Tag: Politics

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Review of Community of the Free by Yves Simon

– Himmelfarb, Gertrude. "Community of the Free, by Yves Simon." Commentary Magazine, June, 1948.
Excerpt: Presented with John Dewey’s A Common Faith—a faith independent of sect, class, or creed—Santayana is supposed to have remarked, “a very common faith indeed.” Yves… More

The American Revolution in the Political Theory of Lord Acton

– Himmelfarb, Gertrude. "The American Revolution in the Political Theory of Lord Acton." The Journal of Modern History 21, no. 4. 1949.
Abstract: LORD ACTON once complained that he ~agreed with no one and no one Li agreed with him. This should serve as a counsel of caution to his present-day interpreters. In the flush of… More

The Prophets of the New Conservatism

– Himmelfarb, Gertrude. "The Study of Man: The Prophets of the New Conservatism." Commentary Magazine, January, 1950.
Excerpt: Conservatism Revisited, by the Pulitzer-prize poet Peter Viereck, is only one of a small tide of recent books in the same vein. Someone has recently remarked that there are… More

Political Thinking: Ancients vs. Moderns

– Himmelfarb, Gertrude. "The Study of Man: The Prophets of the New Conservatism." Commentary Magazine, July, 1951.
Abstract: From the heavy volume of writings on political theory published in recent months, Gertrude Himmelfarb selects for discussion a number of books which represent two extreme—and… More

On the Horizon: Henry Adams’ Skeptic Faith in Democracy

– Himmelfarb, Gertrude. "On the Horizon: Henry Adams’ Skeptic Faith in Democracy." Commentary Magazine, December, 1952.
Abstract: Scion of the presidential Founding Fathers, Henry Adams himself had grave doubts about the future of democracy as he observed its operations in the America of his time, and he… More

The Intellectual in Politics: The Case of the Webbs

– Himmelfarb, Gertrude. "The Intellectual in Politics: The Case of the Webbs." Journal of Contemporary History 6, no. 3. 1971.
Abstract: In some obvious respects, the Webbs were the very quintessence of the ‘intellectual in politics’, the latter-day version of the philosopher-king. They themselves were… More

The Conservative Imagination: Michael Oakeshott

– Himmelfarb, Gertrude, "The Conservative Imagination: Michael Oakeshott." The American Scholar 44, no. 3. 1975.
Excerpt: THE TITLE OF HIS FIRST VOLUME OF ESSAYS, published in 1950, Lionel Trilling perfectly captured the spirit of the time. “The Liberal Imagination” – not “the… More

In Defense of Progress

– Himmelfarb, Gertrude. "In Defense of Progress." Commentary Magazine. 1980.
Abstract: The idea of Progress—Progress with a capital “P”—has been in disrepute for a long time now. And with good reason, one would think. The experiences of this century hardly… More

Liberty: “One Very Simple Principle”?

– Himmelfarb, Gertrude.  "Liberty: "One Very Simple Principle"?" The American Scholar 62, no. 4. 1993.
Excerpt: The end of the Cold War has liberated us in more ways than we might have thought, liberated us from the tyranny of Communism and liberated us to reexamine the liberalism that is… More

The Dark and Bloody Crossroads: Where Nationalism and Religion Meet

– Himmelfarb, Gertrude. "The Dark and Bloody Crossroads: Where Nationalism and Religion Meet." The National Interest, no. 32. 1993.
Abstract: It was in a freshman history course shortly after the outbreak of the Second World War that I was formally introduced to the concept of nationalism. The war, the professor… More

The Politics of Dissent

– Himmelfarb, Gertrude. "The Politics of Dissent." Commentary Magazine. July, 1994.
Excerpt: In Culture and Anarchy, written more than a century ago, Matthew Arnold described a phenomenon that we tend to think is unique to our times rather than his. He expressed it in… More

On Looking Into the Abyss: Untimely Thoughts on Culture and Society

– Himmelfarb, Gertrude. 1994. On Looking into the Abyss: Untimely Thoughts on Culture and Society. Knopf.
Review from Amazon: In these provocative essays, one of our most distinguished historians looks into the abyss of the present. Himmelfarb exposes the intellectual and spiritual… More

What To Do About Education: The Universities

– Himmelfarb, Gertrude. "What To Do About Education: The Universities." Commentary Magazine, October, 1994.
Abstract: Continuing the series we inaugurated last month with James Q. Wilson’s article on crime, we here move on to the issue of education. It is now widely recognized that this country… More

The De-moralization Of Society: From Victorian Virtues to Modern Values

– Himmelfarb Gertrude. 1995. The De-Moralization of Society: From Victorian Virtues to Modern Values. New York: Alfred A. Knopf.
Review on Amazon: As the debate over values grows ever more divisive, one of the most eminent historians of the Victorian era reminds readers that values are no substitute for… More

Academic Advocates

– Himmelfarb, Gertrude. "Academic Advocates." Commentary Magazine, September, 1995.
Excerpt: Recent discussions of academic freedom have focused on one particularly egregious case of professorial racism and anti-Semitism. In class and in public lectures, Professor Leonard… More

The Gender Card Loses

– Himmelfarb, Gertrude. "The Gender Card Loses." The Weekly Standard. October 16, 1995.
Excerpt: Race trumped gender” — for me this comment, by a professor of government quoted in the Washington Post, is the most telling observation on the Simpson verdict. For… More

Is ‘Conservative Revolution’ An Oxymoron?

– Himmelfarb, Gertrude. "Is 'Conservative Revolution' An Oxymoron?." The Weekly Standard, December 18, 1995.
Excerpt: Budget reform, welfare reform, Medicare reform — this formidable combination of reforms has been proudly heralded by a new breed of conservatives as a “conservative… More

The Christian University: A Call To Counterrevolution

– Himmelfarb, Gertrude. "The Christian University: A Call To Counterrevolution." First Things. January, 1996.
Abstract: It is well to remember, as we contemplate the relation of the university and church, that the Protestant Reformation was started by a professor in a university. Years later Luther… More

A Neo-Luddite on the Internet

– Himmelfarb, Gertrude. "A Neo-Luddite on the Internet." Prospect Magazine. December, 1996.
Excerpt: On the subject of our latest technological revolution, cyberspace, I am a neo-Luddite. Not a true Luddite; my Luddism is qualified, compromised. I revel in the word-processor; I am… More

On the Future of Conservatism

– Himmelfarb, Gertrude. "On the Future of Conservatism." Commentary Magazine. February, 1997.
Excerpt: The November 1996 election and a number of other recent events have offered an opportunity for reassessment among conservatives. At issue is not only the meaning of the election… More

For the Love of Country

– Himmelfarb, Gertrude. "For the Love of Country," Commentary Magazine, May, 1997.
Excerpt: “The era of big government is over,” President Clinton announced in his State of the Union address in January 1995, responding to the mandate of the people as expressed in the… More

One Nation, Two Cultures

– Himmelfarb, Gertrude. 1999. One Nation, Two Cultures: A Searching Examination of American Society in the Aftermath of Our Cultural Revolution. Knopf.
Abstract: In The Wealth of Nations, Adam Smith described the “two different schemes or systems of morality” that prevail in all civilized societies. In every civilized society,… More

J. H. Hexter (25 May 1910-8 December 1996)

– Himmelfarb, Gertrude. "J. H. Hexter (25 May 1910-8 December 1996)." Proceedings of the American Philosophical Society 143, no. 2. 1999.
Abstract: There are not many historians who preface a collection of essays with the statement that three of them had been rejected by the leading professional journals in the field. One of… More

Responses to Fukuyama

– Mansfield, Harvey, E. O. Wilson, Gertrude Himmelfarb, Robin Fox, Robert J. Samuelson, and Joseph S. Nye. "Responses to Fukuyama." The National Interest, no. 56. 1999.
Abstract: Gertrude Himmelfarb: I suffer from the historian. the professional Philosophers deformation of the historian. Philosophers can see the eternal verities that transcend his- tory.… More

The Election and the Culture Wars

– Himmelfarb, Gertrude. "The Election and the Culture Wars." Commentary Magazine. May, 2000.
Excerpt: A funny thing happened on the way to the presidential nominations this year. We discovered not only that the candidates were not quite what we thought them to be (this happens in… More

Two Nations or Two Cultures?

