Books

James Burnham’s “The Machiavellians”

– “James Burnham's 'The Machiavellians'" (as William Ferry), Enquiry, July 1943. (A review of The Machiavellians: Defenders of Freedom by James Burnham.)

Excerpt: The atmosphere, these days, contains a good deal more of what is called ‘realism’ than is usually considered desirable for healthy progress. In some measure this is a… More

The Moral Critic

– “The Moral Critic,” Enquiry, April 1944. (A review of E. M. Forster by Lionel Trilling.)

Excerpt: The liberal flatters himself upon his intentions, problems, “and prefers not to know that the good will generates its own that the love pf humanity has its own vices and the… More

What the Nazi Autopsies Show

– "What the Nazi Autopsies Show," Commentary, September 1948.

Excerpt: The Nazis are human: that is what the psychiatrists tell us. We always knew that, though it does no harm to have it confirmed. But the Nazis are also non-human: that is what we,… More

The Slaughter-Bench of History

– "The Slaughter-Bench of History," Commentary, July 1949. (A review of Faith and History by Reinhold Niebuhr and Meaning in History by Karl Lowitz.)

Excerpt: Judaism is tormented by the fact that the Messiah has not come, while the gas chambers have. Christianity is tormented by the fact that the Messiah did come, almost two thousand… More

God and the Psychoanalysts

– "God and the Psychoanalysts," Commentary, November 1949.

Excerpt: Psychoanalysis was from its very beginnings disrespectful, when not positively hostile, towards all existing religious creeds and institutions. Naturally, the religious… More

Love Affair: Psychoanalysts and Religion

– "Love Affair: Psychoanalysts and Religion," Time, November 14, 1949.

Einstein: The Passion of Pure Reason

– "Einstein: The Passion of Pure Reason," Commentary, September 1950.

Excerpt: Einstein’s new Jewishness was not the result of his discovering a hidden Jewish self. It was, on the contrary, a new means of escaping from his self. The flight to Reason from… More

Two Varieties of Democracy

– "Two Varieties of Democracy," Commentary, September 1952.  (A review of The Rise of Totalitarian Democracy by J. L. Talmon.)

Excerpt: An essential defect of Mr. Talmon’s analysis is that he takes the ideology of “totalitarian democracy” as corresponding to an actual fact. In a sense he is deceived by the… More

The Philosophers’ Hidden Truth

– "The Philosophers' Hidden Truth," Commentary, October 1952.  (A review of Persecution and the Art of Writing by Leo Strauss.)

Excerpt: No doubt, there will be scholars who will respectfully dispute Professor Strauss on just about every point. They will find, as many already know, that he is a most formidable… More

Men of Science – and Conscience

– “Men of Science – and Conscience,” Encounter, October 1953.

The Simple and the True

– “The Simple and the True,” Encounter, February 1954.

Niccolo Machiavelli

– “Niccolo Machiavelli,” Encounter, December 1954.

Excerpt: Since Machiavelli, a dimension has been amputated from man’s political existence.  The operation was a success; but there are stitches and scars, inevitably.  It is in… More

The Judgment of Clio

– “The Judgment of Clio,” Encounter, January 1955.  (A review of Historical Inevitability by Isaiah Berlin.)

“…And People Opening Veins in Baths”

– “'...And People Opening Veins in Baths',” Encounter, May 1956.  (A review of Tacitus on Imperial Rome translated by Michael Graves and Tiberius: A Study in Resentment by Gregorio Maranon.)

Excerpt: We have lost the habit of judging tyrants so harshly, for we are more attentive to their historical roles, their “objective” tasks, than to their human meanings. It is the… More

A Philosophy for Little England

– “A Philosophy for Little England,” Encounter, July 1956.  (A review of Philosophy, Politics, and Society edited by Peter Laslett.)

A Philosophy for Little England?

– “A Philosophy for Little England?” (A reply), Encounter, September 1956.

“A Condition of Mere Nature”

– “'A Condition of Mere Nature',” Encounter, October 1956.  (A review of The Anglo-American Tradition in Foreign Affairs edited by Arnold Wolfers and Lawrence W. Martin.)

Politics, Sacred and Profane

– “Politics, Sacred and Profane,” Encounter, September 1957.  (A review of Battle for the Mind by William Sargent and Captured in Tibet by Robert Ford.)

The Essence of Capitalism

– “The Essence of Capitalism,” Encounter, November 1957. (A review of Polity and Economy by Joseph Cropsey.)

Old Truths and the New Conservatism

– “Old Truths and the New Conservatism,” Yale Review, May 1958.

Excerpt: Now, it may please us to think that everyone is born either a little liberal or a little conservative. It may please us so much, indeed, that we conveniently forget there was a… More

The Conquistadors’ Conscience

– “The Conquistadors' Conscience,” Reporter, September 17, 1959. (A review of Aristotle and the American Indians by Louis Hanke.)

…And a Reply

– “...And a Reply,” Encounter, March 1960.  (Reply to Richard Wollheim. “One Man, One Vote...”)

Keeping Up with Ourselves

– “Keeping Up with Ourselves,” Yale Review, June 1960. (A review of The End of Ideology by Daniel Bell.)

Excerpt: There is no question that terribly important things have happened to America in recent decades; but “the end of ideology” is not one of them, and Mr. Bell’s title… More

A Traitor to His Class?

– "A Traitor to His Class?," Kenyon Review, Summer 1960. (A review of Love and Death in the American Novel by Leslie A. Fielder.)

High, Low, and Modern

– “High, Low, and Modern,” Encounter, August 1960.

Excerpt: It is often said that “mass culture” is the price we pay for democracy. That all depends, of course, on what we mean by democracy. If we mean by democracy nothing… More

Machiavelli and the Profanation of Politics

– “Machiavelli and the Profanation of Politics,” in The Logic of Personal Knowledge: Essays by Various Contributors Presented to Michael Polanyi on His Seventieth Birthday (London: Routledge & Kegan Paul, 1961).

A Treasure for the Future

– "A Treasure for the Future," The New Republic, July 10, 1961. (A review of Between Past and Future:  Six Exercises in Political Thought by Hannah Arendt.)

Excerpt: The subtitle, however, may be misleading. Miss Arendt writes with passion and urgency, and she is a woman of strong political opinions. But she isn’t a political thinker in… More

Democracy and Its Discontents

– “Democracy and Its Discontents,” Harper's, September 1961. (A review of eight books.)

The Idea of Mass Culture

– “The Idea of Mass Culture,” Yale Review, February 1962. (A review of The Political Context of Sociology by Leon Bramson.)

Of Newton Minow and Matthew Arnold

– “Of Newton Minow and Matthew Arnold,” The New Leader, January 7, 1963.

One Man, One Vote

– “One Man, One Vote,” The New Leader, June 24, 1963.

From the Land of the Free to the Big PX

– "From the Land of the Free to the Big PX," New York Times Magazine, December 20, 1964.

What Is the Public Interest?

– "What Is the Public Interest?" (with Daniel Bell), The Public Interest, Fall 1965.

Excerpt: The aim of THE PUBLIC INTEREST is at once modest and presumptuous. It is to help all of us, when we discuss issues of public policy, to know a little better what we are talking… More

One Utopian, One Sensible Way to Reconcile State and Society

– “One Utopian, One Sensible Way to Reconcile State and Society,” Harper's, March 1966. (A review of Freedom Through Power by William Withers and Reclaiming the American Dream by Richard C. Cornuelle.)

New Left, New Right

– "New Left, New Right." The Public Interest, Summer 1966.

First, on all the evidence, the one worst way to cope with this crisis in values is through organized political-ideological action. Most of the hysteria, much of the stupidity, and a good… More

Civil Disobedience Is Not Justified by Vietnam

– “Civil Disobedience Is Not Justified by Vietnam” (A response in a symposium) New York Times Magazine, November 26, 1967.

Advice for Managers from a Florentine Consultant

– “Advice for Managers from a Florentine Consultant,” Fortune, April 1968. (A review of Management and Machiavelli by Jay Anthony.)

Our Shaken Foundations

– “Our Shaken Foundations,” Fortune, July 1968.

A Different Way to Restructure the University

– "A Different Way to Restructure the University," New York Times Magazine, December 8, 1968.

The Improbable Guru of Surrealistic Politics

– “The Improbable Guru of Surrealistic Politics,” Fortune, July 1969. (A review of An Essay on Liberation by Herbert Marcuse.)

American Historians and the Democratic Idea

– "American Historians and the Democratic Idea," American Scholar, Winter 1969-1970.

History and Human Survival

– "History and Human Survival," New York Times, August 2, 1970. (A review of Essays on the Young And Old, Survivors And the Dead, and on Contemporary Psychohistory by Robert Jay Lifton.)

“When Virtue Loses All Her Loveliness”—Some Reflections on Capitalism and “the Free Society”

– "'When Virtue Loses All Her Loveliness’—Some Reflections on Capitalism and 'the Free Society'," The Public Interest, Fall 1970.

Excerpt: I use the word “conservative” advisedly. Though the discontents of our civilization express themselves in the rhetoric of “liberation” and… More

“Capitalism” and “the Free Society”

– "'Capitalism' and 'the Free Society'," (a reply to John K. Jessup), The Public Interest, Winter 1971.

Excerpt: Now, there is only one rejoinder that someone like Jessup can make to this point. It is the libertarian answer given by Hayek and Friedman: what legitimates a “free… More

Pornography, Obscenity and The Case for Censorship

– "Pornography, Obscenity and The Case for Censorship," New York Times Magazine, March 28, 1971.

From Priorities to Goals

– "From Priorities to Goals," The Public Interest, Summer 1971.

Excerpt: Controversies over matters of political philosophy, since they are controversies over fundamental beliefs, are exceedingly dangerous for any nation. They certainly ought not to… More

Welfare: The Best of Intentions, the Worst of Results

– “Welfare: The Best of Intentions, the Worst of Results,” Atlantic, August 1971.

Excerpt: Is it surprising, then, that — unmanned and demoralized — he removes himself from family responsibilities that no longer rest on his shoulders? That he drifts out of… More

A Foolish American Ism – Utopianism

– "A Foolish American Ism – Utopianism," New York Times Magazine, November 14, 1971.

On the Democratic Idea in America

– New York: Harper, 1972.

1. Urban Civilization and its Discontents 2. The Shaking of the Foundations 3. Pornography, Obscenity, and the Case for Censorship 4. American Historians and the Democratic Idea 5. American… More

The Need for a Philosophy of Education

– “The Need for a Philosophy of Education” (remarks originally delivered as part of a conference at Rockefeller University on February 21-22, 1972) in The Idea of a Modern University, ed. Sidney Hook, Paul Kurtz, and Miro Todorovich (New York: Prometheus Books, 1974).

An Urban Civilization without Cities

– “An Urban Civilization without Cities,” Horizon, Autumn 1972.

About Equality

– "About Equality," Commentary, November 1972.

Excerpt: So this, it appears to me, is what the controversy “about equality” is really about. We have an intelligentsia which so despises the ethos of bourgeois society, and which is so… More

Equality and Justice

– "Equality and Justice" (A reply to letters), Commentary, February 1973.

Excerpt: I still do believe that any society has to be governed by a principle of justice which legitimates particular inequalities, and that our own society is having trouble finding such… More

Capitalism, Socialism and Nihilism

– "Capitalism, Socialism and Nihilism," The Public Interest, Spring 1973.

Excerpt: WHENEVER and wherever defenders of “free enterprise,” “individual liberty,” and “a free society” assemble, these days, one senses a peculiar kind of nostalgia in the… More

Utopianism, Ancient and Modern

– “Utopianism, Ancient and Modern,” Imprimus, April 1973.

In Defense of Equality

– Michael Walzer, "In Defense of Equality," Dissent, September 1973.

The American Revolution as a Successful Revolution

– “The American Revolution as a Successful Revolution” (lecture delivered at American Enterprise Institute, October 12, 1973), printed in America's Continuing Revolution: An Act of Conservation (Washington, D.C.: American Enterprise Institute, 1975).

Excerpt: As we approach the bicentennial of the American Revolution, we find ourselves in a paradoxical and embarrassing situation. A celebration of some kind certainly seems to be in… More

Republican Virtue vs. Servile Institutions

– “Republican Virtue vs. Servile Institutions” delivered at and then reprinted by the Poynter Center at Indiana University, May 1974. (Reprinted in The Alternative, February 1975.)

Excerpt: This is a serious matter. For the American democracy today seems really to have no other purpose than to create more and more Scarsdales—to convert the entire nation into a… More

Is Technology a Threat to Liberal Society?

– “Is Technology a Threat to Liberal Society?” (Lecture at Science, Technology and Modern Society symposium of Polytechnic Institute of New York), March 13-14, 1975.

On Conservatism and Capitalism

– “On Conservatism and Capitalism,” Wall Street Journal, September 11, 1975.

On Corporate Capitalism in America

– "On Corporate Capitalism in America," The Public Interest, Fall 1975.

Excerpt: Whether for good or evil—and one can leave this for future historians to debate–the large corporation has gone “quasi-public,” i.e., it now straddles,… More

The High Cost of Equality

– “The High Cost of Equality,” Fortune, November 1975. (A review of Equality and Efficiency: The Big Tradeoff by Arthur Okun.)

Adam Smith and the Spirit of Capitalism

– “Adam Smith and the Spirit of Capitalism,” in The Great Ideas Today, ed. Robert Hutchins and Mortimer Adler (Chicago: Encyclopedia Britannica, 1976).

What Is “Social Justice”?

– ''What Is 'Social Justice'?” Wall Street Journal, August 12, 1976.

What Is a Liberal–Who Is Conservative?

– “What Is a Liberal–Who Is Conservative?” (A symposium), Commentary, September 1976.

On the Unfairness of Life

– “On the Unfairness of Life,” Wall Street Journal, August 16, 1977.

How Equal Can We Be?

– “How Equal Can We Be?” (An interview), Business and Society Review, Fall 1977.

In Memory of Martin Diamond

– “In Memory of Martin Diamond,” The Alternative, October 1977.

Looking Back on Neo-Conservatism: Notes and Reflections

– “Looking Back on Neo-Conservatism: Notes and Reflections,” The American Spectator, November 1977.

Two Cheers for Capitalism

– New York: Basic Books, March 1978.

PART ONE: The Enemy of Being is Having 1. Corporate Capitalism in America 2. Business and the “New Class” 3. Frustrations of Affluence 4. Ideology and Food 5. The… More

The “Human Rights” Muddle

– “The 'Human Rights' Muddle,” Wall Street Journal, March 20, 1978.

Capitalism, Socialism and Democracy

– “Capitalism, Socialism and Democracy” (A symposium), Commentary, April 1978.

Human Nature and Social Reform

– “Human Nature and Social Reform,” Wall Street Journal, September 18, 1978.

Excerpt: What it comes down to is that our reformers simply cannot bring themselves to think realistically about human nature.  They believe it to be not only originally good, but also… More

The Disaffection from Capitalism

– “The Disaffection from Capitalism,” in Capitalism and Socialism: A Theological Inquiry, ed. Michael Novak (Washington, D.C.: American Enterprise Institute, 1979).

The Spiritual Roots of Capitalism and Socialism

– “The Spiritual Roots of Capitalism and Socialism,” in Capitalism and Socialism: A Theological Inquiry, ed. Michael Novak (Washington, D.C.: American Enterprise Institute, 1979).

The Godfather of Neoconservatism (And His Family)

– Geoffrey Norman, "The Godfather of Neoconservatism (And His Family)," Esquire, February 13, 1979.

No Cheers for the Profit Motive

– “No Cheers for the Profit Motive,” Wall Street Journal, February 20, 1979.

Excerpt: It is, in my opinion, as absurd to praise the profit motive—i.e., economic action based on self-interest—as it is to condemn it. The human impulse to such action is, like… More

Business Ethics and Economic Man

– “Business Ethics and Economic Man,” Wall Street Journal, March 20, 1979.

The Adversary Culture of Intellectuals

– “The Adversary Culture of Intellectuals,” Encounter, October 1979.

Confessions of a True, Self-Confessed – Perhaps the Only – Neoconservative

– “Confessions of a True, Self-Confessed – Perhaps the Only – Neoconservative,” Public Opinion, October/November, 1979.

The Goal

– “The Goal,” Encounter, March 1980.

