Harvey Mansfield: A Conservative Friend of Liberalism
musicallyspeaking.substack.com
In the preface to his short book The Spirit of Liberalism, the conservative philosopher Harvey Mansfield identifies himself as “a friend of liberalism” and the book to have been “written in defense of liberalism”. At the time of the book’s publication (1978), Mansfield saw liberalism’s enemies not only in the New Left, but “even more by the failure of liberals to defend themselves.” These days, as the forces of illiberalism sort themselves in both the political Left and Right, liberalism finds itself fighting on two fronts - the ‘Woke’ Progressives on one flank, and the ‘Common Good’ Conservatives on the other. Given that these two groups have been claiming more politically-minded young people in their memberships, it is not altogether inappropriate to draw inspiration from the wisdom of our elders.
Harvey Mansfield: A Conservative Friend of Liberalism
Harvey Mansfield: A Conservative Friend of…
Harvey Mansfield: A Conservative Friend of Liberalism
In the preface to his short book The Spirit of Liberalism, the conservative philosopher Harvey Mansfield identifies himself as “a friend of liberalism” and the book to have been “written in defense of liberalism”. At the time of the book’s publication (1978), Mansfield saw liberalism’s enemies not only in the New Left, but “even more by the failure of liberals to defend themselves.” These days, as the forces of illiberalism sort themselves in both the political Left and Right, liberalism finds itself fighting on two fronts - the ‘Woke’ Progressives on one flank, and the ‘Common Good’ Conservatives on the other. Given that these two groups have been claiming more politically-minded young people in their memberships, it is not altogether inappropriate to draw inspiration from the wisdom of our elders.