Free Republic

Russell Kirk was a great American thinker of the last century - and giant of conservative thought. He was a student of the Founding Fathers, but also of their fathers, and of their mentors' mentors. He knew Edmund Burke's philosophy cold, and history's big lessons all the way back to Plato. Kirk hated "ruinous taxation," like Lecky, who wrote "Democracy and Liberty." Kirk hated "corrupt Washington," as Henry James, who wrote "Democracy." Kirk loved individual liberty and was a scholar of our Constitution's roots, including its "natural law" origins. Kirk was effectively the Father, or wise man, of modern conservatism....

I. INTRODUCTION:“Libertarians” and “conservatives” often duke it out on Free Republic. This usually occurs over the legalization of drugs but other social issues result in vitriolic debates as well Russell Kirk in Chapter XI of his book, The Politics of Prudence, argues most libertarians are not conservatives. They are really radicals of the right. But before we can present Russell’s arguments we must first document what a “conservative” is. Previously, I have summarized Kirk’s views as to conservativism by summarizing another chapter of this book, Ten Conservative Principles. Human nature is such that few will have the time or interest...