– Himmelfarb, Gertrude. "Two Nations or Two Cultures?" Commentary Magazine. January, 2001.
Exceprt: I entirely (well, almost entirely) agree with Terry Teachout. The election has confirmed, even dramatized, the cultural divide in our nation—a cultural divide, as he points out,… More

Judging Richard Posner

– Himmelfarb, Gertrude. "Judging Richard Posner." Commentary Magazine. February, 2002.
Excerpt: Declaration of interest: I am one of the many public intellectuals criticized in Richard A. Posner’s latest book, Public Intellectuals: A Study of Decline Indeed, I apparently… More

Gertrude Himmelfarb: Brown’s Guru

– Vallely, Paul. "Gertrude Himmelfarb: Brown's guru." The Independent. November 02, 2007.
Abstract: Tony Blair, you will recall, was the chap with the Big Tent. Nothing so crass as that for Gordon Brown. But consider the speech he gave on liberty and the need for a new Bill… More

Irving Kristol’s Neoconservative Persuasion

– Himmelfarb, Gertrude. "Irving Kristol’s Neoconservative Persuasion." Commentary Magazine, February, 2011.
Excerpt: The memoir by my husband introducing his last volume of essays in 1995, Neoconservatism: The Autobiography of an Idea, opens with a typical Irving Kristol quip. Is there such a… More

The Neoconservative Persuasion: Selected Essays, 1942-2009

– Kristol, Irving. 2011. The Neoconservative Persuasion: Selected Essays, 1942-2009. Washington, DC: Hudson Institute.
Review on Amazon: A brilliant collection of pieces, written between 1942 and his death in 2009, by Irving Kristol, one of the fathers of neoconservatism. This series of essays, many hard to… More

Lionel Trilling and the Critical Imagination

– Himmelfarb, Gertrude. "Lionel Trilling & the Critical Imagination." New Criterion. October, 2011.
Excerpt: Why Trilling Matters: it is a curiously defensive title for a book about a man who was a star in the much-acclaimed circle of “New York intellectuals,” who delivered the first… More

Civil Society Reconsidered: Little Platoons are Just the Beginning

– Himmelfarb, Gertrude. "Civil Society Reconsidered: Little Platoons are Just the Beginning." The Weekly Standard, April 23, 2012.
Excerpt: In the conclusion to Coming Apart, after describing a society that is in even greater disarray (literally, coming apart) than we had supposed, Charles Murray holds out one hope… More

Our Dignified Constitution: Fourth of July Reflections on the Queen’s Jubilee

– Himmelfarb, Gertrude. "Our Dignified Constitution: Fourth of July Reflections on the Queen’s Jubilee." The Weekly Standard,  July 16, 2012.
Excerpt: It was perhaps inevitable that our Fourth of July celebrations last week might have seemed anti-climactic after the four-day festivities a month ago accompanying the Queen’s… More

Compassionate Conservatism Properly Understood

– Himmelfarb, Gertrude. "Compassionate Conservatism Properly Understood." The Weekly Standard, January 14, 2013.
Excerpt: Defeat, like death, concentrates the mind wonderfully. It also liberates the mind. People venture to think the unthinkable, or at least, the impermissible. A new generation of… More

Winston vs. the Webbs: A Century-old Precursor to the Obamacare Debate

– Himmelfarb, Gertrude. "Winston vs. the Webbs: A Century-old Precursor to the Obamacare Debate." The Weekly Standard, April 21, 2014.
Excerpt: The debate over Obamacare may remind a student of British history of the debate in Britain over the National Insurance Act of 1911, which was in effect until the initiation of the… More

Evolution and Ethics, Revisited

– Himmelfarb, Gertrude. "Evolution and Ethics, Revisited." The New Atlantis, no. 42. 2014.
Excerpt: That is John Henry Newman in The Idea of a University (1852) referring to the sciences of his day, which threatened to dominate and even overwhelm theological education in the… More

From Robespierre to ISIS: Edmund Burke’s War on Terror—and Ours

– Himmelfarb, Gertrude. "From Robespierre to ISIS: Edmund Burke’s War on Terror—and Ours." The Weekly Standard, September, 29 2014.
Excerpt: he war on terror is over, the president assured us a year ago. Now, we are told, that war is very much with us and will be pursued with all due diligence. The president was… More

Into the Abyss: From the Halls of Academia to the Cover of Vanity Fair

– Himmelfarb, Gertrude, "Into the Abyss: From the Halls of Academia to the Cover of Vanity Fair," The Weekly Standard, July 20, 2015.
Excerpt: The Caitlyn (née Bruce) Jenner case has engendered if not a new subject at least a newly publicized and sensationalized one. For an old-timer like myself, transgenderism is… More

In Search of Mrs. T: The Elusive Woman behind Thatcherism

– Himmelfarb, Gertrude. "In Search of Mrs. T: The Elusive Woman behind Thatcherism." The Weekly Standard, March 6, 2017.
Excerpt: David Cannadine dedicates his biography of Margaret Thatcher: “In memory of Mrs T.” But that Mrs T is not, as one might suppose, Mrs. Thatcher, the longest-serving prime… More

Essays

Review of Community of the Free by Yves Simon

– Himmelfarb, Gertrude. "Community of the Free, by Yves Simon." Commentary Magazine, June, 1948.
Excerpt: Presented with John Dewey’s A Common Faith—a faith independent of sect, class, or creed—Santayana is supposed to have remarked, “a very common faith indeed.” Yves… More

The American Revolution in the Political Theory of Lord Acton

– Himmelfarb, Gertrude. "The American Revolution in the Political Theory of Lord Acton." The Journal of Modern History 21, no. 4. 1949.
Abstract: LORD ACTON once complained that he ~agreed with no one and no one Li agreed with him. This should serve as a counsel of caution to his present-day interpreters. In the flush of… More

The Prophets of the New Conservatism

– Himmelfarb, Gertrude. "The Study of Man: The Prophets of the New Conservatism." Commentary Magazine, January, 1950.
Excerpt: Conservatism Revisited, by the Pulitzer-prize poet Peter Viereck, is only one of a small tide of recent books in the same vein. Someone has recently remarked that there are… More

Political Thinking: Ancients vs. Moderns

– Himmelfarb, Gertrude. "The Study of Man: The Prophets of the New Conservatism." Commentary Magazine, July, 1951.
Abstract: From the heavy volume of writings on political theory published in recent months, Gertrude Himmelfarb selects for discussion a number of books which represent two extreme—and… More

On the Horizon: Henry Adams’ Skeptic Faith in Democracy

– Himmelfarb, Gertrude. "On the Horizon: Henry Adams’ Skeptic Faith in Democracy." Commentary Magazine, December, 1952.
Abstract: Scion of the presidential Founding Fathers, Henry Adams himself had grave doubts about the future of democracy as he observed its operations in the America of his time, and he… More

The Intellectual in Politics: The Case of the Webbs

– Himmelfarb, Gertrude. "The Intellectual in Politics: The Case of the Webbs." Journal of Contemporary History 6, no. 3. 1971.
Abstract: In some obvious respects, the Webbs were the very quintessence of the ‘intellectual in politics’, the latter-day version of the philosopher-king. They themselves were… More

The Conservative Imagination: Michael Oakeshott

– Himmelfarb, Gertrude, "The Conservative Imagination: Michael Oakeshott." The American Scholar 44, no. 3. 1975.
Excerpt: THE TITLE OF HIS FIRST VOLUME OF ESSAYS, published in 1950, Lionel Trilling perfectly captured the spirit of the time. “The Liberal Imagination” – not “the… More

In Defense of Progress

– Himmelfarb, Gertrude. "In Defense of Progress." Commentary Magazine. 1980.
Abstract: The idea of Progress—Progress with a capital “P”—has been in disrepute for a long time now. And with good reason, one would think. The experiences of this century hardly… More

Liberty: “One Very Simple Principle”?