Rationalism in Economics

– "Rationalism in Economics," The Public Interest, Special Issue 1980.

Excerpt: IT is widely conceded that something like a “crisis in economic theory” exists, but there is vehement disagreement about the extent and nature of this crisis. The more… More

The Common Sense of “Human Rights”

– ''The Common Sense of 'Human Rights',” Wall Street Journal, April 8, 1981.

How to Choose Between Dictatorships

– “How to Choose Between Dictatorships,” [London] Times, May 5, 1981.

Reason Interview: Irving Kristol

– "Reason Interview: Irving Kristol," Reason, January 1983.

Reflections of a Neoconservative: Looking Back, Looking Ahead

– New York: Basic Books, October 1983.

I. IN THE BEGINNING… 1. Memoirs of a Trotskyist 2. Memoirs of a “Cold Warrior”   II. THE CULTURE OF DEMOCRATIC CAPITALISM 3. The Adversary Culture of Intellectuals 4.… More

Kristol’s Red Persuasion?

– Robert Lekachman, "Kristol's Red Persuasion?" The Nation, October 29, 1983. (A review of Reflections of a Neoconservative: Looking Back, Looking Ahead by Irving Kristol.)

Excerpt: In sum, at their worst these polemics are diatribes against the world supposedly made by liberals and those to the left of them. At their best, they convey much thoughtful, somber… More

There’ll Never Be a “1984”

– “There'll Never Be a '1984',” Wall Street Journal, December 16, 1983.

A Choice of Blind Alleys

– “A Choice of Blind Alleys,” Times Literary Supplement, November 23, 1984. (A review of Politics and the Pursuit of Happiness by Ghita Ionescu.)

Sidney Hook: Humanist, Pragmatist, Democrat, American

– “Sidney Hook: Humanist, Pragmatist, Democrat, American,” Humanities (Washington, D.C.: National Endowment for the Humanities, 1984.)

The Twisted Vocabulary of Superpower Symmetry

– “The Twisted Vocabulary of Superpower Symmetry” (remarks originally delivered as part of a conference in May 1985), in Scorpions in a Bottle: Dangerous Ideas About the United States and the Soviet Union, ed. Lissa Roche (Hillsdale, MI: Hillsdale College Press, 1986).

“Human Rights”: The Hidden Agenda

– “'Human Rights': The Hidden Agenda,” The National Interest, Winter 1986-87.

Excerpt: A final point: There are some conservative (or non-left) “human rights” activists who feel that this theme can be exploited for purposes of anti-communist and… More

The Spirit of ’87

– "The Spirit of '87," The Public Interest, Winter 1987.

Excerpt: THE AMERICAN CONSTITUTION is a highly paradoxical document. Rhetorically, it is dry, legalistic, lacking in eloquence. Substantively, too, while it may not in fact have been “the… More

The War of the Words

– “The War of the Words,” Wall Street Journal, June 11, 1987.

Virtues and Vices of Democracy

– "Virtues and Vices of Democracy" (A Federalist Society symposium), November 7, 1987.

Religion and the Constitution

– "Religion and the Constitution" (An AEI symposium), December 1, 1987.

The End of History?

– “The End of History?” (A symposium), The National Interest, Summer 1989.

Some Kindergarten Remediation

– “Some Kindergarten Remediation,” Wall Street Journal, June 22, 1989.

On the Character of American Political Order

– “On the Character of American Political Order,” In The Promise of American Politics: Principles and Practice after Two Hundred Years, ed. Robert Utley (New York: University Press of America, 1989).

Foreword to Resonant Lives: 50 Figures of Consequence

– Foreword to Resonant Lives: 50 Figures of Consequence by Paul Greenberg (Washington, D.C.: Ethics and Public Policy Center, 1991).

Standing Room Only

– “Standing Room Only,” Times Literary Supplement, July 12, 1991. (A review of American Citizenship: The Quest for Inclusion by Judith Shklar.)

Interview with Tom Bethell

– Interview with Tom Bethell, American Spectator, December 1991.

Excerpt: “The Democratic party is falling apart,” he said. “Which is lucky for us. It’s completely out of sync with the public. What’s happening to the… More

The Capitalist Future

– “The Capitalist Future” (AEI Francis Boyer Lecture), December 4, 1991.

The Capitalist Future

– “The Capitalist Future,” Francis Boyer Lecture at the American Enterprise Institute, December 4, 1991.

Excerpt: This cultural nihilism will have, in the short term, only a limited political effect—short of a massive, enduring economic crisis. The reason it will not happen—this is still… More

Toasts and Remarks Delivered at a Dinner in Honor of Irving Kristol on His Seventy-fifth Birthday

– Christopher DeMuth, George Will, Walter Berns, Midge Decter, Charles Krauthammer, Daniel Patrick Moynihan, and William Kristol, "Toasts and Remarks Delivered at a Dinner in Honor of Irving Kristol on His Seventy-fifth Birthday," The American Enterprise Institute, January 21, 1995.

Excerpt: If what is called neoconservatism is by now an institution of sorts, it truly is what Emerson said institutions are–the lengthening shadow of a man. And the man is Irving… More

A Man without Footnotes

– Nathan Glazer, "A Man without Footnotes," in The Neoconservative Imagination: Essays in Honor of Irving Kristol, ed. Christopher DeMuth and William Kristol, (Washington, DC: AEI Press, 1995).

Irving Kristol’s Moral Realism

– Philip Selznick, "Irving Kristol's Moral Realism," in The Neoconservative Imagination: Essays in Honor of Irving Kristol, ed. Christopher DeMuth and William Kristol, (Washington, DC: AEI Press, 1995).

A Letter from Paris

– H. J. Kaplan, "A Letter from Paris," in The Neoconservative Imagination: Essays in Honor of Irving Kristol, ed. Christopher DeMuth and William Kristol, (Washington, DC: AEI Press, 1995).

The Common Man’s Uncommon Intellectual

– Michael S. Joyce, "The Common Man's Uncommon Intellectual," in The Neoconservative Imagination: Essays in Honor of Irving Kristol, ed. Christopher DeMuth and William Kristol, (Washington, DC: AEI Press, 1995).

Twice Chosen: Irving Kristol as American

– Michael Novak, "Twice Chosen: Irving Kristol as American," in The Neoconservative Imagination: Essays in Honor of Irving Kristol, ed. Christopher DeMuth and William Kristol, (Washington, DC: AEI Press, 1995).

The Need for Piety and Law: A Kristol-Clear Case

– Leon R. Kass, "The Need for Piety and Law: A Kristol-Clear Case," in The Neoconservative Imagination: Essays in Honor of Irving Kristol, ed. Christopher DeMuth and William Kristol, (Washington, DC: AEI Press, 1995).

Reflections of a Neoconservative Disciple

– Mark Gerson, "Reflections of a Neoconservative Disciple," in The Neoconservative Imagination: Essays in Honor of Irving Kristol, ed. Christopher DeMuth and William Kristol, (Washington, DC: AEI Press, 1995).

Neoconservatism: The Autobiography of an Idea

– New York: Free Press, 1995.

SECTION I 1. An Autobiographical Memoir   SECTION II: RACE, SEX, AND FAMILY 2. Welfare: The Best of Intentions, the Worst of Results 3. The Tragedy of “Multiculturalism” 4.… More

Booknotes

– "Booknotes" (An interview with Brian Lamb), September 5, 1995.

America’s “Exceptional” Conservatism

– “America’s ‘Exceptional’ Conservatism” from Neoconservatism: The Autobiography of an Idea, (New York, NY: The Free Press, 1995).

An Autobiographical Memoir

– “An Autobiographical Memoir” from Neoconservatism: The Autobiography of an Idea, (New York, NY: The Free Press, 1995).

Excerpt: Is there such a thing as a “neo” gene? I ask that question because, looking back over a lifetime of my opinions, I am struck by the fact that they all quality as “neo.” I… More

Godfather

– Wilfred M. McClay, "Godfather," Commentary, February 1996. (A review of Neoconservatism: The Autobiography of an Idea by Irving Kristol.)

Excerpt: Perhaps, then, there is another sense in which Kristol deserves the appellation of “godfather.” Ever since the appearance of Mario Puzo’s book of that title, there has been a… More

The Right Stuff

– “The Right Stuff,” Prospect, October 1996.

Excerpt: I remember the day very well, back in 1956, when I arrived at my office at Encounter-of which I was then co-editor-and found on my desk an unsolicited manuscript by Michael… More

The Family Way

– Jacob Weisberg, "The Family Way," The New Yorker, October 21 & 28, 1996.

Excerpt: Someone imperfectly versed in the idiosyncrasies of American political life might have found Irving Kristol’s seventy-fifth-birthday party a bit peculiar. Gathered to… More

Machiavelli for Moderns

– "Machiavelli for Moderns" (An introduction to an AEI lecture by Michael Ledeen), May 12, 1997.

Arguing the World

– "Arguing the World" (A documentary), written and directed by Joseph Dorman, January 7, 1998.

Is Technology a Threat to Society?

– "Is Technology a Threat to Society?" The Public Interest, Spring 2001.

Excerpt: I think there is some loose thinking about this whole problem of scientists, engineers, and their social responsibilities. When scientists say they want to live up to their social… More

Book Discussion on “On Two Wings”

– "Book Discussion on On Two Wings" (An AEI symposium), December 4, 2001.

Book Discussion on “Heaven on Earth”

– "Book Discussion on Heaven on Earth" (An AEI symposium), April 22, 2002

The Neoconservative Persuasion: What It Was, and What It Is

– "The Neoconservative Persuasion: What It Was, and What It Is,"  The Weekly Standard, August 25, 2003.

Excerpt: Viewed in this way, one can say that the historical task and political purpose of neoconservatism would seem to be this: to convert the Republican party, and American conservatism… More

My “Public Interest”

– "My 'Public Interest'," The Weekly Standard, December 18, 2006.

Excerpt: In 1965, through a series of circumstances that need not be recounted here, the stars became properly aligned so that my wish could become a reality. Dan Bell and I were able to… More

Irving Kristol, Norman Podhoretz, and the Jewish Religion

– Allan Arkush, "Irving Kristol, Norman Podhoretz, and the Jewish Religion," in Reason, Faith, and Politics: Essays in Honor of Werner J. Dannhauser, ed. Arthur M. Melzer and Robert P. Kraynak, (Lanham, MD: Lexington Books, 2008).

Farewell to the Godfather

– Christopher Hitchens, "Farewell to the Godfather," Slate, September 20, 2009.

Excerpt: The neoconservative faction, or should we say movement, is generally secular and often associated with the name of Leo Strauss. Kristol was one of those who never minded saying… More

Three Cheers for Irving by David Brooks

– David Brooks, "Three Cheers for Irving," The New York Times, September 21, 2009.

Excerpt: Kristol championed capitalism and wrote brilliantly about Adam Smith. But like Smith, he could only give two cheers for capitalism, because the system of creative destruction has… More

Irving Kristol

– "Irving Kristol," The Economist, September 24, 2009.

Excerpt: Conservatism, Kristol-style, acquired a “neo”. He was always, he mused, a neo-something: neoMarxist, neoliberal, neo-Orthodox (because he believed, though he wasn’t sure… More

The Interested Man

– Nathan Glazer, "The Interested Man," The New Republic, November 4, 2009.

Excerpt: I think back to these early days because it seems to me that Irving was all of a piece, almost from the beginning. No comment on his passing has failed to mention the young… More

The Moral Realism of Irving Kristol by Eric Cohen

– Eric Cohen, "The Moral Realism of Irving Kristol," National Affairs, Winter 2010.

Excerpt: Neoconservatism was, as Kristol always described it, merely a “­persuasion” that tried to “imagine the world as it might be,” but also to “live and… More

Two Cheers for Philanthropy

– Leslie Lenkowsky, "Two Cheers for Philanthropy," Philanthropy, Winter 2010.

Excerpt: In philanthropy as in much else of American life, however, the 1960s challenged older patterns. For foundations, this meant that efforts to change public policy, empower… More

Remembering Irving Kristol

– James Piereson, "Remembering Irving Kristol," The New Criterion, February 2010.

The Neoconservative Persuasion: Selected Essays, 1942-2009

– New York: Basic Books, 2011.

Foreword: In Memoriam: Irving Kristol, 1920-2009: William Kristol Introduction by Gertrude Himmelfarb   I. IN THE BEGINNING . . . : Enquiry Auden: The Quality of Doubt A Christian… More

Beyond Ideology

– James Q. Wilson, "Beyond Ideology," Wall Street Journal, January 21, 2011. (A review of The Neoconservative Persuasion by Irving Kristol.)

Excerpt: The essays in “The Neoconservative Persuasion”—all but one never before brought together in a book—are a remarkable introduction to one of the few people who… More

Irving Kristol and Republican Virtue

– Peter Wehner, "Contentions" blog, Commentary, January 24, 2011.

Excerpt: On C-SPAN’s series After Words, David Brooks hosted an engaging and wide-ranging interview with William Kristol on The Neoconservative Persuasion: Selected Essays 1942-2009,… More

Irving Kristol’s Brute Reason

– Paul Berman, "Irving Kristol's Brute Reason," New York Times Book Review, January 30, 2011.

Excerpt: And, in this new spirit, he plunged into his magnum opus, which, instead of a book, was the constructing of something called “neoconservatism.” This was intended to be a new… More

Irving Kristol’s Neoconservative Persuasion

– Gertrude Himmelfarb, "Irving Kristol's Neoconservative Persuasion," Commentary, February 2011.

Excerpt: Much has been made of the consistency of tone in his writings—bold and speculative but never dogmatic or academic, always personal, witty, ironic. That tone is not only a matter… More

The Neoconservative Persuasion

– Amy Kass, Charles Krauthammer, Irwin Stelzer, Leon Kass, and William Kristol, "The Neoconservative Persuasion" (A panel discussion), February 2, 2011.

The Neoconservative Persuasion: A Tribute to Irving Kristol

– Audio, Video and Transcript.  A Hudson Institute panel, February 2, 2011.

As conservatives try once again to re-envision America’s future and how to secure it, the publication of this volume of previously uncollected essays by Irving Kristol, “the godfather… More

Irving Kristol: “The Neoconservative Persuasion”

– (Interview of William Kristol by David Brooks), Book TV, C-SPAN 2, February 11, 2011.

Mr. Kristol, who wrote the foreword to “The Neoconservative Persuasion,” discusses his late father’s essays on the history of the neoconservative movement. While the… More

The Great Persuader by James W. Ceaser

– James W. Ceaser, "The Great Persuader," The Weekly Standard, February 14, 2011. (A review of The Neoconservative Persuasion by Irving Kristol.)

Excerpt: Of public intellectuals so conceived, there have been only a handful: George Bancroft, whose famous History of the United States and orations sketched out much of the Jacksonian… More

Three Cheers

– Jeremy Rozansky, "Three Cheers," Counterpoint, Winter 2011. (A review of The Neoconservative Persuasion by Irving Kristol.)

“I myself have accepted the term, perhaps, because, having been named Irving, I am relatively indifferent to baptismal caprice.” So said Irving Kristol of having been called a… More

The Flexible Temperament

– James Piereson, "The Flexible Temperament," The New Criterion, March 2010. (A review of The Neoconservative Persuasion by Irving Kristol.)

Excerpt: Kristol’s intellectual contribution was to bring these fundamental ideas into contemporary debates about politics and public policy through his writings in outlets like the Wall… More

The Origins of Neoconservatism

– Harvey Mansfield, "The Origins of Neoconservatism" (An interview with Eli Kozminsky), Harvard Political Review, March 7, 2011.

Excerpt: What did Kristol find so radical, yet conservative, about Strauss? The article in Kristol’s book is a review of Strauss’ Persecution and the Art of Writing, which came out in… More

A Legacy of Temperament

– Roger Kimball, "A Legacy of Temperament," National Review, June 6, 2011. (A review of The Neoconservative Persuasion by Irving Kristol.)

Excerpt: An honest man, said the poet William Blake, may change his opinions, but not his principles. Irving Kristol, who died in September 2009 just shy of 90, embarked on intellectual… More

Irving Kristol, Edmund Burke, and the Rabbis

– Meir Soloveichik, "Irving Kristol, Edmund Burke, and the Rabbis," Jewish Review of Books, Summer 2011. (A review of The Neoconservative Persuasion by Irving Kristol.)

