approaching those issues in the political landscape from some of the best minds in the country.
Christopher Newport University, USA

We live in a time of political, social, and philosophical unrest. Such times call for a rethinking. One effort at this rethinking is what we call the 'new conservatism.' What is this new conservatism? What makes it conservative and what makes it new? Joseph Prud'homme has produced the best summary yet of this new movement through contributions from its leading lights, fellow travelers, and critics. His introduction alone is a masterful summary of the conservative intellectual tradition and the new right's place in it. No reader will walk away from this book ignorant of what the new conservatism is and what it means for the country or for the future of the conservative intellectual tradition in all its variety.
Duquesne University, USA

About the Author

Joseph Prud'homme is the Burton Family Chair in Religion, Politics, and Culture and associate professor of political science and affiliated faculty member in religious studies at Washington College. Professor Prud'homme is the founding Director of the Institute for Religion, Politics, and Culture at Washington College. He received his doctorate from Princeton University, where he studied in the Interdepartmental Program in Political Philosophy, with additional specialization in constitutional law and religious studies.