– Himmelfarb, Gertrude.  "Liberty: "One Very Simple Principle"?" The American Scholar 62, no. 4. 1993.
Excerpt: The end of the Cold War has liberated us in more ways than we might have thought, liberated us from the tyranny of Communism and liberated us to reexamine the liberalism that is… More

The Dark and Bloody Crossroads: Where Nationalism and Religion Meet

– Himmelfarb, Gertrude. "The Dark and Bloody Crossroads: Where Nationalism and Religion Meet." The National Interest, no. 32. 1993.
Abstract: It was in a freshman history course shortly after the outbreak of the Second World War that I was formally introduced to the concept of nationalism. The war, the professor… More

The Politics of Dissent

– Himmelfarb, Gertrude. "The Politics of Dissent." Commentary Magazine. July, 1994.
Excerpt: In Culture and Anarchy, written more than a century ago, Matthew Arnold described a phenomenon that we tend to think is unique to our times rather than his. He expressed it in… More

On Looking Into the Abyss: Untimely Thoughts on Culture and Society

– Himmelfarb, Gertrude. 1994. On Looking into the Abyss: Untimely Thoughts on Culture and Society. Knopf.
Review from Amazon: In these provocative essays, one of our most distinguished historians looks into the abyss of the present. Himmelfarb exposes the intellectual and spiritual… More

What To Do About Education: The Universities

– Himmelfarb, Gertrude. "What To Do About Education: The Universities." Commentary Magazine, October, 1994.
Abstract: Continuing the series we inaugurated last month with James Q. Wilson’s article on crime, we here move on to the issue of education. It is now widely recognized that this country… More

The De-moralization Of Society: From Victorian Virtues to Modern Values

– Himmelfarb Gertrude. 1995. The De-Moralization of Society: From Victorian Virtues to Modern Values. New York: Alfred A. Knopf.
Review on Amazon: As the debate over values grows ever more divisive, one of the most eminent historians of the Victorian era reminds readers that values are no substitute for… More

Academic Advocates

– Himmelfarb, Gertrude. "Academic Advocates." Commentary Magazine, September, 1995.
Excerpt: Recent discussions of academic freedom have focused on one particularly egregious case of professorial racism and anti-Semitism. In class and in public lectures, Professor Leonard… More

The Gender Card Loses

– Himmelfarb, Gertrude. "The Gender Card Loses." The Weekly Standard. October 16, 1995.
Excerpt: Race trumped gender” — for me this comment, by a professor of government quoted in the Washington Post, is the most telling observation on the Simpson verdict. For… More

Is ‘Conservative Revolution’ An Oxymoron?

– Himmelfarb, Gertrude. "Is 'Conservative Revolution' An Oxymoron?." The Weekly Standard, December 18, 1995.
Excerpt: Budget reform, welfare reform, Medicare reform — this formidable combination of reforms has been proudly heralded by a new breed of conservatives as a “conservative… More

The Christian University: A Call To Counterrevolution

– Himmelfarb, Gertrude. "The Christian University: A Call To Counterrevolution." First Things. January, 1996.
Abstract: It is well to remember, as we contemplate the relation of the university and church, that the Protestant Reformation was started by a professor in a university. Years later Luther… More

A Neo-Luddite on the Internet

– Himmelfarb, Gertrude. "A Neo-Luddite on the Internet." Prospect Magazine. December, 1996.
Excerpt: On the subject of our latest technological revolution, cyberspace, I am a neo-Luddite. Not a true Luddite; my Luddism is qualified, compromised. I revel in the word-processor; I am… More

On the Future of Conservatism

– Himmelfarb, Gertrude. "On the Future of Conservatism." Commentary Magazine. February, 1997.
Excerpt: The November 1996 election and a number of other recent events have offered an opportunity for reassessment among conservatives. At issue is not only the meaning of the election… More

For the Love of Country

– Himmelfarb, Gertrude. "For the Love of Country," Commentary Magazine, May, 1997.
Excerpt: “The era of big government is over,” President Clinton announced in his State of the Union address in January 1995, responding to the mandate of the people as expressed in the… More

One Nation, Two Cultures

– Himmelfarb, Gertrude. 1999. One Nation, Two Cultures: A Searching Examination of American Society in the Aftermath of Our Cultural Revolution. Knopf.
Abstract: In The Wealth of Nations, Adam Smith described the “two different schemes or systems of morality” that prevail in all civilized societies. In every civilized society,… More

J. H. Hexter (25 May 1910-8 December 1996)

– Himmelfarb, Gertrude. "J. H. Hexter (25 May 1910-8 December 1996)." Proceedings of the American Philosophical Society 143, no. 2. 1999.
Abstract: There are not many historians who preface a collection of essays with the statement that three of them had been rejected by the leading professional journals in the field. One of… More

Responses to Fukuyama

– Mansfield, Harvey, E. O. Wilson, Gertrude Himmelfarb, Robin Fox, Robert J. Samuelson, and Joseph S. Nye. "Responses to Fukuyama." The National Interest, no. 56. 1999.
Abstract: Gertrude Himmelfarb: I suffer from the historian. the professional Philosophers deformation of the historian. Philosophers can see the eternal verities that transcend his- tory.… More

The Election and the Culture Wars

– Himmelfarb, Gertrude. "The Election and the Culture Wars." Commentary Magazine. May, 2000.
Excerpt: A funny thing happened on the way to the presidential nominations this year. We discovered not only that the candidates were not quite what we thought them to be (this happens in… More

Two Nations or Two Cultures?

– Himmelfarb, Gertrude. "Two Nations or Two Cultures?" Commentary Magazine. January, 2001.
Exceprt: I entirely (well, almost entirely) agree with Terry Teachout. The election has confirmed, even dramatized, the cultural divide in our nation—a cultural divide, as he points out,… More

Judging Richard Posner

– Himmelfarb, Gertrude. "Judging Richard Posner." Commentary Magazine. February, 2002.
Excerpt: Declaration of interest: I am one of the many public intellectuals criticized in Richard A. Posner’s latest book, Public Intellectuals: A Study of Decline Indeed, I apparently… More

Gertrude Himmelfarb: Brown’s Guru

– Vallely, Paul. "Gertrude Himmelfarb: Brown's guru." The Independent. November 02, 2007.
Abstract: Tony Blair, you will recall, was the chap with the Big Tent. Nothing so crass as that for Gordon Brown. But consider the speech he gave on liberty and the need for a new Bill… More

Irving Kristol’s Neoconservative Persuasion

– Himmelfarb, Gertrude. "Irving Kristol’s Neoconservative Persuasion." Commentary Magazine, February, 2011.
Excerpt: The memoir by my husband introducing his last volume of essays in 1995, Neoconservatism: The Autobiography of an Idea, opens with a typical Irving Kristol quip. Is there such a… More

The Neoconservative Persuasion: Selected Essays, 1942-2009

– Kristol, Irving. 2011. The Neoconservative Persuasion: Selected Essays, 1942-2009. Washington, DC: Hudson Institute.
Review on Amazon: A brilliant collection of pieces, written between 1942 and his death in 2009, by Irving Kristol, one of the fathers of neoconservatism. This series of essays, many hard to… More

Lionel Trilling and the Critical Imagination

– Himmelfarb, Gertrude. "Lionel Trilling & the Critical Imagination." New Criterion. October, 2011.
Excerpt: Why Trilling Matters: it is a curiously defensive title for a book about a man who was a star in the much-acclaimed circle of “New York intellectuals,” who delivered the first… More

Civil Society Reconsidered: Little Platoons are Just the Beginning

– Himmelfarb, Gertrude. "Civil Society Reconsidered: Little Platoons are Just the Beginning." The Weekly Standard, April 23, 2012.
Excerpt: In the conclusion to Coming Apart, after describing a society that is in even greater disarray (literally, coming apart) than we had supposed, Charles Murray holds out one hope… More

Our Dignified Constitution: Fourth of July Reflections on the Queen’s Jubilee

– Himmelfarb, Gertrude. "Our Dignified Constitution: Fourth of July Reflections on the Queen’s Jubilee." The Weekly Standard,  July 16, 2012.
Excerpt: It was perhaps inevitable that our Fourth of July celebrations last week might have seemed anti-climactic after the four-day festivities a month ago accompanying the Queen’s… More

Compassionate Conservatism Properly Understood

– Himmelfarb, Gertrude. "Compassionate Conservatism Properly Understood." The Weekly Standard, January 14, 2013.
Excerpt: Defeat, like death, concentrates the mind wonderfully. It also liberates the mind. People venture to think the unthinkable, or at least, the impermissible. A new generation of… More

Winston vs. the Webbs: A Century-old Precursor to the Obamacare Debate

– Himmelfarb, Gertrude. "Winston vs. the Webbs: A Century-old Precursor to the Obamacare Debate." The Weekly Standard, April 21, 2014.
Excerpt: The debate over Obamacare may remind a student of British history of the debate in Britain over the National Insurance Act of 1911, which was in effect until the initiation of the… More