Excerpt: Renowned as a founder of neoconservativism, Irving Kristol was “neo” in other respects as well. “Is there such a thing as a ‘neo’ gene?” he once… More

The Brooklyn Burkeans

– Jonathan Bronitsky, "The Brooklyn Burkeans," National Affairs, Winter 2014.

Excerpt: By the time Kristol and Himmelfarb moved back home to New York in 1958, they were entrenched in the classical-liberal tradition and, therefore, primed to react negatively to the… More

Essays

James Burnham’s “The Machiavellians”

– “James Burnham's 'The Machiavellians'" (as William Ferry), Enquiry, July 1943. (A review of The Machiavellians: Defenders of Freedom by James Burnham.)

Excerpt: The atmosphere, these days, contains a good deal more of what is called ‘realism’ than is usually considered desirable for healthy progress. In some measure this is a… More

The Moral Critic

– “The Moral Critic,” Enquiry, April 1944. (A review of E. M. Forster by Lionel Trilling.)

Excerpt: The liberal flatters himself upon his intentions, problems, “and prefers not to know that the good will generates its own that the love pf humanity has its own vices and the… More

What the Nazi Autopsies Show

– "What the Nazi Autopsies Show," Commentary, September 1948.

Excerpt: The Nazis are human: that is what the psychiatrists tell us. We always knew that, though it does no harm to have it confirmed. But the Nazis are also non-human: that is what we,… More

The Slaughter-Bench of History

– "The Slaughter-Bench of History," Commentary, July 1949. (A review of Faith and History by Reinhold Niebuhr and Meaning in History by Karl Lowitz.)

Excerpt: Judaism is tormented by the fact that the Messiah has not come, while the gas chambers have. Christianity is tormented by the fact that the Messiah did come, almost two thousand… More

God and the Psychoanalysts

– "God and the Psychoanalysts," Commentary, November 1949.

Excerpt: Psychoanalysis was from its very beginnings disrespectful, when not positively hostile, towards all existing religious creeds and institutions. Naturally, the religious… More

Love Affair: Psychoanalysts and Religion

– "Love Affair: Psychoanalysts and Religion," Time, November 14, 1949.

Einstein: The Passion of Pure Reason

– "Einstein: The Passion of Pure Reason," Commentary, September 1950.

Excerpt: Einstein’s new Jewishness was not the result of his discovering a hidden Jewish self. It was, on the contrary, a new means of escaping from his self. The flight to Reason from… More

Two Varieties of Democracy

– "Two Varieties of Democracy," Commentary, September 1952.  (A review of The Rise of Totalitarian Democracy by J. L. Talmon.)

Excerpt: An essential defect of Mr. Talmon’s analysis is that he takes the ideology of “totalitarian democracy” as corresponding to an actual fact. In a sense he is deceived by the… More

The Philosophers’ Hidden Truth

– "The Philosophers' Hidden Truth," Commentary, October 1952.  (A review of Persecution and the Art of Writing by Leo Strauss.)

Excerpt: No doubt, there will be scholars who will respectfully dispute Professor Strauss on just about every point. They will find, as many already know, that he is a most formidable… More

Men of Science – and Conscience

– “Men of Science – and Conscience,” Encounter, October 1953.

The Simple and the True

– “The Simple and the True,” Encounter, February 1954.

Niccolo Machiavelli

– “Niccolo Machiavelli,” Encounter, December 1954.

Excerpt: Since Machiavelli, a dimension has been amputated from man’s political existence.  The operation was a success; but there are stitches and scars, inevitably.  It is in… More

The Judgment of Clio

– “The Judgment of Clio,” Encounter, January 1955.  (A review of Historical Inevitability by Isaiah Berlin.)

“…And People Opening Veins in Baths”

– “'...And People Opening Veins in Baths',” Encounter, May 1956.  (A review of Tacitus on Imperial Rome translated by Michael Graves and Tiberius: A Study in Resentment by Gregorio Maranon.)

Excerpt: We have lost the habit of judging tyrants so harshly, for we are more attentive to their historical roles, their “objective” tasks, than to their human meanings. It is the… More

A Philosophy for Little England

– “A Philosophy for Little England,” Encounter, July 1956.  (A review of Philosophy, Politics, and Society edited by Peter Laslett.)

A Philosophy for Little England?

– “A Philosophy for Little England?” (A reply), Encounter, September 1956.

“A Condition of Mere Nature”

– “'A Condition of Mere Nature',” Encounter, October 1956.  (A review of The Anglo-American Tradition in Foreign Affairs edited by Arnold Wolfers and Lawrence W. Martin.)

Politics, Sacred and Profane

– “Politics, Sacred and Profane,” Encounter, September 1957.  (A review of Battle for the Mind by William Sargent and Captured in Tibet by Robert Ford.)

The Essence of Capitalism

– “The Essence of Capitalism,” Encounter, November 1957. (A review of Polity and Economy by Joseph Cropsey.)

Old Truths and the New Conservatism

– “Old Truths and the New Conservatism,” Yale Review, May 1958.

Excerpt: Now, it may please us to think that everyone is born either a little liberal or a little conservative. It may please us so much, indeed, that we conveniently forget there was a… More

The Conquistadors’ Conscience

– “The Conquistadors' Conscience,” Reporter, September 17, 1959. (A review of Aristotle and the American Indians by Louis Hanke.)

…And a Reply

– “...And a Reply,” Encounter, March 1960.  (Reply to Richard Wollheim. “One Man, One Vote...”)

Keeping Up with Ourselves

– “Keeping Up with Ourselves,” Yale Review, June 1960. (A review of The End of Ideology by Daniel Bell.)

Excerpt: There is no question that terribly important things have happened to America in recent decades; but “the end of ideology” is not one of them, and Mr. Bell’s title… More

A Traitor to His Class?

– "A Traitor to His Class?," Kenyon Review, Summer 1960. (A review of Love and Death in the American Novel by Leslie A. Fielder.)

High, Low, and Modern

– “High, Low, and Modern,” Encounter, August 1960.

Excerpt: It is often said that “mass culture” is the price we pay for democracy. That all depends, of course, on what we mean by democracy. If we mean by democracy nothing… More

Machiavelli and the Profanation of Politics

– “Machiavelli and the Profanation of Politics,” in The Logic of Personal Knowledge: Essays by Various Contributors Presented to Michael Polanyi on His Seventieth Birthday (London: Routledge & Kegan Paul, 1961).

A Treasure for the Future

– "A Treasure for the Future," The New Republic, July 10, 1961. (A review of Between Past and Future:  Six Exercises in Political Thought by Hannah Arendt.)

Excerpt: The subtitle, however, may be misleading. Miss Arendt writes with passion and urgency, and she is a woman of strong political opinions. But she isn’t a political thinker in… More

Democracy and Its Discontents

– “Democracy and Its Discontents,” Harper's, September 1961. (A review of eight books.)

The Idea of Mass Culture

– “The Idea of Mass Culture,” Yale Review, February 1962. (A review of The Political Context of Sociology by Leon Bramson.)

Of Newton Minow and Matthew Arnold

– “Of Newton Minow and Matthew Arnold,” The New Leader, January 7, 1963.

One Man, One Vote

– “One Man, One Vote,” The New Leader, June 24, 1963.

From the Land of the Free to the Big PX

– "From the Land of the Free to the Big PX," New York Times Magazine, December 20, 1964.

What Is the Public Interest?

– "What Is the Public Interest?" (with Daniel Bell), The Public Interest, Fall 1965.

Excerpt: The aim of THE PUBLIC INTEREST is at once modest and presumptuous. It is to help all of us, when we discuss issues of public policy, to know a little better what we are talking… More

One Utopian, One Sensible Way to Reconcile State and Society

– “One Utopian, One Sensible Way to Reconcile State and Society,” Harper's, March 1966. (A review of Freedom Through Power by William Withers and Reclaiming the American Dream by Richard C. Cornuelle.)

New Left, New Right

– "New Left, New Right." The Public Interest, Summer 1966.

First, on all the evidence, the one worst way to cope with this crisis in values is through organized political-ideological action. Most of the hysteria, much of the stupidity, and a good… More

Civil Disobedience Is Not Justified by Vietnam

– “Civil Disobedience Is Not Justified by Vietnam” (A response in a symposium) New York Times Magazine, November 26, 1967.

Advice for Managers from a Florentine Consultant

– “Advice for Managers from a Florentine Consultant,” Fortune, April 1968. (A review of Management and Machiavelli by Jay Anthony.)

Our Shaken Foundations

– “Our Shaken Foundations,” Fortune, July 1968.

A Different Way to Restructure the University

– "A Different Way to Restructure the University," New York Times Magazine, December 8, 1968.

The Improbable Guru of Surrealistic Politics

– “The Improbable Guru of Surrealistic Politics,” Fortune, July 1969. (A review of An Essay on Liberation by Herbert Marcuse.)

American Historians and the Democratic Idea

– "American Historians and the Democratic Idea," American Scholar, Winter 1969-1970.

History and Human Survival

– "History and Human Survival," New York Times, August 2, 1970. (A review of Essays on the Young And Old, Survivors And the Dead, and on Contemporary Psychohistory by Robert Jay Lifton.)

“When Virtue Loses All Her Loveliness”—Some Reflections on Capitalism and “the Free Society”

– "'When Virtue Loses All Her Loveliness’—Some Reflections on Capitalism and 'the Free Society'," The Public Interest, Fall 1970.

Excerpt: I use the word “conservative” advisedly. Though the discontents of our civilization express themselves in the rhetoric of “liberation” and… More

“Capitalism” and “the Free Society”

– "'Capitalism' and 'the Free Society'," (a reply to John K. Jessup), The Public Interest, Winter 1971.

Excerpt: Now, there is only one rejoinder that someone like Jessup can make to this point. It is the libertarian answer given by Hayek and Friedman: what legitimates a “free… More

Pornography, Obscenity and The Case for Censorship

– "Pornography, Obscenity and The Case for Censorship," New York Times Magazine, March 28, 1971.

From Priorities to Goals

– "From Priorities to Goals," The Public Interest, Summer 1971.

Excerpt: Controversies over matters of political philosophy, since they are controversies over fundamental beliefs, are exceedingly dangerous for any nation. They certainly ought not to… More

Welfare: The Best of Intentions, the Worst of Results

– “Welfare: The Best of Intentions, the Worst of Results,” Atlantic, August 1971.

Excerpt: Is it surprising, then, that — unmanned and demoralized — he removes himself from family responsibilities that no longer rest on his shoulders? That he drifts out of… More

A Foolish American Ism – Utopianism

– "A Foolish American Ism – Utopianism," New York Times Magazine, November 14, 1971.

On the Democratic Idea in America

– New York: Harper, 1972.

1. Urban Civilization and its Discontents 2. The Shaking of the Foundations 3. Pornography, Obscenity, and the Case for Censorship 4. American Historians and the Democratic Idea 5. American… More

The Need for a Philosophy of Education

– “The Need for a Philosophy of Education” (remarks originally delivered as part of a conference at Rockefeller University on February 21-22, 1972) in The Idea of a Modern University, ed. Sidney Hook, Paul Kurtz, and Miro Todorovich (New York: Prometheus Books, 1974).

An Urban Civilization without Cities

– “An Urban Civilization without Cities,” Horizon, Autumn 1972.

About Equality

– "About Equality," Commentary, November 1972.

Excerpt: So this, it appears to me, is what the controversy “about equality” is really about. We have an intelligentsia which so despises the ethos of bourgeois society, and which is so… More

Equality and Justice

– "Equality and Justice" (A reply to letters), Commentary, February 1973.

Excerpt: I still do believe that any society has to be governed by a principle of justice which legitimates particular inequalities, and that our own society is having trouble finding such… More

Capitalism, Socialism and Nihilism

– "Capitalism, Socialism and Nihilism," The Public Interest, Spring 1973.

Excerpt: WHENEVER and wherever defenders of “free enterprise,” “individual liberty,” and “a free society” assemble, these days, one senses a peculiar kind of nostalgia in the… More

Utopianism, Ancient and Modern

– “Utopianism, Ancient and Modern,” Imprimus, April 1973.

In Defense of Equality

– Michael Walzer, "In Defense of Equality," Dissent, September 1973.

The American Revolution as a Successful Revolution

– “The American Revolution as a Successful Revolution” (lecture delivered at American Enterprise Institute, October 12, 1973), printed in America's Continuing Revolution: An Act of Conservation (Washington, D.C.: American Enterprise Institute, 1975).

Excerpt: As we approach the bicentennial of the American Revolution, we find ourselves in a paradoxical and embarrassing situation. A celebration of some kind certainly seems to be in… More

Republican Virtue vs. Servile Institutions

– “Republican Virtue vs. Servile Institutions” delivered at and then reprinted by the Poynter Center at Indiana University, May 1974. (Reprinted in The Alternative, February 1975.)

Excerpt: This is a serious matter. For the American democracy today seems really to have no other purpose than to create more and more Scarsdales—to convert the entire nation into a… More

Is Technology a Threat to Liberal Society?

– “Is Technology a Threat to Liberal Society?” (Lecture at Science, Technology and Modern Society symposium of Polytechnic Institute of New York), March 13-14, 1975.

On Conservatism and Capitalism

– “On Conservatism and Capitalism,” Wall Street Journal, September 11, 1975.

On Corporate Capitalism in America

– "On Corporate Capitalism in America," The Public Interest, Fall 1975.

Excerpt: Whether for good or evil—and one can leave this for future historians to debate–the large corporation has gone “quasi-public,” i.e., it now straddles,… More

The High Cost of Equality

– “The High Cost of Equality,” Fortune, November 1975. (A review of Equality and Efficiency: The Big Tradeoff by Arthur Okun.)

Adam Smith and the Spirit of Capitalism

– “Adam Smith and the Spirit of Capitalism,” in The Great Ideas Today, ed. Robert Hutchins and Mortimer Adler (Chicago: Encyclopedia Britannica, 1976).

What Is “Social Justice”?

– ''What Is 'Social Justice'?” Wall Street Journal, August 12, 1976.

What Is a Liberal–Who Is Conservative?

– “What Is a Liberal–Who Is Conservative?” (A symposium), Commentary, September 1976.

On the Unfairness of Life

– “On the Unfairness of Life,” Wall Street Journal, August 16, 1977.

How Equal Can We Be?

– “How Equal Can We Be?” (An interview), Business and Society Review, Fall 1977.

In Memory of Martin Diamond

– “In Memory of Martin Diamond,” The Alternative, October 1977.

Looking Back on Neo-Conservatism: Notes and Reflections

– “Looking Back on Neo-Conservatism: Notes and Reflections,” The American Spectator, November 1977.

Two Cheers for Capitalism

– New York: Basic Books, March 1978.

PART ONE: The Enemy of Being is Having 1. Corporate Capitalism in America 2. Business and the “New Class” 3. Frustrations of Affluence 4. Ideology and Food 5. The… More

The “Human Rights” Muddle

– “The 'Human Rights' Muddle,” Wall Street Journal, March 20, 1978.

Capitalism, Socialism and Democracy

– “Capitalism, Socialism and Democracy” (A symposium), Commentary, April 1978.

Human Nature and Social Reform

– “Human Nature and Social Reform,” Wall Street Journal, September 18, 1978.

Excerpt: What it comes down to is that our reformers simply cannot bring themselves to think realistically about human nature.  They believe it to be not only originally good, but also… More

The Disaffection from Capitalism

– “The Disaffection from Capitalism,” in Capitalism and Socialism: A Theological Inquiry, ed. Michael Novak (Washington, D.C.: American Enterprise Institute, 1979).

The Spiritual Roots of Capitalism and Socialism

– “The Spiritual Roots of Capitalism and Socialism,” in Capitalism and Socialism: A Theological Inquiry, ed. Michael Novak (Washington, D.C.: American Enterprise Institute, 1979).

The Godfather of Neoconservatism (And His Family)

– Geoffrey Norman, "The Godfather of Neoconservatism (And His Family)," Esquire, February 13, 1979.

No Cheers for the Profit Motive

– “No Cheers for the Profit Motive,” Wall Street Journal, February 20, 1979.

Excerpt: It is, in my opinion, as absurd to praise the profit motive—i.e., economic action based on self-interest—as it is to condemn it. The human impulse to such action is, like… More

Business Ethics and Economic Man

– “Business Ethics and Economic Man,” Wall Street Journal, March 20, 1979.

