Its cultural importance should not be ignored, and I think a renewal of conservative values based on the permanent things would do the world much good. All that said, I'm better off having read this book. Obscure references and an apparently strong preference for words with Latin roots makes it a somewhat grating thing to listen to. Kirk's conservatism is eloquent and powerful, but seems unnecessarily cruel and arrogant. I say this as a conservative-and to put it in Burkean terms, Providence broke that southern yoke of oppression. I don't care how conservative you are, there's no legitimate worldview that seeks the preservation of slavery. This he does without mentioning slavery at all. My biggest gripe, which nearly got me to stop listening altogether, was Kirk's admiration for the old ways of the old South. Kirk also hates cars because they enable people to move more than before.

He seems to develop an odd insistence on dualism later-this doesn't make sense in orthodox Christian belief or in science. Kirk defines the conservative mind by examining such brilliant men as Edmund Burke, James Feni. But some of Kirk's ideas are probably best left behind. rise of conservatism as a viable and credible creed. One can't help but wish that we had more of this and far less of the awful populist nationalism we see today. The Conservative Mind eloquently traces the history and rout of philosophical conservatism. Near the end, this book started to get really repetitive-the only thing that alerts you to the fact that you're not listening to an earlier part of the book is a change in names.

A remarkable must-read with some glaring flaws

The conservative mind by russell kirk