Evolution and Ethics, Revisited

– Himmelfarb, Gertrude. "Evolution and Ethics, Revisited." The New Atlantis, no. 42. 2014.
Excerpt: That is John Henry Newman in The Idea of a University (1852) referring to the sciences of his day, which threatened to dominate and even overwhelm theological education in the… More

From Robespierre to ISIS: Edmund Burke’s War on Terror—and Ours

– Himmelfarb, Gertrude. "From Robespierre to ISIS: Edmund Burke’s War on Terror—and Ours." The Weekly Standard, September, 29 2014.
Excerpt: he war on terror is over, the president assured us a year ago. Now, we are told, that war is very much with us and will be pursued with all due diligence. The president was… More

Into the Abyss: From the Halls of Academia to the Cover of Vanity Fair

– Himmelfarb, Gertrude, "Into the Abyss: From the Halls of Academia to the Cover of Vanity Fair," The Weekly Standard, July 20, 2015.
Excerpt: The Caitlyn (née Bruce) Jenner case has engendered if not a new subject at least a newly publicized and sensationalized one. For an old-timer like myself, transgenderism is… More

In Search of Mrs. T: The Elusive Woman behind Thatcherism

– Himmelfarb, Gertrude. "In Search of Mrs. T: The Elusive Woman behind Thatcherism." The Weekly Standard, March 6, 2017.
Excerpt: David Cannadine dedicates his biography of Margaret Thatcher: “In memory of Mrs T.” But that Mrs T is not, as one might suppose, Mrs. Thatcher, the longest-serving prime… More

Commentary

Review of Community of the Free by Yves Simon

– Himmelfarb, Gertrude. "Community of the Free, by Yves Simon." Commentary Magazine, June, 1948.
Excerpt: Presented with John Dewey’s A Common Faith—a faith independent of sect, class, or creed—Santayana is supposed to have remarked, “a very common faith indeed.” Yves… More

The American Revolution in the Political Theory of Lord Acton

– Himmelfarb, Gertrude. "The American Revolution in the Political Theory of Lord Acton." The Journal of Modern History 21, no. 4. 1949.
Abstract: LORD ACTON once complained that he ~agreed with no one and no one Li agreed with him. This should serve as a counsel of caution to his present-day interpreters. In the flush of… More

The Prophets of the New Conservatism

– Himmelfarb, Gertrude. "The Study of Man: The Prophets of the New Conservatism." Commentary Magazine, January, 1950.
Excerpt: Conservatism Revisited, by the Pulitzer-prize poet Peter Viereck, is only one of a small tide of recent books in the same vein. Someone has recently remarked that there are… More

Political Thinking: Ancients vs. Moderns

– Himmelfarb, Gertrude. "The Study of Man: The Prophets of the New Conservatism." Commentary Magazine, July, 1951.
Abstract: From the heavy volume of writings on political theory published in recent months, Gertrude Himmelfarb selects for discussion a number of books which represent two extreme—and… More

On the Horizon: Henry Adams’ Skeptic Faith in Democracy

– Himmelfarb, Gertrude. "On the Horizon: Henry Adams’ Skeptic Faith in Democracy." Commentary Magazine, December, 1952.
Abstract: Scion of the presidential Founding Fathers, Henry Adams himself had grave doubts about the future of democracy as he observed its operations in the America of his time, and he… More

The Intellectual in Politics: The Case of the Webbs

– Himmelfarb, Gertrude. "The Intellectual in Politics: The Case of the Webbs." Journal of Contemporary History 6, no. 3. 1971.
Abstract: In some obvious respects, the Webbs were the very quintessence of the ‘intellectual in politics’, the latter-day version of the philosopher-king. They themselves were… More

The Conservative Imagination: Michael Oakeshott

– Himmelfarb, Gertrude, "The Conservative Imagination: Michael Oakeshott." The American Scholar 44, no. 3. 1975.
Excerpt: THE TITLE OF HIS FIRST VOLUME OF ESSAYS, published in 1950, Lionel Trilling perfectly captured the spirit of the time. “The Liberal Imagination” – not “the… More

In Defense of Progress

– Himmelfarb, Gertrude. "In Defense of Progress." Commentary Magazine. 1980.
Abstract: The idea of Progress—Progress with a capital “P”—has been in disrepute for a long time now. And with good reason, one would think. The experiences of this century hardly… More

Liberty: “One Very Simple Principle”?

– Himmelfarb, Gertrude.  "Liberty: "One Very Simple Principle"?" The American Scholar 62, no. 4. 1993.
Excerpt: The end of the Cold War has liberated us in more ways than we might have thought, liberated us from the tyranny of Communism and liberated us to reexamine the liberalism that is… More

The Dark and Bloody Crossroads: Where Nationalism and Religion Meet

– Himmelfarb, Gertrude. "The Dark and Bloody Crossroads: Where Nationalism and Religion Meet." The National Interest, no. 32. 1993.
Abstract: It was in a freshman history course shortly after the outbreak of the Second World War that I was formally introduced to the concept of nationalism. The war, the professor… More

The Politics of Dissent

– Himmelfarb, Gertrude. "The Politics of Dissent." Commentary Magazine. July, 1994.
Excerpt: In Culture and Anarchy, written more than a century ago, Matthew Arnold described a phenomenon that we tend to think is unique to our times rather than his. He expressed it in… More

On Looking Into the Abyss: Untimely Thoughts on Culture and Society

– Himmelfarb, Gertrude. 1994. On Looking into the Abyss: Untimely Thoughts on Culture and Society. Knopf.
Review from Amazon: In these provocative essays, one of our most distinguished historians looks into the abyss of the present. Himmelfarb exposes the intellectual and spiritual… More

What To Do About Education: The Universities

– Himmelfarb, Gertrude. "What To Do About Education: The Universities." Commentary Magazine, October, 1994.
Abstract: Continuing the series we inaugurated last month with James Q. Wilson’s article on crime, we here move on to the issue of education. It is now widely recognized that this country… More

The De-moralization Of Society: From Victorian Virtues to Modern Values

– Himmelfarb Gertrude. 1995. The De-Moralization of Society: From Victorian Virtues to Modern Values. New York: Alfred A. Knopf.
Review on Amazon: As the debate over values grows ever more divisive, one of the most eminent historians of the Victorian era reminds readers that values are no substitute for… More

Academic Advocates

– Himmelfarb, Gertrude. "Academic Advocates." Commentary Magazine, September, 1995.
Excerpt: Recent discussions of academic freedom have focused on one particularly egregious case of professorial racism and anti-Semitism. In class and in public lectures, Professor Leonard… More

The Gender Card Loses

– Himmelfarb, Gertrude. "The Gender Card Loses." The Weekly Standard. October 16, 1995.
Excerpt: Race trumped gender” — for me this comment, by a professor of government quoted in the Washington Post, is the most telling observation on the Simpson verdict. For… More

Is ‘Conservative Revolution’ An Oxymoron?

– Himmelfarb, Gertrude. "Is 'Conservative Revolution' An Oxymoron?." The Weekly Standard, December 18, 1995.
Excerpt: Budget reform, welfare reform, Medicare reform — this formidable combination of reforms has been proudly heralded by a new breed of conservatives as a “conservative… More

The Christian University: A Call To Counterrevolution

– Himmelfarb, Gertrude. "The Christian University: A Call To Counterrevolution." First Things. January, 1996.
Abstract: It is well to remember, as we contemplate the relation of the university and church, that the Protestant Reformation was started by a professor in a university. Years later Luther… More

A Neo-Luddite on the Internet

– Himmelfarb, Gertrude. "A Neo-Luddite on the Internet." Prospect Magazine. December, 1996.
Excerpt: On the subject of our latest technological revolution, cyberspace, I am a neo-Luddite. Not a true Luddite; my Luddism is qualified, compromised. I revel in the word-processor; I am… More

On the Future of Conservatism

– Himmelfarb, Gertrude. "On the Future of Conservatism." Commentary Magazine. February, 1997.
Excerpt: The November 1996 election and a number of other recent events have offered an opportunity for reassessment among conservatives. At issue is not only the meaning of the election… More