The Adversary Culture of Intellectuals

– “The Adversary Culture of Intellectuals,” Encounter, October 1979.

Confessions of a True, Self-Confessed – Perhaps the Only – Neoconservative

– “Confessions of a True, Self-Confessed – Perhaps the Only – Neoconservative,” Public Opinion, October/November, 1979.

The Goal

– “The Goal,” Encounter, March 1980.

Rationalism in Economics

– "Rationalism in Economics," The Public Interest, Special Issue 1980.

Excerpt: IT is widely conceded that something like a “crisis in economic theory” exists, but there is vehement disagreement about the extent and nature of this crisis. The more… More

The Common Sense of “Human Rights”

– ''The Common Sense of 'Human Rights',” Wall Street Journal, April 8, 1981.

How to Choose Between Dictatorships

– “How to Choose Between Dictatorships,” [London] Times, May 5, 1981.

Reason Interview: Irving Kristol

– "Reason Interview: Irving Kristol," Reason, January 1983.

Reflections of a Neoconservative: Looking Back, Looking Ahead

– New York: Basic Books, October 1983.

I. IN THE BEGINNING… 1. Memoirs of a Trotskyist 2. Memoirs of a “Cold Warrior”   II. THE CULTURE OF DEMOCRATIC CAPITALISM 3. The Adversary Culture of Intellectuals 4.… More

Kristol’s Red Persuasion?

– Robert Lekachman, "Kristol's Red Persuasion?" The Nation, October 29, 1983. (A review of Reflections of a Neoconservative: Looking Back, Looking Ahead by Irving Kristol.)

Excerpt: In sum, at their worst these polemics are diatribes against the world supposedly made by liberals and those to the left of them. At their best, they convey much thoughtful, somber… More

There’ll Never Be a “1984”

– “There'll Never Be a '1984',” Wall Street Journal, December 16, 1983.

A Choice of Blind Alleys

– “A Choice of Blind Alleys,” Times Literary Supplement, November 23, 1984. (A review of Politics and the Pursuit of Happiness by Ghita Ionescu.)

Sidney Hook: Humanist, Pragmatist, Democrat, American

– “Sidney Hook: Humanist, Pragmatist, Democrat, American,” Humanities (Washington, D.C.: National Endowment for the Humanities, 1984.)

The Twisted Vocabulary of Superpower Symmetry

– “The Twisted Vocabulary of Superpower Symmetry” (remarks originally delivered as part of a conference in May 1985), in Scorpions in a Bottle: Dangerous Ideas About the United States and the Soviet Union, ed. Lissa Roche (Hillsdale, MI: Hillsdale College Press, 1986).

“Human Rights”: The Hidden Agenda

– “'Human Rights': The Hidden Agenda,” The National Interest, Winter 1986-87.

Excerpt: A final point: There are some conservative (or non-left) “human rights” activists who feel that this theme can be exploited for purposes of anti-communist and… More

The Spirit of ’87

– "The Spirit of '87," The Public Interest, Winter 1987.

Excerpt: THE AMERICAN CONSTITUTION is a highly paradoxical document. Rhetorically, it is dry, legalistic, lacking in eloquence. Substantively, too, while it may not in fact have been “the… More

The War of the Words

– “The War of the Words,” Wall Street Journal, June 11, 1987.

Virtues and Vices of Democracy

– "Virtues and Vices of Democracy" (A Federalist Society symposium), November 7, 1987.

Religion and the Constitution

– "Religion and the Constitution" (An AEI symposium), December 1, 1987.

The End of History?

– “The End of History?” (A symposium), The National Interest, Summer 1989.

Some Kindergarten Remediation

– “Some Kindergarten Remediation,” Wall Street Journal, June 22, 1989.

On the Character of American Political Order

– “On the Character of American Political Order,” In The Promise of American Politics: Principles and Practice after Two Hundred Years, ed. Robert Utley (New York: University Press of America, 1989).

Foreword to Resonant Lives: 50 Figures of Consequence

– Foreword to Resonant Lives: 50 Figures of Consequence by Paul Greenberg (Washington, D.C.: Ethics and Public Policy Center, 1991).

Standing Room Only

– “Standing Room Only,” Times Literary Supplement, July 12, 1991. (A review of American Citizenship: The Quest for Inclusion by Judith Shklar.)

Interview with Tom Bethell

– Interview with Tom Bethell, American Spectator, December 1991.

Excerpt: “The Democratic party is falling apart,” he said. “Which is lucky for us. It’s completely out of sync with the public. What’s happening to the… More

The Capitalist Future

– “The Capitalist Future” (AEI Francis Boyer Lecture), December 4, 1991.

The Capitalist Future

– “The Capitalist Future,” Francis Boyer Lecture at the American Enterprise Institute, December 4, 1991.

Excerpt: This cultural nihilism will have, in the short term, only a limited political effect—short of a massive, enduring economic crisis. The reason it will not happen—this is still… More

Toasts and Remarks Delivered at a Dinner in Honor of Irving Kristol on His Seventy-fifth Birthday

– Christopher DeMuth, George Will, Walter Berns, Midge Decter, Charles Krauthammer, Daniel Patrick Moynihan, and William Kristol, "Toasts and Remarks Delivered at a Dinner in Honor of Irving Kristol on His Seventy-fifth Birthday," The American Enterprise Institute, January 21, 1995.

Excerpt: If what is called neoconservatism is by now an institution of sorts, it truly is what Emerson said institutions are–the lengthening shadow of a man. And the man is Irving… More

A Man without Footnotes

– Nathan Glazer, "A Man without Footnotes," in The Neoconservative Imagination: Essays in Honor of Irving Kristol, ed. Christopher DeMuth and William Kristol, (Washington, DC: AEI Press, 1995).

Irving Kristol’s Moral Realism

– Philip Selznick, "Irving Kristol's Moral Realism," in The Neoconservative Imagination: Essays in Honor of Irving Kristol, ed. Christopher DeMuth and William Kristol, (Washington, DC: AEI Press, 1995).

A Letter from Paris

– H. J. Kaplan, "A Letter from Paris," in The Neoconservative Imagination: Essays in Honor of Irving Kristol, ed. Christopher DeMuth and William Kristol, (Washington, DC: AEI Press, 1995).

The Common Man’s Uncommon Intellectual

– Michael S. Joyce, "The Common Man's Uncommon Intellectual," in The Neoconservative Imagination: Essays in Honor of Irving Kristol, ed. Christopher DeMuth and William Kristol, (Washington, DC: AEI Press, 1995).

Twice Chosen: Irving Kristol as American

– Michael Novak, "Twice Chosen: Irving Kristol as American," in The Neoconservative Imagination: Essays in Honor of Irving Kristol, ed. Christopher DeMuth and William Kristol, (Washington, DC: AEI Press, 1995).

The Need for Piety and Law: A Kristol-Clear Case

– Leon R. Kass, "The Need for Piety and Law: A Kristol-Clear Case," in The Neoconservative Imagination: Essays in Honor of Irving Kristol, ed. Christopher DeMuth and William Kristol, (Washington, DC: AEI Press, 1995).

Reflections of a Neoconservative Disciple

– Mark Gerson, "Reflections of a Neoconservative Disciple," in The Neoconservative Imagination: Essays in Honor of Irving Kristol, ed. Christopher DeMuth and William Kristol, (Washington, DC: AEI Press, 1995).

Neoconservatism: The Autobiography of an Idea

– New York: Free Press, 1995.

SECTION I 1. An Autobiographical Memoir   SECTION II: RACE, SEX, AND FAMILY 2. Welfare: The Best of Intentions, the Worst of Results 3. The Tragedy of “Multiculturalism” 4.… More

Booknotes

– "Booknotes" (An interview with Brian Lamb), September 5, 1995.

America’s “Exceptional” Conservatism

– “America’s ‘Exceptional’ Conservatism” from Neoconservatism: The Autobiography of an Idea, (New York, NY: The Free Press, 1995).

An Autobiographical Memoir

– “An Autobiographical Memoir” from Neoconservatism: The Autobiography of an Idea, (New York, NY: The Free Press, 1995).

Excerpt: Is there such a thing as a “neo” gene? I ask that question because, looking back over a lifetime of my opinions, I am struck by the fact that they all quality as “neo.” I… More

Godfather

– Wilfred M. McClay, "Godfather," Commentary, February 1996. (A review of Neoconservatism: The Autobiography of an Idea by Irving Kristol.)

Excerpt: Perhaps, then, there is another sense in which Kristol deserves the appellation of “godfather.” Ever since the appearance of Mario Puzo’s book of that title, there has been a… More

The Right Stuff

– “The Right Stuff,” Prospect, October 1996.

Excerpt: I remember the day very well, back in 1956, when I arrived at my office at Encounter-of which I was then co-editor-and found on my desk an unsolicited manuscript by Michael… More

The Family Way

– Jacob Weisberg, "The Family Way," The New Yorker, October 21 & 28, 1996.

Excerpt: Someone imperfectly versed in the idiosyncrasies of American political life might have found Irving Kristol’s seventy-fifth-birthday party a bit peculiar. Gathered to… More

Machiavelli for Moderns

– "Machiavelli for Moderns" (An introduction to an AEI lecture by Michael Ledeen), May 12, 1997.

Arguing the World

– "Arguing the World" (A documentary), written and directed by Joseph Dorman, January 7, 1998.

Is Technology a Threat to Society?

– "Is Technology a Threat to Society?" The Public Interest, Spring 2001.

Excerpt: I think there is some loose thinking about this whole problem of scientists, engineers, and their social responsibilities. When scientists say they want to live up to their social… More

Book Discussion on “On Two Wings”

– "Book Discussion on On Two Wings" (An AEI symposium), December 4, 2001.

Book Discussion on “Heaven on Earth”

– "Book Discussion on Heaven on Earth" (An AEI symposium), April 22, 2002

The Neoconservative Persuasion: What It Was, and What It Is

– "The Neoconservative Persuasion: What It Was, and What It Is,"  The Weekly Standard, August 25, 2003.

Excerpt: Viewed in this way, one can say that the historical task and political purpose of neoconservatism would seem to be this: to convert the Republican party, and American conservatism… More

My “Public Interest”

– "My 'Public Interest'," The Weekly Standard, December 18, 2006.

Excerpt: In 1965, through a series of circumstances that need not be recounted here, the stars became properly aligned so that my wish could become a reality. Dan Bell and I were able to… More

Irving Kristol, Norman Podhoretz, and the Jewish Religion

– Allan Arkush, "Irving Kristol, Norman Podhoretz, and the Jewish Religion," in Reason, Faith, and Politics: Essays in Honor of Werner J. Dannhauser, ed. Arthur M. Melzer and Robert P. Kraynak, (Lanham, MD: Lexington Books, 2008).

Farewell to the Godfather

– Christopher Hitchens, "Farewell to the Godfather," Slate, September 20, 2009.

Excerpt: The neoconservative faction, or should we say movement, is generally secular and often associated with the name of Leo Strauss. Kristol was one of those who never minded saying… More

Three Cheers for Irving by David Brooks

– David Brooks, "Three Cheers for Irving," The New York Times, September 21, 2009.

Excerpt: Kristol championed capitalism and wrote brilliantly about Adam Smith. But like Smith, he could only give two cheers for capitalism, because the system of creative destruction has… More

Irving Kristol

– "Irving Kristol," The Economist, September 24, 2009.

Excerpt: Conservatism, Kristol-style, acquired a “neo”. He was always, he mused, a neo-something: neoMarxist, neoliberal, neo-Orthodox (because he believed, though he wasn’t sure… More

The Interested Man

– Nathan Glazer, "The Interested Man," The New Republic, November 4, 2009.

Excerpt: I think back to these early days because it seems to me that Irving was all of a piece, almost from the beginning. No comment on his passing has failed to mention the young… More

The Moral Realism of Irving Kristol by Eric Cohen

– Eric Cohen, "The Moral Realism of Irving Kristol," National Affairs, Winter 2010.

Excerpt: Neoconservatism was, as Kristol always described it, merely a “­persuasion” that tried to “imagine the world as it might be,” but also to “live and… More

Two Cheers for Philanthropy

– Leslie Lenkowsky, "Two Cheers for Philanthropy," Philanthropy, Winter 2010.

Excerpt: In philanthropy as in much else of American life, however, the 1960s challenged older patterns. For foundations, this meant that efforts to change public policy, empower… More

Remembering Irving Kristol

– James Piereson, "Remembering Irving Kristol," The New Criterion, February 2010.

The Neoconservative Persuasion: Selected Essays, 1942-2009

– New York: Basic Books, 2011.

Foreword: In Memoriam: Irving Kristol, 1920-2009: William Kristol Introduction by Gertrude Himmelfarb   I. IN THE BEGINNING . . . : Enquiry Auden: The Quality of Doubt A Christian… More

Beyond Ideology

– James Q. Wilson, "Beyond Ideology," Wall Street Journal, January 21, 2011. (A review of The Neoconservative Persuasion by Irving Kristol.)

Excerpt: The essays in “The Neoconservative Persuasion”—all but one never before brought together in a book—are a remarkable introduction to one of the few people who… More

Irving Kristol and Republican Virtue

– Peter Wehner, "Contentions" blog, Commentary, January 24, 2011.

Excerpt: On C-SPAN’s series After Words, David Brooks hosted an engaging and wide-ranging interview with William Kristol on The Neoconservative Persuasion: Selected Essays 1942-2009,… More

Irving Kristol’s Brute Reason

– Paul Berman, "Irving Kristol's Brute Reason," New York Times Book Review, January 30, 2011.

Excerpt: And, in this new spirit, he plunged into his magnum opus, which, instead of a book, was the constructing of something called “neoconservatism.” This was intended to be a new… More

Irving Kristol’s Neoconservative Persuasion

– Gertrude Himmelfarb, "Irving Kristol's Neoconservative Persuasion," Commentary, February 2011.

Excerpt: Much has been made of the consistency of tone in his writings—bold and speculative but never dogmatic or academic, always personal, witty, ironic. That tone is not only a matter… More

The Neoconservative Persuasion

– Amy Kass, Charles Krauthammer, Irwin Stelzer, Leon Kass, and William Kristol, "The Neoconservative Persuasion" (A panel discussion), February 2, 2011.

The Neoconservative Persuasion: A Tribute to Irving Kristol

– Audio, Video and Transcript.  A Hudson Institute panel, February 2, 2011.

As conservatives try once again to re-envision America’s future and how to secure it, the publication of this volume of previously uncollected essays by Irving Kristol, “the godfather… More

Irving Kristol: “The Neoconservative Persuasion”

– (Interview of William Kristol by David Brooks), Book TV, C-SPAN 2, February 11, 2011.

Mr. Kristol, who wrote the foreword to “The Neoconservative Persuasion,” discusses his late father’s essays on the history of the neoconservative movement. While the… More

The Great Persuader by James W. Ceaser

– James W. Ceaser, "The Great Persuader," The Weekly Standard, February 14, 2011. (A review of The Neoconservative Persuasion by Irving Kristol.)

Excerpt: Of public intellectuals so conceived, there have been only a handful: George Bancroft, whose famous History of the United States and orations sketched out much of the Jacksonian… More

Three Cheers

– Jeremy Rozansky, "Three Cheers," Counterpoint, Winter 2011. (A review of The Neoconservative Persuasion by Irving Kristol.)

“I myself have accepted the term, perhaps, because, having been named Irving, I am relatively indifferent to baptismal caprice.” So said Irving Kristol of having been called a… More

The Flexible Temperament

– James Piereson, "The Flexible Temperament," The New Criterion, March 2010. (A review of The Neoconservative Persuasion by Irving Kristol.)

Excerpt: Kristol’s intellectual contribution was to bring these fundamental ideas into contemporary debates about politics and public policy through his writings in outlets like the Wall… More

The Origins of Neoconservatism

– Harvey Mansfield, "The Origins of Neoconservatism" (An interview with Eli Kozminsky), Harvard Political Review, March 7, 2011.

Excerpt: What did Kristol find so radical, yet conservative, about Strauss? The article in Kristol’s book is a review of Strauss’ Persecution and the Art of Writing, which came out in… More

A Legacy of Temperament

– Roger Kimball, "A Legacy of Temperament," National Review, June 6, 2011. (A review of The Neoconservative Persuasion by Irving Kristol.)

