Posted on 06/05/2011 7:57:27 AM PDT by mattstat
A list of (non-fiction) books concerning a man’s knowledge, and the limits of his certainty, about his relations to other men. The Federalist Papers by Publius, The Wealth of Nations by Adam Smith, and The Road to Serfdom by Hayek, and others similar, which are all required reading, are not included here because their contexts are more directly political or economical.
These works all share a common epistemology, which will be immediately obvious from the quotes I selected. From them you may deduce what to be a conservative means: one who holds certain truths to be self-evident but who is cautious and humble in his predictions.
These books are the most fundamental, the books I should have been greatly sorry never to have read.
Reflections on the Revolution in France, Edmund Burke
Ideas Have Consequences, Richard M. Weaver
The Conservative Mind, Russell Kirk
Liberty Equality Fraternity, James Fitzjames Stephen
Democracy in America, Alexis de Tocqueville
Orthodoxy, G.K. Chesterton
The Theory of Moral Sentiments, Adam Smith
The Idea of a University, Cardinal Newman
On Enlightenment, David Stove
Bible, God et alia
Any inclusions/exclusions?
Witness, Whittaker Chambers
The Road to Serfdom and The Constitution of Liberty, both by Friedrich von Hayek.
Capitalism and Freedom, by Milton Friedman.
Madison’s Notes on the Constitutional Convention, by James Madison.
The Federalist Papers, by James Madison, Alexander Hamilton, and John Jay.
Using Churchill's quote as a jumping-off point ( "Democracy is the worst form of government, except for all those other forms that have been tried from time to time." )* it might also be illuminative to examine such alternatives (q.v. the Black Book of Communism).
*Yeah, representative republic, I know :)
This speech, delivered in 1775 before the British Parliament, is a profound commentary on America's early experiment in liberty. Keeping in mind that it was delivered prior to our 1776 Declaration of Independence, Burke's observations, in retrospect, take on special meaning.
The speech traces the roots of liberty and its effects, including the unheard-of economic progress achieved in the colonies, utilizing charts and real figures to back his claims.
Today's politicians, who debate taxes and regulations, should be required to read this early history of America, when there was no government structure to interfere with free men and women creating a place of productivity and innovation which, eventually, became the literal breadbasket of the world.
Read online, here
Burke also enlightens our minds on the roots of the tremendous "spirit of liberty" Burke observes among the colonists, the hypocrisy of the position his government was taking on the matter of slavery toward colonists who, already, were rejecting it, and a wide variety of subjects related to our heritage as Americans.
"Ideas have consequences"(Weaver), already has been suggested.
In 2011, we must remember that the ideas of 1776 came out of a set of ideas consistent with liberty.
We tend to forget, or have never considered, that other world views existed then, as now.
Unless today's citizens rediscover the ideas of liberty existing in what Jefferson called "the American mind" of 1776, we risk going back to the "Old World" ideas which preceded the "Miracle of America."
There are those who call themselves "progressives," when, in fact, their ideas are regressive and enslaving, and as old as the history of civilization.
Would suggest to any who wish an authentic history of the ideas underlying American's founding a visit to this web site, at which Richard Frothingham's outstanding 1872 "History of the Rise of the Republic of the United States" can be read on line.
This 600+-page history traces the ideas which gave birth to the American founding. Throughout, Richard Frothingham, the historian, develops the idea that it is "the Christian idea of man" which allowed the philosophy underlying the Declaration of Independence and Constitution to become a reality--an idea which recognizes the individual and the Source of his/her "Creator"-endowed life, liberty and law.
Is there any wonder that the enemies of freedom, the so-called "progressives," do not promote such authentic histories of America? Their philosophy puts something called "the state," or "global interests" as being superior to individuals and requires a political elitist group to decide what role individuals are to play.
In other words, they must turn the Founders' ideas upside-down in order to achieve a common mediocrity for individuals and power for themselves.
“Burke’s Politics,” by Ross Hoffman and Paul Levak offers a good selection and commentary on Burke’s writings.
Bfl
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