For the Love of Country

– Himmelfarb, Gertrude. "For the Love of Country," Commentary Magazine, May, 1997.
Excerpt: “The era of big government is over,” President Clinton announced in his State of the Union address in January 1995, responding to the mandate of the people as expressed in the… More

One Nation, Two Cultures

– Himmelfarb, Gertrude. 1999. One Nation, Two Cultures: A Searching Examination of American Society in the Aftermath of Our Cultural Revolution. Knopf.
Abstract: In The Wealth of Nations, Adam Smith described the “two different schemes or systems of morality” that prevail in all civilized societies. In every civilized society,… More

J. H. Hexter (25 May 1910-8 December 1996)

– Himmelfarb, Gertrude. "J. H. Hexter (25 May 1910-8 December 1996)." Proceedings of the American Philosophical Society 143, no. 2. 1999.
Abstract: There are not many historians who preface a collection of essays with the statement that three of them had been rejected by the leading professional journals in the field. One of… More

Responses to Fukuyama

– Mansfield, Harvey, E. O. Wilson, Gertrude Himmelfarb, Robin Fox, Robert J. Samuelson, and Joseph S. Nye. "Responses to Fukuyama." The National Interest, no. 56. 1999.
Abstract: Gertrude Himmelfarb: I suffer from the historian. the professional Philosophers deformation of the historian. Philosophers can see the eternal verities that transcend his- tory.… More

The Election and the Culture Wars

– Himmelfarb, Gertrude. "The Election and the Culture Wars." Commentary Magazine. May, 2000.
Excerpt: A funny thing happened on the way to the presidential nominations this year. We discovered not only that the candidates were not quite what we thought them to be (this happens in… More

Two Nations or Two Cultures?

– Himmelfarb, Gertrude. "Two Nations or Two Cultures?" Commentary Magazine. January, 2001.
Exceprt: I entirely (well, almost entirely) agree with Terry Teachout. The election has confirmed, even dramatized, the cultural divide in our nation—a cultural divide, as he points out,… More

Judging Richard Posner

– Himmelfarb, Gertrude. "Judging Richard Posner." Commentary Magazine. February, 2002.
Excerpt: Declaration of interest: I am one of the many public intellectuals criticized in Richard A. Posner’s latest book, Public Intellectuals: A Study of Decline Indeed, I apparently… More

Gertrude Himmelfarb: Brown’s Guru

– Vallely, Paul. "Gertrude Himmelfarb: Brown's guru." The Independent. November 02, 2007.
Abstract: Tony Blair, you will recall, was the chap with the Big Tent. Nothing so crass as that for Gordon Brown. But consider the speech he gave on liberty and the need for a new Bill… More

Irving Kristol’s Neoconservative Persuasion

– Himmelfarb, Gertrude. "Irving Kristol’s Neoconservative Persuasion." Commentary Magazine, February, 2011.
Excerpt: The memoir by my husband introducing his last volume of essays in 1995, Neoconservatism: The Autobiography of an Idea, opens with a typical Irving Kristol quip. Is there such a… More

The Neoconservative Persuasion: Selected Essays, 1942-2009

– Kristol, Irving. 2011. The Neoconservative Persuasion: Selected Essays, 1942-2009. Washington, DC: Hudson Institute.
Review on Amazon: A brilliant collection of pieces, written between 1942 and his death in 2009, by Irving Kristol, one of the fathers of neoconservatism. This series of essays, many hard to… More

Lionel Trilling and the Critical Imagination

– Himmelfarb, Gertrude. "Lionel Trilling & the Critical Imagination." New Criterion. October, 2011.
Excerpt: Why Trilling Matters: it is a curiously defensive title for a book about a man who was a star in the much-acclaimed circle of “New York intellectuals,” who delivered the first… More

Civil Society Reconsidered: Little Platoons are Just the Beginning

– Himmelfarb, Gertrude. "Civil Society Reconsidered: Little Platoons are Just the Beginning." The Weekly Standard, April 23, 2012.
Excerpt: In the conclusion to Coming Apart, after describing a society that is in even greater disarray (literally, coming apart) than we had supposed, Charles Murray holds out one hope… More

Our Dignified Constitution: Fourth of July Reflections on the Queen’s Jubilee

– Himmelfarb, Gertrude. "Our Dignified Constitution: Fourth of July Reflections on the Queen’s Jubilee." The Weekly Standard,  July 16, 2012.
Excerpt: It was perhaps inevitable that our Fourth of July celebrations last week might have seemed anti-climactic after the four-day festivities a month ago accompanying the Queen’s… More

Compassionate Conservatism Properly Understood

– Himmelfarb, Gertrude. "Compassionate Conservatism Properly Understood." The Weekly Standard, January 14, 2013.
Excerpt: Defeat, like death, concentrates the mind wonderfully. It also liberates the mind. People venture to think the unthinkable, or at least, the impermissible. A new generation of… More

Winston vs. the Webbs: A Century-old Precursor to the Obamacare Debate

– Himmelfarb, Gertrude. "Winston vs. the Webbs: A Century-old Precursor to the Obamacare Debate." The Weekly Standard, April 21, 2014.
Excerpt: The debate over Obamacare may remind a student of British history of the debate in Britain over the National Insurance Act of 1911, which was in effect until the initiation of the… More

Evolution and Ethics, Revisited

– Himmelfarb, Gertrude. "Evolution and Ethics, Revisited." The New Atlantis, no. 42. 2014.
Excerpt: That is John Henry Newman in The Idea of a University (1852) referring to the sciences of his day, which threatened to dominate and even overwhelm theological education in the… More

From Robespierre to ISIS: Edmund Burke’s War on Terror—and Ours

– Himmelfarb, Gertrude. "From Robespierre to ISIS: Edmund Burke’s War on Terror—and Ours." The Weekly Standard, September, 29 2014.
Excerpt: he war on terror is over, the president assured us a year ago. Now, we are told, that war is very much with us and will be pursued with all due diligence. The president was… More

Into the Abyss: From the Halls of Academia to the Cover of Vanity Fair

– Himmelfarb, Gertrude, "Into the Abyss: From the Halls of Academia to the Cover of Vanity Fair," The Weekly Standard, July 20, 2015.
Excerpt: The Caitlyn (née Bruce) Jenner case has engendered if not a new subject at least a newly publicized and sensationalized one. For an old-timer like myself, transgenderism is… More

In Search of Mrs. T: The Elusive Woman behind Thatcherism

– Himmelfarb, Gertrude. "In Search of Mrs. T: The Elusive Woman behind Thatcherism." The Weekly Standard, March 6, 2017.
Excerpt: David Cannadine dedicates his biography of Margaret Thatcher: “In memory of Mrs T.” But that Mrs T is not, as one might suppose, Mrs. Thatcher, the longest-serving prime… More

Multimedia

Review of Community of the Free by Yves Simon

– Himmelfarb, Gertrude. "Community of the Free, by Yves Simon." Commentary Magazine, June, 1948.
Excerpt: Presented with John Dewey’s A Common Faith—a faith independent of sect, class, or creed—Santayana is supposed to have remarked, “a very common faith indeed.” Yves… More

The American Revolution in the Political Theory of Lord Acton

– Himmelfarb, Gertrude. "The American Revolution in the Political Theory of Lord Acton." The Journal of Modern History 21, no. 4. 1949.
Abstract: LORD ACTON once complained that he ~agreed with no one and no one Li agreed with him. This should serve as a counsel of caution to his present-day interpreters. In the flush of… More

The Prophets of the New Conservatism

– Himmelfarb, Gertrude. "The Study of Man: The Prophets of the New Conservatism." Commentary Magazine, January, 1950.
Excerpt: Conservatism Revisited, by the Pulitzer-prize poet Peter Viereck, is only one of a small tide of recent books in the same vein. Someone has recently remarked that there are… More

Political Thinking: Ancients vs. Moderns

– Himmelfarb, Gertrude. "The Study of Man: The Prophets of the New Conservatism." Commentary Magazine, July, 1951.
Abstract: From the heavy volume of writings on political theory published in recent months, Gertrude Himmelfarb selects for discussion a number of books which represent two extreme—and… More

On the Horizon: Henry Adams’ Skeptic Faith in Democracy

– Himmelfarb, Gertrude. "On the Horizon: Henry Adams’ Skeptic Faith in Democracy." Commentary Magazine, December, 1952.
Abstract: Scion of the presidential Founding Fathers, Henry Adams himself had grave doubts about the future of democracy as he observed its operations in the America of his time, and he… More

The Intellectual in Politics: The Case of the Webbs

– Himmelfarb, Gertrude. "The Intellectual in Politics: The Case of the Webbs." Journal of Contemporary History 6, no. 3. 1971.
Abstract: In some obvious respects, the Webbs were the very quintessence of the ‘intellectual in politics’, the latter-day version of the philosopher-king. They themselves were… More

The Conservative Imagination: Michael Oakeshott

– Himmelfarb, Gertrude, "The Conservative Imagination: Michael Oakeshott." The American Scholar 44, no. 3. 1975.
Excerpt: THE TITLE OF HIS FIRST VOLUME OF ESSAYS, published in 1950, Lionel Trilling perfectly captured the spirit of the time. “The Liberal Imagination” – not “the… More

In Defense of Progress

– Himmelfarb, Gertrude. "In Defense of Progress." Commentary Magazine. 1980.
Abstract: The idea of Progress—Progress with a capital “P”—has been in disrepute for a long time now. And with good reason, one would think. The experiences of this century hardly… More

Liberty: “One Very Simple Principle”?