Excerpt: An honest man, said the poet William Blake, may change his opinions, but not his principles. Irving Kristol, who died in September 2009 just shy of 90, embarked on intellectual… More

Irving Kristol, Edmund Burke, and the Rabbis

– Meir Soloveichik, "Irving Kristol, Edmund Burke, and the Rabbis," Jewish Review of Books, Summer 2011. (A review of The Neoconservative Persuasion by Irving Kristol.)

Excerpt: Renowned as a founder of neoconservativism, Irving Kristol was “neo” in other respects as well. “Is there such a thing as a ‘neo’ gene?” he once… More

The Brooklyn Burkeans

– Jonathan Bronitsky, "The Brooklyn Burkeans," National Affairs, Winter 2014.

Excerpt: By the time Kristol and Himmelfarb moved back home to New York in 1958, they were entrenched in the classical-liberal tradition and, therefore, primed to react negatively to the… More

Commentary

James Burnham’s “The Machiavellians”

– “James Burnham's 'The Machiavellians'" (as William Ferry), Enquiry, July 1943. (A review of The Machiavellians: Defenders of Freedom by James Burnham.)

Excerpt: The atmosphere, these days, contains a good deal more of what is called ‘realism’ than is usually considered desirable for healthy progress. In some measure this is a… More

The Moral Critic

– “The Moral Critic,” Enquiry, April 1944. (A review of E. M. Forster by Lionel Trilling.)

Excerpt: The liberal flatters himself upon his intentions, problems, “and prefers not to know that the good will generates its own that the love pf humanity has its own vices and the… More

What the Nazi Autopsies Show

– "What the Nazi Autopsies Show," Commentary, September 1948.

Excerpt: The Nazis are human: that is what the psychiatrists tell us. We always knew that, though it does no harm to have it confirmed. But the Nazis are also non-human: that is what we,… More

The Slaughter-Bench of History

– "The Slaughter-Bench of History," Commentary, July 1949. (A review of Faith and History by Reinhold Niebuhr and Meaning in History by Karl Lowitz.)

Excerpt: Judaism is tormented by the fact that the Messiah has not come, while the gas chambers have. Christianity is tormented by the fact that the Messiah did come, almost two thousand… More

God and the Psychoanalysts

– "God and the Psychoanalysts," Commentary, November 1949.

Excerpt: Psychoanalysis was from its very beginnings disrespectful, when not positively hostile, towards all existing religious creeds and institutions. Naturally, the religious… More

Love Affair: Psychoanalysts and Religion

– "Love Affair: Psychoanalysts and Religion," Time, November 14, 1949.

Einstein: The Passion of Pure Reason

– "Einstein: The Passion of Pure Reason," Commentary, September 1950.

Excerpt: Einstein’s new Jewishness was not the result of his discovering a hidden Jewish self. It was, on the contrary, a new means of escaping from his self. The flight to Reason from… More

Two Varieties of Democracy

– "Two Varieties of Democracy," Commentary, September 1952.  (A review of The Rise of Totalitarian Democracy by J. L. Talmon.)

Excerpt: An essential defect of Mr. Talmon’s analysis is that he takes the ideology of “totalitarian democracy” as corresponding to an actual fact. In a sense he is deceived by the… More

The Philosophers’ Hidden Truth

– "The Philosophers' Hidden Truth," Commentary, October 1952.  (A review of Persecution and the Art of Writing by Leo Strauss.)

Excerpt: No doubt, there will be scholars who will respectfully dispute Professor Strauss on just about every point. They will find, as many already know, that he is a most formidable… More

Men of Science – and Conscience

– “Men of Science – and Conscience,” Encounter, October 1953.

The Simple and the True

– “The Simple and the True,” Encounter, February 1954.

Niccolo Machiavelli

– “Niccolo Machiavelli,” Encounter, December 1954.

Excerpt: Since Machiavelli, a dimension has been amputated from man’s political existence.  The operation was a success; but there are stitches and scars, inevitably.  It is in… More

The Judgment of Clio

– “The Judgment of Clio,” Encounter, January 1955.  (A review of Historical Inevitability by Isaiah Berlin.)

“…And People Opening Veins in Baths”

– “'...And People Opening Veins in Baths',” Encounter, May 1956.  (A review of Tacitus on Imperial Rome translated by Michael Graves and Tiberius: A Study in Resentment by Gregorio Maranon.)

Excerpt: We have lost the habit of judging tyrants so harshly, for we are more attentive to their historical roles, their “objective” tasks, than to their human meanings. It is the… More

A Philosophy for Little England

– “A Philosophy for Little England,” Encounter, July 1956.  (A review of Philosophy, Politics, and Society edited by Peter Laslett.)

A Philosophy for Little England?

– “A Philosophy for Little England?” (A reply), Encounter, September 1956.

“A Condition of Mere Nature”

– “'A Condition of Mere Nature',” Encounter, October 1956.  (A review of The Anglo-American Tradition in Foreign Affairs edited by Arnold Wolfers and Lawrence W. Martin.)

Politics, Sacred and Profane

– “Politics, Sacred and Profane,” Encounter, September 1957.  (A review of Battle for the Mind by William Sargent and Captured in Tibet by Robert Ford.)

The Essence of Capitalism

– “The Essence of Capitalism,” Encounter, November 1957. (A review of Polity and Economy by Joseph Cropsey.)

Old Truths and the New Conservatism

– “Old Truths and the New Conservatism,” Yale Review, May 1958.

Excerpt: Now, it may please us to think that everyone is born either a little liberal or a little conservative. It may please us so much, indeed, that we conveniently forget there was a… More

The Conquistadors’ Conscience

– “The Conquistadors' Conscience,” Reporter, September 17, 1959. (A review of Aristotle and the American Indians by Louis Hanke.)

…And a Reply

– “...And a Reply,” Encounter, March 1960.  (Reply to Richard Wollheim. “One Man, One Vote...”)

Keeping Up with Ourselves

– “Keeping Up with Ourselves,” Yale Review, June 1960. (A review of The End of Ideology by Daniel Bell.)

Excerpt: There is no question that terribly important things have happened to America in recent decades; but “the end of ideology” is not one of them, and Mr. Bell’s title… More

A Traitor to His Class?

– "A Traitor to His Class?," Kenyon Review, Summer 1960. (A review of Love and Death in the American Novel by Leslie A. Fielder.)

High, Low, and Modern

– “High, Low, and Modern,” Encounter, August 1960.

Excerpt: It is often said that “mass culture” is the price we pay for democracy. That all depends, of course, on what we mean by democracy. If we mean by democracy nothing… More

Machiavelli and the Profanation of Politics

– “Machiavelli and the Profanation of Politics,” in The Logic of Personal Knowledge: Essays by Various Contributors Presented to Michael Polanyi on His Seventieth Birthday (London: Routledge & Kegan Paul, 1961).

A Treasure for the Future

– "A Treasure for the Future," The New Republic, July 10, 1961. (A review of Between Past and Future:  Six Exercises in Political Thought by Hannah Arendt.)

Excerpt: The subtitle, however, may be misleading. Miss Arendt writes with passion and urgency, and she is a woman of strong political opinions. But she isn’t a political thinker in… More

Democracy and Its Discontents

– “Democracy and Its Discontents,” Harper's, September 1961. (A review of eight books.)

The Idea of Mass Culture

– “The Idea of Mass Culture,” Yale Review, February 1962. (A review of The Political Context of Sociology by Leon Bramson.)

Of Newton Minow and Matthew Arnold

– “Of Newton Minow and Matthew Arnold,” The New Leader, January 7, 1963.

One Man, One Vote

– “One Man, One Vote,” The New Leader, June 24, 1963.

From the Land of the Free to the Big PX

– "From the Land of the Free to the Big PX," New York Times Magazine, December 20, 1964.

What Is the Public Interest?

– "What Is the Public Interest?" (with Daniel Bell), The Public Interest, Fall 1965.

Excerpt: The aim of THE PUBLIC INTEREST is at once modest and presumptuous. It is to help all of us, when we discuss issues of public policy, to know a little better what we are talking… More

One Utopian, One Sensible Way to Reconcile State and Society

– “One Utopian, One Sensible Way to Reconcile State and Society,” Harper's, March 1966. (A review of Freedom Through Power by William Withers and Reclaiming the American Dream by Richard C. Cornuelle.)

New Left, New Right

– "New Left, New Right." The Public Interest, Summer 1966.

First, on all the evidence, the one worst way to cope with this crisis in values is through organized political-ideological action. Most of the hysteria, much of the stupidity, and a good… More

Civil Disobedience Is Not Justified by Vietnam

– “Civil Disobedience Is Not Justified by Vietnam” (A response in a symposium) New York Times Magazine, November 26, 1967.

Advice for Managers from a Florentine Consultant

– “Advice for Managers from a Florentine Consultant,” Fortune, April 1968. (A review of Management and Machiavelli by Jay Anthony.)

Our Shaken Foundations

– “Our Shaken Foundations,” Fortune, July 1968.

A Different Way to Restructure the University

– "A Different Way to Restructure the University," New York Times Magazine, December 8, 1968.

The Improbable Guru of Surrealistic Politics

– “The Improbable Guru of Surrealistic Politics,” Fortune, July 1969. (A review of An Essay on Liberation by Herbert Marcuse.)

American Historians and the Democratic Idea

– "American Historians and the Democratic Idea," American Scholar, Winter 1969-1970.

History and Human Survival

– "History and Human Survival," New York Times, August 2, 1970. (A review of Essays on the Young And Old, Survivors And the Dead, and on Contemporary Psychohistory by Robert Jay Lifton.)

“When Virtue Loses All Her Loveliness”—Some Reflections on Capitalism and “the Free Society”

– "'When Virtue Loses All Her Loveliness’—Some Reflections on Capitalism and 'the Free Society'," The Public Interest, Fall 1970.

Excerpt: I use the word “conservative” advisedly. Though the discontents of our civilization express themselves in the rhetoric of “liberation” and… More

“Capitalism” and “the Free Society”

– "'Capitalism' and 'the Free Society'," (a reply to John K. Jessup), The Public Interest, Winter 1971.

Excerpt: Now, there is only one rejoinder that someone like Jessup can make to this point. It is the libertarian answer given by Hayek and Friedman: what legitimates a “free… More

Pornography, Obscenity and The Case for Censorship

– "Pornography, Obscenity and The Case for Censorship," New York Times Magazine, March 28, 1971.

From Priorities to Goals

– "From Priorities to Goals," The Public Interest, Summer 1971.

Excerpt: Controversies over matters of political philosophy, since they are controversies over fundamental beliefs, are exceedingly dangerous for any nation. They certainly ought not to… More

Welfare: The Best of Intentions, the Worst of Results

– “Welfare: The Best of Intentions, the Worst of Results,” Atlantic, August 1971.

Excerpt: Is it surprising, then, that — unmanned and demoralized — he removes himself from family responsibilities that no longer rest on his shoulders? That he drifts out of… More

A Foolish American Ism – Utopianism

– "A Foolish American Ism – Utopianism," New York Times Magazine, November 14, 1971.

On the Democratic Idea in America

– New York: Harper, 1972.

1. Urban Civilization and its Discontents 2. The Shaking of the Foundations 3. Pornography, Obscenity, and the Case for Censorship 4. American Historians and the Democratic Idea 5. American… More

The Need for a Philosophy of Education

– “The Need for a Philosophy of Education” (remarks originally delivered as part of a conference at Rockefeller University on February 21-22, 1972) in The Idea of a Modern University, ed. Sidney Hook, Paul Kurtz, and Miro Todorovich (New York: Prometheus Books, 1974).

An Urban Civilization without Cities

– “An Urban Civilization without Cities,” Horizon, Autumn 1972.

About Equality

– "About Equality," Commentary, November 1972.

Excerpt: So this, it appears to me, is what the controversy “about equality” is really about. We have an intelligentsia which so despises the ethos of bourgeois society, and which is so… More

Equality and Justice

– "Equality and Justice" (A reply to letters), Commentary, February 1973.

Excerpt: I still do believe that any society has to be governed by a principle of justice which legitimates particular inequalities, and that our own society is having trouble finding such… More

Capitalism, Socialism and Nihilism

– "Capitalism, Socialism and Nihilism," The Public Interest, Spring 1973.

Excerpt: WHENEVER and wherever defenders of “free enterprise,” “individual liberty,” and “a free society” assemble, these days, one senses a peculiar kind of nostalgia in the… More

Utopianism, Ancient and Modern

– “Utopianism, Ancient and Modern,” Imprimus, April 1973.

In Defense of Equality

– Michael Walzer, "In Defense of Equality," Dissent, September 1973.

The American Revolution as a Successful Revolution

– “The American Revolution as a Successful Revolution” (lecture delivered at American Enterprise Institute, October 12, 1973), printed in America's Continuing Revolution: An Act of Conservation (Washington, D.C.: American Enterprise Institute, 1975).

Excerpt: As we approach the bicentennial of the American Revolution, we find ourselves in a paradoxical and embarrassing situation. A celebration of some kind certainly seems to be in… More

Republican Virtue vs. Servile Institutions

– “Republican Virtue vs. Servile Institutions” delivered at and then reprinted by the Poynter Center at Indiana University, May 1974. (Reprinted in The Alternative, February 1975.)

Excerpt: This is a serious matter. For the American democracy today seems really to have no other purpose than to create more and more Scarsdales—to convert the entire nation into a… More

Is Technology a Threat to Liberal Society?

– “Is Technology a Threat to Liberal Society?” (Lecture at Science, Technology and Modern Society symposium of Polytechnic Institute of New York), March 13-14, 1975.

On Conservatism and Capitalism

– “On Conservatism and Capitalism,” Wall Street Journal, September 11, 1975.

On Corporate Capitalism in America

– "On Corporate Capitalism in America," The Public Interest, Fall 1975.

Excerpt: Whether for good or evil—and one can leave this for future historians to debate–the large corporation has gone “quasi-public,” i.e., it now straddles,… More

The High Cost of Equality

– “The High Cost of Equality,” Fortune, November 1975. (A review of Equality and Efficiency: The Big Tradeoff by Arthur Okun.)

Adam Smith and the Spirit of Capitalism

– “Adam Smith and the Spirit of Capitalism,” in The Great Ideas Today, ed. Robert Hutchins and Mortimer Adler (Chicago: Encyclopedia Britannica, 1976).

What Is “Social Justice”?

– ''What Is 'Social Justice'?” Wall Street Journal, August 12, 1976.

What Is a Liberal–Who Is Conservative?

– “What Is a Liberal–Who Is Conservative?” (A symposium), Commentary, September 1976.

On the Unfairness of Life

– “On the Unfairness of Life,” Wall Street Journal, August 16, 1977.

How Equal Can We Be?

– “How Equal Can We Be?” (An interview), Business and Society Review, Fall 1977.

In Memory of Martin Diamond

– “In Memory of Martin Diamond,” The Alternative, October 1977.

Looking Back on Neo-Conservatism: Notes and Reflections

– “Looking Back on Neo-Conservatism: Notes and Reflections,” The American Spectator, November 1977.

Two Cheers for Capitalism

– New York: Basic Books, March 1978.

PART ONE: The Enemy of Being is Having 1. Corporate Capitalism in America 2. Business and the “New Class” 3. Frustrations of Affluence 4. Ideology and Food 5. The… More

The “Human Rights” Muddle

– “The 'Human Rights' Muddle,” Wall Street Journal, March 20, 1978.

Capitalism, Socialism and Democracy

– “Capitalism, Socialism and Democracy” (A symposium), Commentary, April 1978.

Human Nature and Social Reform

– “Human Nature and Social Reform,” Wall Street Journal, September 18, 1978.

Excerpt: What it comes down to is that our reformers simply cannot bring themselves to think realistically about human nature.  They believe it to be not only originally good, but also… More

The Disaffection from Capitalism

– “The Disaffection from Capitalism,” in Capitalism and Socialism: A Theological Inquiry, ed. Michael Novak (Washington, D.C.: American Enterprise Institute, 1979).

The Spiritual Roots of Capitalism and Socialism

– “The Spiritual Roots of Capitalism and Socialism,” in Capitalism and Socialism: A Theological Inquiry, ed. Michael Novak (Washington, D.C.: American Enterprise Institute, 1979).

The Godfather of Neoconservatism (And His Family)

– Geoffrey Norman, "The Godfather of Neoconservatism (And His Family)," Esquire, February 13, 1979.

