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List
of Classics
Theories,
Themes, Goals and Consequences
The
books listed in this section of the Online Classroom contain the
history, development and philosophy of conservatism. As an introduction
for the reader, each of the books is synopsized in the next section
of Conservative Classics: Summary
of Classics.
The authors and books on this list cover the panoply
of political reasoning, experience and design and the ideas presented
are dissected, compared, modified, discarded or sometimes even etched
in stone. These volumes are the core of conservative thought.
The list is organized to allow one to proceed from
basic tenets of governance to in-depth investigation of the complexities
of modern democracy, and to look at the relationship between the
individual and society, the mutual rights and obligations of each.
Around the time of the American Bicentennial there was a letter
to the editor in one of the national newsmagazines commenting on
all the festivities and celebrations, especially the extolling of
freedom, and liberty. The writer was a newly minted US citizen,
a Russian immigrant who simply noted that during his naturalization
process he was at first curious, then somewhat surprised to learn
while studying for his test that there was a Bill of Rights appended
to the Constitution, but no Bill of Responsibilities.
Of course, there are responsibilities, they just are not codified.
And perhaps that is a great failing in the design of our system,
we emphasize freedom without making sure everyone understands that
their freedom ends where the other person's begins. If we focused
on the parity of responsibility and liberty, actually the equation
between the two there might be less misunderstanding among us, and
far less need for government.
What is synopsized in the Summary
of Classics section explores all aspects of this equation. On
our sister site, FirstPrinciples.US you will find an introduction
which goes to some length to define the topics, the issues and some
of the history of conservatism. The synopses themselves are almost
all three pages, give or take a paragraph or two, and we hope they
capture the essence of what is presented in the volume itself. With
each piece there is a short biography of the author so we can place
that person in time and space. Finally, there is a message board
(Discussion
of the Classics), and an ability to e-mail the editors in order
to inquire, comment, speculate or hypothesize.
From here it is up to the reader to determine if these fundamentals
and their development, which is intricately followed from the awakenings
of freedom in the 17th century to the depths of totalitarianism
in the twentieth, resonate in such a fashion as to bring the observer
to their feet, to start one's mind expanding, comparing, imagining
and to carry the torch of both freedom and its opportunities and
responsibilities on to the next generation.
To aid the reader books on this list are divided
into four sections and are ordered from basic to advanced within
each group. Those books on the A list are essential to a comprehensive
philosophical investigation of conservatism, also known as 'classical
liberalism'. Books on the B list are more or less 'current' in the
broad sense and deal in both philosophy and politics. Books on the
C list are slightly more difficult and detailed, but their substance
outweighs their difficulty. Books on the D list are fundamental
yet understandable but require concentration. They dissect the details.
Most
of the offerings on the A and B lists are equal parts uncomplicated
and cogent, and that holds true no matter what the date of first
publication might be. The selections with higher numbers on the
A list are not for the faint of heart, in other words, to both enjoy
and find useful what is offered will require conscious intellectual
effort. The lists reflect logical groupings based on subject matter,
the era in which each volume was written, the level of difficulty,
historical significance, etc. Within each list the books are offered
in a general sequence in which they should be read. Obviously the
placement of any book is discretionary, thus skipping around among
the selections can be a matter of personal appeal and choice.
List
of Classics
Governance and The Human Condition, The Foundations of Freedom
A1
Locke, John Second Treatise on Civil Government (P)
A2 Paine, Thomas Common Sense (P)
A3 Smith, Adam Wealth of Nations (E)
A4 Madison, James, et. al. Federalist, The (P)
A5 Bastiat, Frederic Law, The (P)
A6 Acton, Lord History of Liberty, Essays In The (H)
A7 de Tocqueville, Alexis Democracy in America (H)
A8 Hayek, F. A. von Road to Serfdom, The (P)
A9 Hazlitt, Henry Economics In One Lesson (E)
A10 Freidman, Milton Capitalism and Freedom (E)
A11 Hayek, F. A. von Constitution of Liberty, The (P)
A12 Meyer, Frank S. In Defense of Freedom (P)
A13 Kirk, Russell Conservative Mind, The (P)
A14 Ropke, Wilhelm Humane Economy, A (P)
A15 Popper, Karl Open Society and Its Enemies, The (P)
A16 Mises, Ludwig von Human Action (E)
A17 Mises, Ludwig von Socialism (P)
The
American Model in the 20th Century
B1 Edwards, Lee Conservative Revolution, The Movement That Remade
America (H)
B2 Weaver, Richard Ideas Have Consequences (E)
B3 Cornuelle, Richard Reclaiming The American Dream (P)
B4 Gilder, George Wealth and Poverty (E)
B5 Goldwater, Barry Conscience of a Conservative (P)
B6 Chamberlain, John Roots of Capitalism, The (E)
B7 Buckley, Wm. F. Jr. Up From Liberalism (P)
B8 Yergin, Daniel Commanding Heights, The (E)
B9 Bowden, Mark Killing Pablo (P)
B10 Chambers, Whittaker Witness (H)
B11 Murray, Charles What It Means To Be A Libertarian (P)
B12 Buckley, Wm. F. Jr. Let Us Talk Of Many Things, Collected Speeches
(H)
B13 Murray, Charles In Pursuit of Happiness and Good Government
(E)
B14 Novak, Robert D. Completing The Revolution (P)
Challenges,
Transformations and History
C1 Burke, Edmund Reflections On The Revolution in France (H)
C2 Burke, Edmund Portable Edmund Burke, The (P)
C3 Schumpeter, Joseph Capitalism, Socialism and Democracy (P)
The
Details, Within Which the Devil Always Lies
D1 Mises, Ludwig von Theory of Money and Credit, The (E)
P = philosophy
H = history
E = economics
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