– Himmelfarb, Gertrude.  "Liberty: "One Very Simple Principle"?" The American Scholar 62, no. 4. 1993.
Excerpt: The end of the Cold War has liberated us in more ways than we might have thought, liberated us from the tyranny of Communism and liberated us to reexamine the liberalism that is… More

The Dark and Bloody Crossroads: Where Nationalism and Religion Meet

– Himmelfarb, Gertrude. "The Dark and Bloody Crossroads: Where Nationalism and Religion Meet." The National Interest, no. 32. 1993.
Abstract: It was in a freshman history course shortly after the outbreak of the Second World War that I was formally introduced to the concept of nationalism. The war, the professor… More

The Politics of Dissent

– Himmelfarb, Gertrude. "The Politics of Dissent." Commentary Magazine. July, 1994.
Excerpt: In Culture and Anarchy, written more than a century ago, Matthew Arnold described a phenomenon that we tend to think is unique to our times rather than his. He expressed it in… More

On Looking Into the Abyss: Untimely Thoughts on Culture and Society

– Himmelfarb, Gertrude. 1994. On Looking into the Abyss: Untimely Thoughts on Culture and Society. Knopf.
Review from Amazon: In these provocative essays, one of our most distinguished historians looks into the abyss of the present. Himmelfarb exposes the intellectual and spiritual… More

What To Do About Education: The Universities

– Himmelfarb, Gertrude. "What To Do About Education: The Universities." Commentary Magazine, October, 1994.
Abstract: Continuing the series we inaugurated last month with James Q. Wilson’s article on crime, we here move on to the issue of education. It is now widely recognized that this country… More

The De-moralization Of Society: From Victorian Virtues to Modern Values

– Himmelfarb Gertrude. 1995. The De-Moralization of Society: From Victorian Virtues to Modern Values. New York: Alfred A. Knopf.
Review on Amazon: As the debate over values grows ever more divisive, one of the most eminent historians of the Victorian era reminds readers that values are no substitute for… More

Academic Advocates

– Himmelfarb, Gertrude. "Academic Advocates." Commentary Magazine, September, 1995.
Excerpt: Recent discussions of academic freedom have focused on one particularly egregious case of professorial racism and anti-Semitism. In class and in public lectures, Professor Leonard… More

The Gender Card Loses

– Himmelfarb, Gertrude. "The Gender Card Loses." The Weekly Standard. October 16, 1995.
Excerpt: Race trumped gender” — for me this comment, by a professor of government quoted in the Washington Post, is the most telling observation on the Simpson verdict. For… More

Is ‘Conservative Revolution’ An Oxymoron?

– Himmelfarb, Gertrude. "Is 'Conservative Revolution' An Oxymoron?." The Weekly Standard, December 18, 1995.
Excerpt: Budget reform, welfare reform, Medicare reform — this formidable combination of reforms has been proudly heralded by a new breed of conservatives as a “conservative… More

The Christian University: A Call To Counterrevolution

– Himmelfarb, Gertrude. "The Christian University: A Call To Counterrevolution." First Things. January, 1996.
Abstract: It is well to remember, as we contemplate the relation of the university and church, that the Protestant Reformation was started by a professor in a university. Years later Luther… More

A Neo-Luddite on the Internet

– Himmelfarb, Gertrude. "A Neo-Luddite on the Internet." Prospect Magazine. December, 1996.
Excerpt: On the subject of our latest technological revolution, cyberspace, I am a neo-Luddite. Not a true Luddite; my Luddism is qualified, compromised. I revel in the word-processor; I am… More

On the Future of Conservatism

– Himmelfarb, Gertrude. "On the Future of Conservatism." Commentary Magazine. February, 1997.
Excerpt: The November 1996 election and a number of other recent events have offered an opportunity for reassessment among conservatives. At issue is not only the meaning of the election… More

For the Love of Country

– Himmelfarb, Gertrude. "For the Love of Country," Commentary Magazine, May, 1997.
Excerpt: “The era of big government is over,” President Clinton announced in his State of the Union address in January 1995, responding to the mandate of the people as expressed in the… More

One Nation, Two Cultures

– Himmelfarb, Gertrude. 1999. One Nation, Two Cultures: A Searching Examination of American Society in the Aftermath of Our Cultural Revolution. Knopf.
Abstract: In The Wealth of Nations, Adam Smith described the “two different schemes or systems of morality” that prevail in all civilized societies. In every civilized society,… More

J. H. Hexter (25 May 1910-8 December 1996)

– Himmelfarb, Gertrude. "J. H. Hexter (25 May 1910-8 December 1996)." Proceedings of the American Philosophical Society 143, no. 2. 1999.
Abstract: There are not many historians who preface a collection of essays with the statement that three of them had been rejected by the leading professional journals in the field. One of… More

Responses to Fukuyama

– Mansfield, Harvey, E. O. Wilson, Gertrude Himmelfarb, Robin Fox, Robert J. Samuelson, and Joseph S. Nye. "Responses to Fukuyama." The National Interest, no. 56. 1999.
Abstract: Gertrude Himmelfarb: I suffer from the historian. the professional Philosophers deformation of the historian. Philosophers can see the eternal verities that transcend his- tory.… More

The Election and the Culture Wars

– Himmelfarb, Gertrude. "The Election and the Culture Wars." Commentary Magazine. May, 2000.
Excerpt: A funny thing happened on the way to the presidential nominations this year. We discovered not only that the candidates were not quite what we thought them to be (this happens in… More

Two Nations or Two Cultures?

– Himmelfarb, Gertrude. "Two Nations or Two Cultures?" Commentary Magazine. January, 2001.
Exceprt: I entirely (well, almost entirely) agree with Terry Teachout. The election has confirmed, even dramatized, the cultural divide in our nation—a cultural divide, as he points out,… More

Judging Richard Posner

– Himmelfarb, Gertrude. "Judging Richard Posner." Commentary Magazine. February, 2002.
Excerpt: Declaration of interest: I am one of the many public intellectuals criticized in Richard A. Posner’s latest book, Public Intellectuals: A Study of Decline Indeed, I apparently… More

Gertrude Himmelfarb: Brown’s Guru

– Vallely, Paul. "Gertrude Himmelfarb: Brown's guru." The Independent. November 02, 2007.
Abstract: Tony Blair, you will recall, was the chap with the Big Tent. Nothing so crass as that for Gordon Brown. But consider the speech he gave on liberty and the need for a new Bill… More

Irving Kristol’s Neoconservative Persuasion

– Himmelfarb, Gertrude. "Irving Kristol’s Neoconservative Persuasion." Commentary Magazine, February, 2011.
Excerpt: The memoir by my husband introducing his last volume of essays in 1995, Neoconservatism: The Autobiography of an Idea, opens with a typical Irving Kristol quip. Is there such a… More

The Neoconservative Persuasion: Selected Essays, 1942-2009

– Kristol, Irving. 2011. The Neoconservative Persuasion: Selected Essays, 1942-2009. Washington, DC: Hudson Institute.
Review on Amazon: A brilliant collection of pieces, written between 1942 and his death in 2009, by Irving Kristol, one of the fathers of neoconservatism. This series of essays, many hard to… More