No Cheers for the Profit Motive

– “No Cheers for the Profit Motive,” Wall Street Journal, February 20, 1979.

Excerpt: It is, in my opinion, as absurd to praise the profit motive—i.e., economic action based on self-interest—as it is to condemn it. The human impulse to such action is, like… More

Business Ethics and Economic Man

– “Business Ethics and Economic Man,” Wall Street Journal, March 20, 1979.

The Adversary Culture of Intellectuals

– “The Adversary Culture of Intellectuals,” Encounter, October 1979.

Confessions of a True, Self-Confessed – Perhaps the Only – Neoconservative

– “Confessions of a True, Self-Confessed – Perhaps the Only – Neoconservative,” Public Opinion, October/November, 1979.

The Goal

– “The Goal,” Encounter, March 1980.

Rationalism in Economics

– "Rationalism in Economics," The Public Interest, Special Issue 1980.

Excerpt: IT is widely conceded that something like a “crisis in economic theory” exists, but there is vehement disagreement about the extent and nature of this crisis. The more… More

The Common Sense of “Human Rights”

– ''The Common Sense of 'Human Rights',” Wall Street Journal, April 8, 1981.

How to Choose Between Dictatorships

– “How to Choose Between Dictatorships,” [London] Times, May 5, 1981.

Reason Interview: Irving Kristol

– "Reason Interview: Irving Kristol," Reason, January 1983.

Reflections of a Neoconservative: Looking Back, Looking Ahead

– New York: Basic Books, October 1983.

I. IN THE BEGINNING… 1. Memoirs of a Trotskyist 2. Memoirs of a “Cold Warrior”   II. THE CULTURE OF DEMOCRATIC CAPITALISM 3. The Adversary Culture of Intellectuals 4.… More

Kristol’s Red Persuasion?

– Robert Lekachman, "Kristol's Red Persuasion?" The Nation, October 29, 1983. (A review of Reflections of a Neoconservative: Looking Back, Looking Ahead by Irving Kristol.)

Excerpt: In sum, at their worst these polemics are diatribes against the world supposedly made by liberals and those to the left of them. At their best, they convey much thoughtful, somber… More

There’ll Never Be a “1984”

– “There'll Never Be a '1984',” Wall Street Journal, December 16, 1983.

A Choice of Blind Alleys

– “A Choice of Blind Alleys,” Times Literary Supplement, November 23, 1984. (A review of Politics and the Pursuit of Happiness by Ghita Ionescu.)

Sidney Hook: Humanist, Pragmatist, Democrat, American

– “Sidney Hook: Humanist, Pragmatist, Democrat, American,” Humanities (Washington, D.C.: National Endowment for the Humanities, 1984.)

The Twisted Vocabulary of Superpower Symmetry

– “The Twisted Vocabulary of Superpower Symmetry” (remarks originally delivered as part of a conference in May 1985), in Scorpions in a Bottle: Dangerous Ideas About the United States and the Soviet Union, ed. Lissa Roche (Hillsdale, MI: Hillsdale College Press, 1986).

“Human Rights”: The Hidden Agenda

– “'Human Rights': The Hidden Agenda,” The National Interest, Winter 1986-87.

Excerpt: A final point: There are some conservative (or non-left) “human rights” activists who feel that this theme can be exploited for purposes of anti-communist and… More

The Spirit of ’87

– "The Spirit of '87," The Public Interest, Winter 1987.

Excerpt: THE AMERICAN CONSTITUTION is a highly paradoxical document. Rhetorically, it is dry, legalistic, lacking in eloquence. Substantively, too, while it may not in fact have been “the… More

The War of the Words

– “The War of the Words,” Wall Street Journal, June 11, 1987.

Virtues and Vices of Democracy

– "Virtues and Vices of Democracy" (A Federalist Society symposium), November 7, 1987.

Religion and the Constitution

– "Religion and the Constitution" (An AEI symposium), December 1, 1987.

The End of History?

– “The End of History?” (A symposium), The National Interest, Summer 1989.

Some Kindergarten Remediation

– “Some Kindergarten Remediation,” Wall Street Journal, June 22, 1989.

On the Character of American Political Order

– “On the Character of American Political Order,” In The Promise of American Politics: Principles and Practice after Two Hundred Years, ed. Robert Utley (New York: University Press of America, 1989).

Foreword to Resonant Lives: 50 Figures of Consequence

– Foreword to Resonant Lives: 50 Figures of Consequence by Paul Greenberg (Washington, D.C.: Ethics and Public Policy Center, 1991).

Standing Room Only

– “Standing Room Only,” Times Literary Supplement, July 12, 1991. (A review of American Citizenship: The Quest for Inclusion by Judith Shklar.)

Interview with Tom Bethell

– Interview with Tom Bethell, American Spectator, December 1991.

Excerpt: “The Democratic party is falling apart,” he said. “Which is lucky for us. It’s completely out of sync with the public. What’s happening to the… More

The Capitalist Future

– “The Capitalist Future” (AEI Francis Boyer Lecture), December 4, 1991.

The Capitalist Future

– “The Capitalist Future,” Francis Boyer Lecture at the American Enterprise Institute, December 4, 1991.

Excerpt: This cultural nihilism will have, in the short term, only a limited political effect—short of a massive, enduring economic crisis. The reason it will not happen—this is still… More

Toasts and Remarks Delivered at a Dinner in Honor of Irving Kristol on His Seventy-fifth Birthday

– Christopher DeMuth, George Will, Walter Berns, Midge Decter, Charles Krauthammer, Daniel Patrick Moynihan, and William Kristol, "Toasts and Remarks Delivered at a Dinner in Honor of Irving Kristol on His Seventy-fifth Birthday," The American Enterprise Institute, January 21, 1995.

Excerpt: If what is called neoconservatism is by now an institution of sorts, it truly is what Emerson said institutions are–the lengthening shadow of a man. And the man is Irving… More

A Man without Footnotes

– Nathan Glazer, "A Man without Footnotes," in The Neoconservative Imagination: Essays in Honor of Irving Kristol, ed. Christopher DeMuth and William Kristol, (Washington, DC: AEI Press, 1995).

Irving Kristol’s Moral Realism

– Philip Selznick, "Irving Kristol's Moral Realism," in The Neoconservative Imagination: Essays in Honor of Irving Kristol, ed. Christopher DeMuth and William Kristol, (Washington, DC: AEI Press, 1995).

A Letter from Paris

– H. J. Kaplan, "A Letter from Paris," in The Neoconservative Imagination: Essays in Honor of Irving Kristol, ed. Christopher DeMuth and William Kristol, (Washington, DC: AEI Press, 1995).

The Common Man’s Uncommon Intellectual

– Michael S. Joyce, "The Common Man's Uncommon Intellectual," in The Neoconservative Imagination: Essays in Honor of Irving Kristol, ed. Christopher DeMuth and William Kristol, (Washington, DC: AEI Press, 1995).

Twice Chosen: Irving Kristol as American

– Michael Novak, "Twice Chosen: Irving Kristol as American," in The Neoconservative Imagination: Essays in Honor of Irving Kristol, ed. Christopher DeMuth and William Kristol, (Washington, DC: AEI Press, 1995).

The Need for Piety and Law: A Kristol-Clear Case

– Leon R. Kass, "The Need for Piety and Law: A Kristol-Clear Case," in The Neoconservative Imagination: Essays in Honor of Irving Kristol, ed. Christopher DeMuth and William Kristol, (Washington, DC: AEI Press, 1995).

Reflections of a Neoconservative Disciple

– Mark Gerson, "Reflections of a Neoconservative Disciple," in The Neoconservative Imagination: Essays in Honor of Irving Kristol, ed. Christopher DeMuth and William Kristol, (Washington, DC: AEI Press, 1995).

Neoconservatism: The Autobiography of an Idea

– New York: Free Press, 1995.

SECTION I 1. An Autobiographical Memoir   SECTION II: RACE, SEX, AND FAMILY 2. Welfare: The Best of Intentions, the Worst of Results 3. The Tragedy of “Multiculturalism” 4.… More

Booknotes

– "Booknotes" (An interview with Brian Lamb), September 5, 1995.

America’s “Exceptional” Conservatism

– “America’s ‘Exceptional’ Conservatism” from Neoconservatism: The Autobiography of an Idea, (New York, NY: The Free Press, 1995).

An Autobiographical Memoir

– “An Autobiographical Memoir” from Neoconservatism: The Autobiography of an Idea, (New York, NY: The Free Press, 1995).

Excerpt: Is there such a thing as a “neo” gene? I ask that question because, looking back over a lifetime of my opinions, I am struck by the fact that they all quality as “neo.” I… More

Godfather

– Wilfred M. McClay, "Godfather," Commentary, February 1996. (A review of Neoconservatism: The Autobiography of an Idea by Irving Kristol.)

Excerpt: Perhaps, then, there is another sense in which Kristol deserves the appellation of “godfather.” Ever since the appearance of Mario Puzo’s book of that title, there has been a… More

The Right Stuff

– “The Right Stuff,” Prospect, October 1996.

Excerpt: I remember the day very well, back in 1956, when I arrived at my office at Encounter-of which I was then co-editor-and found on my desk an unsolicited manuscript by Michael… More

The Family Way

– Jacob Weisberg, "The Family Way," The New Yorker, October 21 & 28, 1996.

Excerpt: Someone imperfectly versed in the idiosyncrasies of American political life might have found Irving Kristol’s seventy-fifth-birthday party a bit peculiar. Gathered to… More

Machiavelli for Moderns

– "Machiavelli for Moderns" (An introduction to an AEI lecture by Michael Ledeen), May 12, 1997.

Arguing the World

– "Arguing the World" (A documentary), written and directed by Joseph Dorman, January 7, 1998.

Is Technology a Threat to Society?

– "Is Technology a Threat to Society?" The Public Interest, Spring 2001.

Excerpt: I think there is some loose thinking about this whole problem of scientists, engineers, and their social responsibilities. When scientists say they want to live up to their social… More

Book Discussion on “On Two Wings”

– "Book Discussion on On Two Wings" (An AEI symposium), December 4, 2001.

Book Discussion on “Heaven on Earth”

– "Book Discussion on Heaven on Earth" (An AEI symposium), April 22, 2002

The Neoconservative Persuasion: What It Was, and What It Is

– "The Neoconservative Persuasion: What It Was, and What It Is,"  The Weekly Standard, August 25, 2003.

Excerpt: Viewed in this way, one can say that the historical task and political purpose of neoconservatism would seem to be this: to convert the Republican party, and American conservatism… More

My “Public Interest”

– "My 'Public Interest'," The Weekly Standard, December 18, 2006.

Excerpt: In 1965, through a series of circumstances that need not be recounted here, the stars became properly aligned so that my wish could become a reality. Dan Bell and I were able to… More

Irving Kristol, Norman Podhoretz, and the Jewish Religion

– Allan Arkush, "Irving Kristol, Norman Podhoretz, and the Jewish Religion," in Reason, Faith, and Politics: Essays in Honor of Werner J. Dannhauser, ed. Arthur M. Melzer and Robert P. Kraynak, (Lanham, MD: Lexington Books, 2008).

Farewell to the Godfather

– Christopher Hitchens, "Farewell to the Godfather," Slate, September 20, 2009.

Excerpt: The neoconservative faction, or should we say movement, is generally secular and often associated with the name of Leo Strauss. Kristol was one of those who never minded saying… More

Three Cheers for Irving by David Brooks

– David Brooks, "Three Cheers for Irving," The New York Times, September 21, 2009.

Excerpt: Kristol championed capitalism and wrote brilliantly about Adam Smith. But like Smith, he could only give two cheers for capitalism, because the system of creative destruction has… More

Irving Kristol

– "Irving Kristol," The Economist, September 24, 2009.

Excerpt: Conservatism, Kristol-style, acquired a “neo”. He was always, he mused, a neo-something: neoMarxist, neoliberal, neo-Orthodox (because he believed, though he wasn’t sure… More

The Interested Man

– Nathan Glazer, "The Interested Man," The New Republic, November 4, 2009.

Excerpt: I think back to these early days because it seems to me that Irving was all of a piece, almost from the beginning. No comment on his passing has failed to mention the young… More

The Moral Realism of Irving Kristol by Eric Cohen

– Eric Cohen, "The Moral Realism of Irving Kristol," National Affairs, Winter 2010.

Excerpt: Neoconservatism was, as Kristol always described it, merely a “­persuasion” that tried to “imagine the world as it might be,” but also to “live and… More

Two Cheers for Philanthropy

– Leslie Lenkowsky, "Two Cheers for Philanthropy," Philanthropy, Winter 2010.

Excerpt: In philanthropy as in much else of American life, however, the 1960s challenged older patterns. For foundations, this meant that efforts to change public policy, empower… More

Remembering Irving Kristol

– James Piereson, "Remembering Irving Kristol," The New Criterion, February 2010.

The Neoconservative Persuasion: Selected Essays, 1942-2009

– New York: Basic Books, 2011.

Foreword: In Memoriam: Irving Kristol, 1920-2009: William Kristol Introduction by Gertrude Himmelfarb   I. IN THE BEGINNING . . . : Enquiry Auden: The Quality of Doubt A Christian… More

Beyond Ideology

– James Q. Wilson, "Beyond Ideology," Wall Street Journal, January 21, 2011. (A review of The Neoconservative Persuasion by Irving Kristol.)

Excerpt: The essays in “The Neoconservative Persuasion”—all but one never before brought together in a book—are a remarkable introduction to one of the few people who… More

Irving Kristol and Republican Virtue

– Peter Wehner, "Contentions" blog, Commentary, January 24, 2011.

Excerpt: On C-SPAN’s series After Words, David Brooks hosted an engaging and wide-ranging interview with William Kristol on The Neoconservative Persuasion: Selected Essays 1942-2009,… More

Irving Kristol’s Brute Reason

– Paul Berman, "Irving Kristol's Brute Reason," New York Times Book Review, January 30, 2011.

Excerpt: And, in this new spirit, he plunged into his magnum opus, which, instead of a book, was the constructing of something called “neoconservatism.” This was intended to be a new… More

Irving Kristol’s Neoconservative Persuasion

– Gertrude Himmelfarb, "Irving Kristol's Neoconservative Persuasion," Commentary, February 2011.

Excerpt: Much has been made of the consistency of tone in his writings—bold and speculative but never dogmatic or academic, always personal, witty, ironic. That tone is not only a matter… More

The Neoconservative Persuasion

– Amy Kass, Charles Krauthammer, Irwin Stelzer, Leon Kass, and William Kristol, "The Neoconservative Persuasion" (A panel discussion), February 2, 2011.

The Neoconservative Persuasion: A Tribute to Irving Kristol

– Audio, Video and Transcript.  A Hudson Institute panel, February 2, 2011.

As conservatives try once again to re-envision America’s future and how to secure it, the publication of this volume of previously uncollected essays by Irving Kristol, “the godfather… More

Irving Kristol: “The Neoconservative Persuasion”

– (Interview of William Kristol by David Brooks), Book TV, C-SPAN 2, February 11, 2011.

Mr. Kristol, who wrote the foreword to “The Neoconservative Persuasion,” discusses his late father’s essays on the history of the neoconservative movement. While the… More

The Great Persuader by James W. Ceaser

– James W. Ceaser, "The Great Persuader," The Weekly Standard, February 14, 2011. (A review of The Neoconservative Persuasion by Irving Kristol.)

Excerpt: Of public intellectuals so conceived, there have been only a handful: George Bancroft, whose famous History of the United States and orations sketched out much of the Jacksonian… More

Three Cheers

– Jeremy Rozansky, "Three Cheers," Counterpoint, Winter 2011. (A review of The Neoconservative Persuasion by Irving Kristol.)

“I myself have accepted the term, perhaps, because, having been named Irving, I am relatively indifferent to baptismal caprice.” So said Irving Kristol of having been called a… More

The Flexible Temperament

– James Piereson, "The Flexible Temperament," The New Criterion, March 2010. (A review of The Neoconservative Persuasion by Irving Kristol.)

Excerpt: Kristol’s intellectual contribution was to bring these fundamental ideas into contemporary debates about politics and public policy through his writings in outlets like the Wall… More

The Origins of Neoconservatism

– Harvey Mansfield, "The Origins of Neoconservatism" (An interview with Eli Kozminsky), Harvard Political Review, March 7, 2011.