Lionel Trilling and the Critical Imagination

– Himmelfarb, Gertrude. "Lionel Trilling & the Critical Imagination." New Criterion. October, 2011.
Excerpt: Why Trilling Matters: it is a curiously defensive title for a book about a man who was a star in the much-acclaimed circle of “New York intellectuals,” who delivered the first… More

Civil Society Reconsidered: Little Platoons are Just the Beginning

– Himmelfarb, Gertrude. "Civil Society Reconsidered: Little Platoons are Just the Beginning." The Weekly Standard, April 23, 2012.
Excerpt: In the conclusion to Coming Apart, after describing a society that is in even greater disarray (literally, coming apart) than we had supposed, Charles Murray holds out one hope… More

Our Dignified Constitution: Fourth of July Reflections on the Queen’s Jubilee

– Himmelfarb, Gertrude. "Our Dignified Constitution: Fourth of July Reflections on the Queen’s Jubilee." The Weekly Standard,  July 16, 2012.
Excerpt: It was perhaps inevitable that our Fourth of July celebrations last week might have seemed anti-climactic after the four-day festivities a month ago accompanying the Queen’s… More

Compassionate Conservatism Properly Understood

– Himmelfarb, Gertrude. "Compassionate Conservatism Properly Understood." The Weekly Standard, January 14, 2013.
Excerpt: Defeat, like death, concentrates the mind wonderfully. It also liberates the mind. People venture to think the unthinkable, or at least, the impermissible. A new generation of… More

Winston vs. the Webbs: A Century-old Precursor to the Obamacare Debate

– Himmelfarb, Gertrude. "Winston vs. the Webbs: A Century-old Precursor to the Obamacare Debate." The Weekly Standard, April 21, 2014.
Excerpt: The debate over Obamacare may remind a student of British history of the debate in Britain over the National Insurance Act of 1911, which was in effect until the initiation of the… More

Evolution and Ethics, Revisited

– Himmelfarb, Gertrude. "Evolution and Ethics, Revisited." The New Atlantis, no. 42. 2014.
Excerpt: That is John Henry Newman in The Idea of a University (1852) referring to the sciences of his day, which threatened to dominate and even overwhelm theological education in the… More

From Robespierre to ISIS: Edmund Burke’s War on Terror—and Ours

– Himmelfarb, Gertrude. "From Robespierre to ISIS: Edmund Burke’s War on Terror—and Ours." The Weekly Standard, September, 29 2014.
Excerpt: he war on terror is over, the president assured us a year ago. Now, we are told, that war is very much with us and will be pursued with all due diligence. The president was… More

Into the Abyss: From the Halls of Academia to the Cover of Vanity Fair

– Himmelfarb, Gertrude, "Into the Abyss: From the Halls of Academia to the Cover of Vanity Fair," The Weekly Standard, July 20, 2015.
Excerpt: The Caitlyn (née Bruce) Jenner case has engendered if not a new subject at least a newly publicized and sensationalized one. For an old-timer like myself, transgenderism is… More

In Search of Mrs. T: The Elusive Woman behind Thatcherism

– Himmelfarb, Gertrude. "In Search of Mrs. T: The Elusive Woman behind Thatcherism." The Weekly Standard, March 6, 2017.
Excerpt: David Cannadine dedicates his biography of Margaret Thatcher: “In memory of Mrs T.” But that Mrs T is not, as one might suppose, Mrs. Thatcher, the longest-serving prime… More

Teaching

Review of Community of the Free by Yves Simon

– Himmelfarb, Gertrude. "Community of the Free, by Yves Simon." Commentary Magazine, June, 1948.
Excerpt: Presented with John Dewey’s A Common Faith—a faith independent of sect, class, or creed—Santayana is supposed to have remarked, “a very common faith indeed.” Yves… More

The American Revolution in the Political Theory of Lord Acton

– Himmelfarb, Gertrude. "The American Revolution in the Political Theory of Lord Acton." The Journal of Modern History 21, no. 4. 1949.
Abstract: LORD ACTON once complained that he ~agreed with no one and no one Li agreed with him. This should serve as a counsel of caution to his present-day interpreters. In the flush of… More

The Prophets of the New Conservatism

– Himmelfarb, Gertrude. "The Study of Man: The Prophets of the New Conservatism." Commentary Magazine, January, 1950.
Excerpt: Conservatism Revisited, by the Pulitzer-prize poet Peter Viereck, is only one of a small tide of recent books in the same vein. Someone has recently remarked that there are… More

Political Thinking: Ancients vs. Moderns

– Himmelfarb, Gertrude. "The Study of Man: The Prophets of the New Conservatism." Commentary Magazine, July, 1951.
Abstract: From the heavy volume of writings on political theory published in recent months, Gertrude Himmelfarb selects for discussion a number of books which represent two extreme—and… More

On the Horizon: Henry Adams’ Skeptic Faith in Democracy

– Himmelfarb, Gertrude. "On the Horizon: Henry Adams’ Skeptic Faith in Democracy." Commentary Magazine, December, 1952.
Abstract: Scion of the presidential Founding Fathers, Henry Adams himself had grave doubts about the future of democracy as he observed its operations in the America of his time, and he… More

The Intellectual in Politics: The Case of the Webbs

– Himmelfarb, Gertrude. "The Intellectual in Politics: The Case of the Webbs." Journal of Contemporary History 6, no. 3. 1971.
Abstract: In some obvious respects, the Webbs were the very quintessence of the ‘intellectual in politics’, the latter-day version of the philosopher-king. They themselves were… More

The Conservative Imagination: Michael Oakeshott

– Himmelfarb, Gertrude, "The Conservative Imagination: Michael Oakeshott." The American Scholar 44, no. 3. 1975.
Excerpt: THE TITLE OF HIS FIRST VOLUME OF ESSAYS, published in 1950, Lionel Trilling perfectly captured the spirit of the time. “The Liberal Imagination” – not “the… More

In Defense of Progress

– Himmelfarb, Gertrude. "In Defense of Progress." Commentary Magazine. 1980.
Abstract: The idea of Progress—Progress with a capital “P”—has been in disrepute for a long time now. And with good reason, one would think. The experiences of this century hardly… More

Liberty: “One Very Simple Principle”?

– Himmelfarb, Gertrude.  "Liberty: "One Very Simple Principle"?" The American Scholar 62, no. 4. 1993.
Excerpt: The end of the Cold War has liberated us in more ways than we might have thought, liberated us from the tyranny of Communism and liberated us to reexamine the liberalism that is… More

The Dark and Bloody Crossroads: Where Nationalism and Religion Meet

– Himmelfarb, Gertrude. "The Dark and Bloody Crossroads: Where Nationalism and Religion Meet." The National Interest, no. 32. 1993.
Abstract: It was in a freshman history course shortly after the outbreak of the Second World War that I was formally introduced to the concept of nationalism. The war, the professor… More

The Politics of Dissent

– Himmelfarb, Gertrude. "The Politics of Dissent." Commentary Magazine. July, 1994.
Excerpt: In Culture and Anarchy, written more than a century ago, Matthew Arnold described a phenomenon that we tend to think is unique to our times rather than his. He expressed it in… More

On Looking Into the Abyss: Untimely Thoughts on Culture and Society

– Himmelfarb, Gertrude. 1994. On Looking into the Abyss: Untimely Thoughts on Culture and Society. Knopf.
Review from Amazon: In these provocative essays, one of our most distinguished historians looks into the abyss of the present. Himmelfarb exposes the intellectual and spiritual… More

What To Do About Education: The Universities

– Himmelfarb, Gertrude. "What To Do About Education: The Universities." Commentary Magazine, October, 1994.
Abstract: Continuing the series we inaugurated last month with James Q. Wilson’s article on crime, we here move on to the issue of education. It is now widely recognized that this country… More

The De-moralization Of Society: From Victorian Virtues to Modern Values

– Himmelfarb Gertrude. 1995. The De-Moralization of Society: From Victorian Virtues to Modern Values. New York: Alfred A. Knopf.
Review on Amazon: As the debate over values grows ever more divisive, one of the most eminent historians of the Victorian era reminds readers that values are no substitute for… More

Academic Advocates

– Himmelfarb, Gertrude. "Academic Advocates." Commentary Magazine, September, 1995.
Excerpt: Recent discussions of academic freedom have focused on one particularly egregious case of professorial racism and anti-Semitism. In class and in public lectures, Professor Leonard… More

The Gender Card Loses

– Himmelfarb, Gertrude. "The Gender Card Loses." The Weekly Standard. October 16, 1995.
Excerpt: Race trumped gender” — for me this comment, by a professor of government quoted in the Washington Post, is the most telling observation on the Simpson verdict. For… More

Is ‘Conservative Revolution’ An Oxymoron?

– Himmelfarb, Gertrude. "Is 'Conservative Revolution' An Oxymoron?." The Weekly Standard, December 18, 1995.
Excerpt: Budget reform, welfare reform, Medicare reform — this formidable combination of reforms has been proudly heralded by a new breed of conservatives as a “conservative… More

The Christian University: A Call To Counterrevolution

– Himmelfarb, Gertrude. "The Christian University: A Call To Counterrevolution." First Things. January, 1996.
Abstract: It is well to remember, as we contemplate the relation of the university and church, that the Protestant Reformation was started by a professor in a university. Years later Luther… More

A Neo-Luddite on the Internet

– Himmelfarb, Gertrude. "A Neo-Luddite on the Internet." Prospect Magazine. December, 1996.
Excerpt: On the subject of our latest technological revolution, cyberspace, I am a neo-Luddite. Not a true Luddite; my Luddism is qualified, compromised. I revel in the word-processor; I am… More

On the Future of Conservatism

– Himmelfarb, Gertrude. "On the Future of Conservatism." Commentary Magazine. February, 1997.
Excerpt: The November 1996 election and a number of other recent events have offered an opportunity for reassessment among conservatives. At issue is not only the meaning of the election… More

For the Love of Country

– Himmelfarb, Gertrude. "For the Love of Country," Commentary Magazine, May, 1997.
Excerpt: “The era of big government is over,” President Clinton announced in his State of the Union address in January 1995, responding to the mandate of the people as expressed in the… More

One Nation, Two Cultures

– Himmelfarb, Gertrude. 1999. One Nation, Two Cultures: A Searching Examination of American Society in the Aftermath of Our Cultural Revolution. Knopf.
Abstract: In The Wealth of Nations, Adam Smith described the “two different schemes or systems of morality” that prevail in all civilized societies. In every civilized society,… More

J. H. Hexter (25 May 1910-8 December 1996)

– Himmelfarb, Gertrude. "J. H. Hexter (25 May 1910-8 December 1996)." Proceedings of the American Philosophical Society 143, no. 2. 1999.
Abstract: There are not many historians who preface a collection of essays with the statement that three of them had been rejected by the leading professional journals in the field. One of… More

Responses to Fukuyama

– Mansfield, Harvey, E. O. Wilson, Gertrude Himmelfarb, Robin Fox, Robert J. Samuelson, and Joseph S. Nye. "Responses to Fukuyama." The National Interest, no. 56. 1999.
Abstract: Gertrude Himmelfarb: I suffer from the historian. the professional Philosophers deformation of the historian. Philosophers can see the eternal verities that transcend his- tory.… More

The Election and the Culture Wars

– Himmelfarb, Gertrude. "The Election and the Culture Wars." Commentary Magazine. May, 2000.
Excerpt: A funny thing happened on the way to the presidential nominations this year. We discovered not only that the candidates were not quite what we thought them to be (this happens in… More

Two Nations or Two Cultures?

– Himmelfarb, Gertrude. "Two Nations or Two Cultures?" Commentary Magazine. January, 2001.
Exceprt: I entirely (well, almost entirely) agree with Terry Teachout. The election has confirmed, even dramatized, the cultural divide in our nation—a cultural divide, as he points out,… More

Judging Richard Posner

– Himmelfarb, Gertrude. "Judging Richard Posner." Commentary Magazine. February, 2002.
Excerpt: Declaration of interest: I am one of the many public intellectuals criticized in Richard A. Posner’s latest book, Public Intellectuals: A Study of Decline Indeed, I apparently… More

Gertrude Himmelfarb: Brown’s Guru

– Vallely, Paul. "Gertrude Himmelfarb: Brown's guru." The Independent. November 02, 2007.
Abstract: Tony Blair, you will recall, was the chap with the Big Tent. Nothing so crass as that for Gordon Brown. But consider the speech he gave on liberty and the need for a new Bill… More

Irving Kristol’s Neoconservative Persuasion

– Himmelfarb, Gertrude. "Irving Kristol’s Neoconservative Persuasion." Commentary Magazine, February, 2011.
Excerpt: The memoir by my husband introducing his last volume of essays in 1995, Neoconservatism: The Autobiography of an Idea, opens with a typical Irving Kristol quip. Is there such a… More

The Neoconservative Persuasion: Selected Essays, 1942-2009

– Kristol, Irving. 2011. The Neoconservative Persuasion: Selected Essays, 1942-2009. Washington, DC: Hudson Institute.
Review on Amazon: A brilliant collection of pieces, written between 1942 and his death in 2009, by Irving Kristol, one of the fathers of neoconservatism. This series of essays, many hard to… More

Lionel Trilling and the Critical Imagination

– Himmelfarb, Gertrude. "Lionel Trilling & the Critical Imagination." New Criterion. October, 2011.
Excerpt: Why Trilling Matters: it is a curiously defensive title for a book about a man who was a star in the much-acclaimed circle of “New York intellectuals,” who delivered the first… More

Civil Society Reconsidered: Little Platoons are Just the Beginning

– Himmelfarb, Gertrude. "Civil Society Reconsidered: Little Platoons are Just the Beginning." The Weekly Standard, April 23, 2012.
Excerpt: In the conclusion to Coming Apart, after describing a society that is in even greater disarray (literally, coming apart) than we had supposed, Charles Murray holds out one hope… More

Our Dignified Constitution: Fourth of July Reflections on the Queen’s Jubilee

– Himmelfarb, Gertrude. "Our Dignified Constitution: Fourth of July Reflections on the Queen’s Jubilee." The Weekly Standard,  July 16, 2012.
Excerpt: It was perhaps inevitable that our Fourth of July celebrations last week might have seemed anti-climactic after the four-day festivities a month ago accompanying the Queen’s… More

Compassionate Conservatism Properly Understood

– Himmelfarb, Gertrude. "Compassionate Conservatism Properly Understood." The Weekly Standard, January 14, 2013.
Excerpt: Defeat, like death, concentrates the mind wonderfully. It also liberates the mind. People venture to think the unthinkable, or at least, the impermissible. A new generation of… More

Winston vs. the Webbs: A Century-old Precursor to the Obamacare Debate

– Himmelfarb, Gertrude. "Winston vs. the Webbs: A Century-old Precursor to the Obamacare Debate." The Weekly Standard, April 21, 2014.
Excerpt: The debate over Obamacare may remind a student of British history of the debate in Britain over the National Insurance Act of 1911, which was in effect until the initiation of the… More

Evolution and Ethics, Revisited

– Himmelfarb, Gertrude. "Evolution and Ethics, Revisited." The New Atlantis, no. 42. 2014.
Excerpt: That is John Henry Newman in The Idea of a University (1852) referring to the sciences of his day, which threatened to dominate and even overwhelm theological education in the… More

From Robespierre to ISIS: Edmund Burke’s War on Terror—and Ours

– Himmelfarb, Gertrude. "From Robespierre to ISIS: Edmund Burke’s War on Terror—and Ours." The Weekly Standard, September, 29 2014.
Excerpt: he war on terror is over, the president assured us a year ago. Now, we are told, that war is very much with us and will be pursued with all due diligence. The president was… More

Into the Abyss: From the Halls of Academia to the Cover of Vanity Fair

– Himmelfarb, Gertrude, "Into the Abyss: From the Halls of Academia to the Cover of Vanity Fair," The Weekly Standard, July 20, 2015.
Excerpt: The Caitlyn (née Bruce) Jenner case has engendered if not a new subject at least a newly publicized and sensationalized one. For an old-timer like myself, transgenderism is… More

In Search of Mrs. T: The Elusive Woman behind Thatcherism

– Himmelfarb, Gertrude. "In Search of Mrs. T: The Elusive Woman behind Thatcherism." The Weekly Standard, March 6, 2017.
Excerpt: David Cannadine dedicates his biography of Margaret Thatcher: “In memory of Mrs T.” But that Mrs T is not, as one might suppose, Mrs. Thatcher, the longest-serving prime… More