Excerpt: What did Kristol find so radical, yet conservative, about Strauss? The article in Kristol’s book is a review of Strauss’ Persecution and the Art of Writing, which came out in… More

A Legacy of Temperament

– Roger Kimball, "A Legacy of Temperament," National Review, June 6, 2011. (A review of The Neoconservative Persuasion by Irving Kristol.)

Excerpt: An honest man, said the poet William Blake, may change his opinions, but not his principles. Irving Kristol, who died in September 2009 just shy of 90, embarked on intellectual… More

Irving Kristol, Edmund Burke, and the Rabbis

– Meir Soloveichik, "Irving Kristol, Edmund Burke, and the Rabbis," Jewish Review of Books, Summer 2011. (A review of The Neoconservative Persuasion by Irving Kristol.)

Excerpt: Renowned as a founder of neoconservativism, Irving Kristol was “neo” in other respects as well. “Is there such a thing as a ‘neo’ gene?” he once… More

The Brooklyn Burkeans

– Jonathan Bronitsky, "The Brooklyn Burkeans," National Affairs, Winter 2014.

Excerpt: By the time Kristol and Himmelfarb moved back home to New York in 1958, they were entrenched in the classical-liberal tradition and, therefore, primed to react negatively to the… More

Multimedia

James Burnham’s “The Machiavellians”

– “James Burnham's 'The Machiavellians'" (as William Ferry), Enquiry, July 1943. (A review of The Machiavellians: Defenders of Freedom by James Burnham.)

Excerpt: The atmosphere, these days, contains a good deal more of what is called ‘realism’ than is usually considered desirable for healthy progress. In some measure this is a… More

The Moral Critic

– “The Moral Critic,” Enquiry, April 1944. (A review of E. M. Forster by Lionel Trilling.)

Excerpt: The liberal flatters himself upon his intentions, problems, “and prefers not to know that the good will generates its own that the love pf humanity has its own vices and the… More

What the Nazi Autopsies Show

– "What the Nazi Autopsies Show," Commentary, September 1948.

Excerpt: The Nazis are human: that is what the psychiatrists tell us. We always knew that, though it does no harm to have it confirmed. But the Nazis are also non-human: that is what we,… More

The Slaughter-Bench of History

– "The Slaughter-Bench of History," Commentary, July 1949. (A review of Faith and History by Reinhold Niebuhr and Meaning in History by Karl Lowitz.)

Excerpt: Judaism is tormented by the fact that the Messiah has not come, while the gas chambers have. Christianity is tormented by the fact that the Messiah did come, almost two thousand… More

God and the Psychoanalysts

– "God and the Psychoanalysts," Commentary, November 1949.

Excerpt: Psychoanalysis was from its very beginnings disrespectful, when not positively hostile, towards all existing religious creeds and institutions. Naturally, the religious… More

Love Affair: Psychoanalysts and Religion

– "Love Affair: Psychoanalysts and Religion," Time, November 14, 1949.

Einstein: The Passion of Pure Reason

– "Einstein: The Passion of Pure Reason," Commentary, September 1950.

Excerpt: Einstein’s new Jewishness was not the result of his discovering a hidden Jewish self. It was, on the contrary, a new means of escaping from his self. The flight to Reason from… More

Two Varieties of Democracy

– "Two Varieties of Democracy," Commentary, September 1952.  (A review of The Rise of Totalitarian Democracy by J. L. Talmon.)

Excerpt: An essential defect of Mr. Talmon’s analysis is that he takes the ideology of “totalitarian democracy” as corresponding to an actual fact. In a sense he is deceived by the… More

The Philosophers’ Hidden Truth

– "The Philosophers' Hidden Truth," Commentary, October 1952.  (A review of Persecution and the Art of Writing by Leo Strauss.)

Excerpt: No doubt, there will be scholars who will respectfully dispute Professor Strauss on just about every point. They will find, as many already know, that he is a most formidable… More

Men of Science – and Conscience

– “Men of Science – and Conscience,” Encounter, October 1953.

The Simple and the True

– “The Simple and the True,” Encounter, February 1954.

Niccolo Machiavelli

– “Niccolo Machiavelli,” Encounter, December 1954.

Excerpt: Since Machiavelli, a dimension has been amputated from man’s political existence.  The operation was a success; but there are stitches and scars, inevitably.  It is in… More

The Judgment of Clio

– “The Judgment of Clio,” Encounter, January 1955.  (A review of Historical Inevitability by Isaiah Berlin.)

“…And People Opening Veins in Baths”

– “'...And People Opening Veins in Baths',” Encounter, May 1956.  (A review of Tacitus on Imperial Rome translated by Michael Graves and Tiberius: A Study in Resentment by Gregorio Maranon.)

Excerpt: We have lost the habit of judging tyrants so harshly, for we are more attentive to their historical roles, their “objective” tasks, than to their human meanings. It is the… More

A Philosophy for Little England

– “A Philosophy for Little England,” Encounter, July 1956.  (A review of Philosophy, Politics, and Society edited by Peter Laslett.)

A Philosophy for Little England?

– “A Philosophy for Little England?” (A reply), Encounter, September 1956.

“A Condition of Mere Nature”

– “'A Condition of Mere Nature',” Encounter, October 1956.  (A review of The Anglo-American Tradition in Foreign Affairs edited by Arnold Wolfers and Lawrence W. Martin.)

Politics, Sacred and Profane

– “Politics, Sacred and Profane,” Encounter, September 1957.  (A review of Battle for the Mind by William Sargent and Captured in Tibet by Robert Ford.)

The Essence of Capitalism

– “The Essence of Capitalism,” Encounter, November 1957. (A review of Polity and Economy by Joseph Cropsey.)

Old Truths and the New Conservatism

– “Old Truths and the New Conservatism,” Yale Review, May 1958.

Excerpt: Now, it may please us to think that everyone is born either a little liberal or a little conservative. It may please us so much, indeed, that we conveniently forget there was a… More

The Conquistadors’ Conscience

– “The Conquistadors' Conscience,” Reporter, September 17, 1959. (A review of Aristotle and the American Indians by Louis Hanke.)

…And a Reply

– “...And a Reply,” Encounter, March 1960.  (Reply to Richard Wollheim. “One Man, One Vote...”)

Keeping Up with Ourselves

– “Keeping Up with Ourselves,” Yale Review, June 1960. (A review of The End of Ideology by Daniel Bell.)

Excerpt: There is no question that terribly important things have happened to America in recent decades; but “the end of ideology” is not one of them, and Mr. Bell’s title… More

A Traitor to His Class?

– "A Traitor to His Class?," Kenyon Review, Summer 1960. (A review of Love and Death in the American Novel by Leslie A. Fielder.)

High, Low, and Modern

– “High, Low, and Modern,” Encounter, August 1960.

Excerpt: It is often said that “mass culture” is the price we pay for democracy. That all depends, of course, on what we mean by democracy. If we mean by democracy nothing… More

Machiavelli and the Profanation of Politics

– “Machiavelli and the Profanation of Politics,” in The Logic of Personal Knowledge: Essays by Various Contributors Presented to Michael Polanyi on His Seventieth Birthday (London: Routledge & Kegan Paul, 1961).

A Treasure for the Future

– "A Treasure for the Future," The New Republic, July 10, 1961. (A review of Between Past and Future:  Six Exercises in Political Thought by Hannah Arendt.)

Excerpt: The subtitle, however, may be misleading. Miss Arendt writes with passion and urgency, and she is a woman of strong political opinions. But she isn’t a political thinker in… More

Democracy and Its Discontents

– “Democracy and Its Discontents,” Harper's, September 1961. (A review of eight books.)

The Idea of Mass Culture

– “The Idea of Mass Culture,” Yale Review, February 1962. (A review of The Political Context of Sociology by Leon Bramson.)

Of Newton Minow and Matthew Arnold

– “Of Newton Minow and Matthew Arnold,” The New Leader, January 7, 1963.

One Man, One Vote

– “One Man, One Vote,” The New Leader, June 24, 1963.

From the Land of the Free to the Big PX

– "From the Land of the Free to the Big PX," New York Times Magazine, December 20, 1964.

What Is the Public Interest?

– "What Is the Public Interest?" (with Daniel Bell), The Public Interest, Fall 1965.

Excerpt: The aim of THE PUBLIC INTEREST is at once modest and presumptuous. It is to help all of us, when we discuss issues of public policy, to know a little better what we are talking… More

One Utopian, One Sensible Way to Reconcile State and Society

– “One Utopian, One Sensible Way to Reconcile State and Society,” Harper's, March 1966. (A review of Freedom Through Power by William Withers and Reclaiming the American Dream by Richard C. Cornuelle.)

New Left, New Right

– "New Left, New Right." The Public Interest, Summer 1966.

First, on all the evidence, the one worst way to cope with this crisis in values is through organized political-ideological action. Most of the hysteria, much of the stupidity, and a good… More

Civil Disobedience Is Not Justified by Vietnam

– “Civil Disobedience Is Not Justified by Vietnam” (A response in a symposium) New York Times Magazine, November 26, 1967.

Advice for Managers from a Florentine Consultant

– “Advice for Managers from a Florentine Consultant,” Fortune, April 1968. (A review of Management and Machiavelli by Jay Anthony.)

Our Shaken Foundations

– “Our Shaken Foundations,” Fortune, July 1968.

A Different Way to Restructure the University

– "A Different Way to Restructure the University," New York Times Magazine, December 8, 1968.

The Improbable Guru of Surrealistic Politics

– “The Improbable Guru of Surrealistic Politics,” Fortune, July 1969. (A review of An Essay on Liberation by Herbert Marcuse.)

American Historians and the Democratic Idea

– "American Historians and the Democratic Idea," American Scholar, Winter 1969-1970.

History and Human Survival

– "History and Human Survival," New York Times, August 2, 1970. (A review of Essays on the Young And Old, Survivors And the Dead, and on Contemporary Psychohistory by Robert Jay Lifton.)

“When Virtue Loses All Her Loveliness”—Some Reflections on Capitalism and “the Free Society”

– "'When Virtue Loses All Her Loveliness’—Some Reflections on Capitalism and 'the Free Society'," The Public Interest, Fall 1970.

Excerpt: I use the word “conservative” advisedly. Though the discontents of our civilization express themselves in the rhetoric of “liberation” and… More

“Capitalism” and “the Free Society”

– "'Capitalism' and 'the Free Society'," (a reply to John K. Jessup), The Public Interest, Winter 1971.

Excerpt: Now, there is only one rejoinder that someone like Jessup can make to this point. It is the libertarian answer given by Hayek and Friedman: what legitimates a “free… More

Pornography, Obscenity and The Case for Censorship

– "Pornography, Obscenity and The Case for Censorship," New York Times Magazine, March 28, 1971.

From Priorities to Goals

– "From Priorities to Goals," The Public Interest, Summer 1971.

Excerpt: Controversies over matters of political philosophy, since they are controversies over fundamental beliefs, are exceedingly dangerous for any nation. They certainly ought not to… More

Welfare: The Best of Intentions, the Worst of Results

– “Welfare: The Best of Intentions, the Worst of Results,” Atlantic, August 1971.

Excerpt: Is it surprising, then, that — unmanned and demoralized — he removes himself from family responsibilities that no longer rest on his shoulders? That he drifts out of… More

A Foolish American Ism – Utopianism

– "A Foolish American Ism – Utopianism," New York Times Magazine, November 14, 1971.

On the Democratic Idea in America

– New York: Harper, 1972.

1. Urban Civilization and its Discontents 2. The Shaking of the Foundations 3. Pornography, Obscenity, and the Case for Censorship 4. American Historians and the Democratic Idea 5. American… More

The Need for a Philosophy of Education

– “The Need for a Philosophy of Education” (remarks originally delivered as part of a conference at Rockefeller University on February 21-22, 1972) in The Idea of a Modern University, ed. Sidney Hook, Paul Kurtz, and Miro Todorovich (New York: Prometheus Books, 1974).

An Urban Civilization without Cities

– “An Urban Civilization without Cities,” Horizon, Autumn 1972.

About Equality

– "About Equality," Commentary, November 1972.

Excerpt: So this, it appears to me, is what the controversy “about equality” is really about. We have an intelligentsia which so despises the ethos of bourgeois society, and which is so… More

Equality and Justice

– "Equality and Justice" (A reply to letters), Commentary, February 1973.

Excerpt: I still do believe that any society has to be governed by a principle of justice which legitimates particular inequalities, and that our own society is having trouble finding such… More

Capitalism, Socialism and Nihilism

– "Capitalism, Socialism and Nihilism," The Public Interest, Spring 1973.

Excerpt: WHENEVER and wherever defenders of “free enterprise,” “individual liberty,” and “a free society” assemble, these days, one senses a peculiar kind of nostalgia in the… More

Utopianism, Ancient and Modern

– “Utopianism, Ancient and Modern,” Imprimus, April 1973.

In Defense of Equality

– Michael Walzer, "In Defense of Equality," Dissent, September 1973.

The American Revolution as a Successful Revolution

– “The American Revolution as a Successful Revolution” (lecture delivered at American Enterprise Institute, October 12, 1973), printed in America's Continuing Revolution: An Act of Conservation (Washington, D.C.: American Enterprise Institute, 1975).

Excerpt: As we approach the bicentennial of the American Revolution, we find ourselves in a paradoxical and embarrassing situation. A celebration of some kind certainly seems to be in… More

Republican Virtue vs. Servile Institutions

– “Republican Virtue vs. Servile Institutions” delivered at and then reprinted by the Poynter Center at Indiana University, May 1974. (Reprinted in The Alternative, February 1975.)

Excerpt: This is a serious matter. For the American democracy today seems really to have no other purpose than to create more and more Scarsdales—to convert the entire nation into a… More

Is Technology a Threat to Liberal Society?

– “Is Technology a Threat to Liberal Society?” (Lecture at Science, Technology and Modern Society symposium of Polytechnic Institute of New York), March 13-14, 1975.

On Conservatism and Capitalism

– “On Conservatism and Capitalism,” Wall Street Journal, September 11, 1975.

On Corporate Capitalism in America

– "On Corporate Capitalism in America," The Public Interest, Fall 1975.

Excerpt: Whether for good or evil—and one can leave this for future historians to debate–the large corporation has gone “quasi-public,” i.e., it now straddles,… More

The High Cost of Equality

– “The High Cost of Equality,” Fortune, November 1975. (A review of Equality and Efficiency: The Big Tradeoff by Arthur Okun.)

Adam Smith and the Spirit of Capitalism

– “Adam Smith and the Spirit of Capitalism,” in The Great Ideas Today, ed. Robert Hutchins and Mortimer Adler (Chicago: Encyclopedia Britannica, 1976).

What Is “Social Justice”?

– ''What Is 'Social Justice'?” Wall Street Journal, August 12, 1976.

What Is a Liberal–Who Is Conservative?

– “What Is a Liberal–Who Is Conservative?” (A symposium), Commentary, September 1976.

On the Unfairness of Life

– “On the Unfairness of Life,” Wall Street Journal, August 16, 1977.

How Equal Can We Be?

– “How Equal Can We Be?” (An interview), Business and Society Review, Fall 1977.

In Memory of Martin Diamond

– “In Memory of Martin Diamond,” The Alternative, October 1977.

Looking Back on Neo-Conservatism: Notes and Reflections

– “Looking Back on Neo-Conservatism: Notes and Reflections,” The American Spectator, November 1977.

Two Cheers for Capitalism

– New York: Basic Books, March 1978.

PART ONE: The Enemy of Being is Having 1. Corporate Capitalism in America 2. Business and the “New Class” 3. Frustrations of Affluence 4. Ideology and Food 5. The… More

The “Human Rights” Muddle

– “The 'Human Rights' Muddle,” Wall Street Journal, March 20, 1978.

Capitalism, Socialism and Democracy

– “Capitalism, Socialism and Democracy” (A symposium), Commentary, April 1978.

Human Nature and Social Reform

– “Human Nature and Social Reform,” Wall Street Journal, September 18, 1978.

Excerpt: What it comes down to is that our reformers simply cannot bring themselves to think realistically about human nature.  They believe it to be not only originally good, but also… More

The Disaffection from Capitalism

– “The Disaffection from Capitalism,” in Capitalism and Socialism: A Theological Inquiry, ed. Michael Novak (Washington, D.C.: American Enterprise Institute, 1979).

The Spiritual Roots of Capitalism and Socialism

– “The Spiritual Roots of Capitalism and Socialism,” in Capitalism and Socialism: A Theological Inquiry, ed. Michael Novak (Washington, D.C.: American Enterprise Institute, 1979).

The Godfather of Neoconservatism (And His Family)

– Geoffrey Norman, "The Godfather of Neoconservatism (And His Family)," Esquire, February 13, 1979.

No Cheers for the Profit Motive

– “No Cheers for the Profit Motive,” Wall Street Journal, February 20, 1979.

Excerpt: It is, in my opinion, as absurd to praise the profit motive—i.e., economic action based on self-interest—as it is to condemn it. The human impulse to such action is, like… More

Business Ethics and Economic Man

– “Business Ethics and Economic Man,” Wall Street Journal, March 20, 1979.

The Adversary Culture of Intellectuals

– “The Adversary Culture of Intellectuals,” Encounter, October 1979.

Confessions of a True, Self-Confessed – Perhaps the Only – Neoconservative

– “Confessions of a True, Self-Confessed – Perhaps the Only – Neoconservative,” Public Opinion, October/November, 1979.

The Goal

– “The Goal,” Encounter, March 1980.

Rationalism in Economics

– "Rationalism in Economics," The Public Interest, Special Issue 1980.

Excerpt: IT is widely conceded that something like a “crisis in economic theory” exists, but there is vehement disagreement about the extent and nature of this crisis. The more… More

The Common Sense of “Human Rights”

– ''The Common Sense of 'Human Rights',” Wall Street Journal, April 8, 1981.

How to Choose Between Dictatorships

– “How to Choose Between Dictatorships,” [London] Times, May 5, 1981.

Reason Interview: Irving Kristol

– "Reason Interview: Irving Kristol," Reason, January 1983.

Reflections of a Neoconservative: Looking Back, Looking Ahead

– New York: Basic Books, October 1983.

I. IN THE BEGINNING… 1. Memoirs of a Trotskyist 2. Memoirs of a “Cold Warrior”   II. THE CULTURE OF DEMOCRATIC CAPITALISM 3. The Adversary Culture of Intellectuals 4.… More

Kristol’s Red Persuasion?

– Robert Lekachman, "Kristol's Red Persuasion?" The Nation, October 29, 1983. (A review of Reflections of a Neoconservative: Looking Back, Looking Ahead by Irving Kristol.)

Excerpt: In sum, at their worst these polemics are diatribes against the world supposedly made by liberals and those to the left of them. At their best, they convey much thoughtful, somber… More

There’ll Never Be a “1984”

– “There'll Never Be a '1984',” Wall Street Journal, December 16, 1983.

A Choice of Blind Alleys

– “A Choice of Blind Alleys,” Times Literary Supplement, November 23, 1984. (A review of Politics and the Pursuit of Happiness by Ghita Ionescu.)

Sidney Hook: Humanist, Pragmatist, Democrat, American

– “Sidney Hook: Humanist, Pragmatist, Democrat, American,” Humanities (Washington, D.C.: National Endowment for the Humanities, 1984.)

The Twisted Vocabulary of Superpower Symmetry

– “The Twisted Vocabulary of Superpower Symmetry” (remarks originally delivered as part of a conference in May 1985), in Scorpions in a Bottle: Dangerous Ideas About the United States and the Soviet Union, ed. Lissa Roche (Hillsdale, MI: Hillsdale College Press, 1986).

“Human Rights”: The Hidden Agenda

– “'Human Rights': The Hidden Agenda,” The National Interest, Winter 1986-87.

Excerpt: A final point: There are some conservative (or non-left) “human rights” activists who feel that this theme can be exploited for purposes of anti-communist and… More

The Spirit of ’87

– "The Spirit of '87," The Public Interest, Winter 1987.

Excerpt: THE AMERICAN CONSTITUTION is a highly paradoxical document. Rhetorically, it is dry, legalistic, lacking in eloquence. Substantively, too, while it may not in fact have been “the… More

The War of the Words

– “The War of the Words,” Wall Street Journal, June 11, 1987.

Virtues and Vices of Democracy

– "Virtues and Vices of Democracy" (A Federalist Society symposium), November 7, 1987.

Religion and the Constitution

– "Religion and the Constitution" (An AEI symposium), December 1, 1987.

The End of History?

– “The End of History?” (A symposium), The National Interest, Summer 1989.

Some Kindergarten Remediation

– “Some Kindergarten Remediation,” Wall Street Journal, June 22, 1989.

On the Character of American Political Order

– “On the Character of American Political Order,” In The Promise of American Politics: Principles and Practice after Two Hundred Years, ed. Robert Utley (New York: University Press of America, 1989).

Foreword to Resonant Lives: 50 Figures of Consequence

– Foreword to Resonant Lives: 50 Figures of Consequence by Paul Greenberg (Washington, D.C.: Ethics and Public Policy Center, 1991).

Standing Room Only

– “Standing Room Only,” Times Literary Supplement, July 12, 1991. (A review of American Citizenship: The Quest for Inclusion by Judith Shklar.)

Interview with Tom Bethell

– Interview with Tom Bethell, American Spectator, December 1991.

Excerpt: “The Democratic party is falling apart,” he said. “Which is lucky for us. It’s completely out of sync with the public. What’s happening to the… More

The Capitalist Future

– “The Capitalist Future” (AEI Francis Boyer Lecture), December 4, 1991.

The Capitalist Future

– “The Capitalist Future,” Francis Boyer Lecture at the American Enterprise Institute, December 4, 1991.

Excerpt: This cultural nihilism will have, in the short term, only a limited political effect—short of a massive, enduring economic crisis. The reason it will not happen—this is still… More

Toasts and Remarks Delivered at a Dinner in Honor of Irving Kristol on His Seventy-fifth Birthday

– Christopher DeMuth, George Will, Walter Berns, Midge Decter, Charles Krauthammer, Daniel Patrick Moynihan, and William Kristol, "Toasts and Remarks Delivered at a Dinner in Honor of Irving Kristol on His Seventy-fifth Birthday," The American Enterprise Institute, January 21, 1995.

Excerpt: If what is called neoconservatism is by now an institution of sorts, it truly is what Emerson said institutions are–the lengthening shadow of a man. And the man is Irving… More

A Man without Footnotes

– Nathan Glazer, "A Man without Footnotes," in The Neoconservative Imagination: Essays in Honor of Irving Kristol, ed. Christopher DeMuth and William Kristol, (Washington, DC: AEI Press, 1995).

Irving Kristol’s Moral Realism

– Philip Selznick, "Irving Kristol's Moral Realism," in The Neoconservative Imagination: Essays in Honor of Irving Kristol, ed. Christopher DeMuth and William Kristol, (Washington, DC: AEI Press, 1995).

A Letter from Paris

– H. J. Kaplan, "A Letter from Paris," in The Neoconservative Imagination: Essays in Honor of Irving Kristol, ed. Christopher DeMuth and William Kristol, (Washington, DC: AEI Press, 1995).

The Common Man’s Uncommon Intellectual

– Michael S. Joyce, "The Common Man's Uncommon Intellectual," in The Neoconservative Imagination: Essays in Honor of Irving Kristol, ed. Christopher DeMuth and William Kristol, (Washington, DC: AEI Press, 1995).

Twice Chosen: Irving Kristol as American

– Michael Novak, "Twice Chosen: Irving Kristol as American," in The Neoconservative Imagination: Essays in Honor of Irving Kristol, ed. Christopher DeMuth and William Kristol, (Washington, DC: AEI Press, 1995).

The Need for Piety and Law: A Kristol-Clear Case

– Leon R. Kass, "The Need for Piety and Law: A Kristol-Clear Case," in The Neoconservative Imagination: Essays in Honor of Irving Kristol, ed. Christopher DeMuth and William Kristol, (Washington, DC: AEI Press, 1995).

Reflections of a Neoconservative Disciple

– Mark Gerson, "Reflections of a Neoconservative Disciple," in The Neoconservative Imagination: Essays in Honor of Irving Kristol, ed. Christopher DeMuth and William Kristol, (Washington, DC: AEI Press, 1995).

Neoconservatism: The Autobiography of an Idea

– New York: Free Press, 1995.

SECTION I 1. An Autobiographical Memoir   SECTION II: RACE, SEX, AND FAMILY 2. Welfare: The Best of Intentions, the Worst of Results 3. The Tragedy of “Multiculturalism” 4.… More

Booknotes

– "Booknotes" (An interview with Brian Lamb), September 5, 1995.

America’s “Exceptional” Conservatism

– “America’s ‘Exceptional’ Conservatism” from Neoconservatism: The Autobiography of an Idea, (New York, NY: The Free Press, 1995).

An Autobiographical Memoir

– “An Autobiographical Memoir” from Neoconservatism: The Autobiography of an Idea, (New York, NY: The Free Press, 1995).

Excerpt: Is there such a thing as a “neo” gene? I ask that question because, looking back over a lifetime of my opinions, I am struck by the fact that they all quality as “neo.” I… More

Godfather

– Wilfred M. McClay, "Godfather," Commentary, February 1996. (A review of Neoconservatism: The Autobiography of an Idea by Irving Kristol.)

Excerpt: Perhaps, then, there is another sense in which Kristol deserves the appellation of “godfather.” Ever since the appearance of Mario Puzo’s book of that title, there has been a… More

The Right Stuff

– “The Right Stuff,” Prospect, October 1996.

Excerpt: I remember the day very well, back in 1956, when I arrived at my office at Encounter-of which I was then co-editor-and found on my desk an unsolicited manuscript by Michael… More

The Family Way

– Jacob Weisberg, "The Family Way," The New Yorker, October 21 & 28, 1996.

Excerpt: Someone imperfectly versed in the idiosyncrasies of American political life might have found Irving Kristol’s seventy-fifth-birthday party a bit peculiar. Gathered to… More

Machiavelli for Moderns

– "Machiavelli for Moderns" (An introduction to an AEI lecture by Michael Ledeen), May 12, 1997.

Arguing the World

– "Arguing the World" (A documentary), written and directed by Joseph Dorman, January 7, 1998.

Is Technology a Threat to Society?

– "Is Technology a Threat to Society?" The Public Interest, Spring 2001.

Excerpt: I think there is some loose thinking about this whole problem of scientists, engineers, and their social responsibilities. When scientists say they want to live up to their social… More

Book Discussion on “On Two Wings”

– "Book Discussion on On Two Wings" (An AEI symposium), December 4, 2001.

Book Discussion on “Heaven on Earth”

– "Book Discussion on Heaven on Earth" (An AEI symposium), April 22, 2002

The Neoconservative Persuasion: What It Was, and What It Is

– "The Neoconservative Persuasion: What It Was, and What It Is,"  The Weekly Standard, August 25, 2003.

Excerpt: Viewed in this way, one can say that the historical task and political purpose of neoconservatism would seem to be this: to convert the Republican party, and American conservatism… More

My “Public Interest”

– "My 'Public Interest'," The Weekly Standard, December 18, 2006.

Excerpt: In 1965, through a series of circumstances that need not be recounted here, the stars became properly aligned so that my wish could become a reality. Dan Bell and I were able to… More

Irving Kristol, Norman Podhoretz, and the Jewish Religion

– Allan Arkush, "Irving Kristol, Norman Podhoretz, and the Jewish Religion," in Reason, Faith, and Politics: Essays in Honor of Werner J. Dannhauser, ed. Arthur M. Melzer and Robert P. Kraynak, (Lanham, MD: Lexington Books, 2008).

Farewell to the Godfather

– Christopher Hitchens, "Farewell to the Godfather," Slate, September 20, 2009.

Excerpt: The neoconservative faction, or should we say movement, is generally secular and often associated with the name of Leo Strauss. Kristol was one of those who never minded saying… More

Three Cheers for Irving by David Brooks

– David Brooks, "Three Cheers for Irving," The New York Times, September 21, 2009.

Excerpt: Kristol championed capitalism and wrote brilliantly about Adam Smith. But like Smith, he could only give two cheers for capitalism, because the system of creative destruction has… More

Irving Kristol

– "Irving Kristol," The Economist, September 24, 2009.

Excerpt: Conservatism, Kristol-style, acquired a “neo”. He was always, he mused, a neo-something: neoMarxist, neoliberal, neo-Orthodox (because he believed, though he wasn’t sure… More

The Interested Man

– Nathan Glazer, "The Interested Man," The New Republic, November 4, 2009.

Excerpt: I think back to these early days because it seems to me that Irving was all of a piece, almost from the beginning. No comment on his passing has failed to mention the young… More

The Moral Realism of Irving Kristol by Eric Cohen

– Eric Cohen, "The Moral Realism of Irving Kristol," National Affairs, Winter 2010.

Excerpt: Neoconservatism was, as Kristol always described it, merely a “­persuasion” that tried to “imagine the world as it might be,” but also to “live and… More

Two Cheers for Philanthropy

– Leslie Lenkowsky, "Two Cheers for Philanthropy," Philanthropy, Winter 2010.

Excerpt: In philanthropy as in much else of American life, however, the 1960s challenged older patterns. For foundations, this meant that efforts to change public policy, empower… More

Remembering Irving Kristol

– James Piereson, "Remembering Irving Kristol," The New Criterion, February 2010.

The Neoconservative Persuasion: Selected Essays, 1942-2009

– New York: Basic Books, 2011.

Foreword: In Memoriam: Irving Kristol, 1920-2009: William Kristol Introduction by Gertrude Himmelfarb   I. IN THE BEGINNING . . . : Enquiry Auden: The Quality of Doubt A Christian… More

Beyond Ideology

– James Q. Wilson, "Beyond Ideology," Wall Street Journal, January 21, 2011. (A review of The Neoconservative Persuasion by Irving Kristol.)

Excerpt: The essays in “The Neoconservative Persuasion”—all but one never before brought together in a book—are a remarkable introduction to one of the few people who… More

Irving Kristol and Republican Virtue

– Peter Wehner, "Contentions" blog, Commentary, January 24, 2011.

Excerpt: On C-SPAN’s series After Words, David Brooks hosted an engaging and wide-ranging interview with William Kristol on The Neoconservative Persuasion: Selected Essays 1942-2009,… More

Irving Kristol’s Brute Reason

– Paul Berman, "Irving Kristol's Brute Reason," New York Times Book Review, January 30, 2011.

Excerpt: And, in this new spirit, he plunged into his magnum opus, which, instead of a book, was the constructing of something called “neoconservatism.” This was intended to be a new… More

Irving Kristol’s Neoconservative Persuasion

– Gertrude Himmelfarb, "Irving Kristol's Neoconservative Persuasion," Commentary, February 2011.

Excerpt: Much has been made of the consistency of tone in his writings—bold and speculative but never dogmatic or academic, always personal, witty, ironic. That tone is not only a matter… More

The Neoconservative Persuasion

– Amy Kass, Charles Krauthammer, Irwin Stelzer, Leon Kass, and William Kristol, "The Neoconservative Persuasion" (A panel discussion), February 2, 2011.

The Neoconservative Persuasion: A Tribute to Irving Kristol

– Audio, Video and Transcript.  A Hudson Institute panel, February 2, 2011.

As conservatives try once again to re-envision America’s future and how to secure it, the publication of this volume of previously uncollected essays by Irving Kristol, “the godfather… More

Irving Kristol: “The Neoconservative Persuasion”

– (Interview of William Kristol by David Brooks), Book TV, C-SPAN 2, February 11, 2011.

Mr. Kristol, who wrote the foreword to “The Neoconservative Persuasion,” discusses his late father’s essays on the history of the neoconservative movement. While the… More

The Great Persuader by James W. Ceaser

– James W. Ceaser, "The Great Persuader," The Weekly Standard, February 14, 2011. (A review of The Neoconservative Persuasion by Irving Kristol.)

Excerpt: Of public intellectuals so conceived, there have been only a handful: George Bancroft, whose famous History of the United States and orations sketched out much of the Jacksonian… More

Three Cheers

– Jeremy Rozansky, "Three Cheers," Counterpoint, Winter 2011. (A review of The Neoconservative Persuasion by Irving Kristol.)

“I myself have accepted the term, perhaps, because, having been named Irving, I am relatively indifferent to baptismal caprice.” So said Irving Kristol of having been called a… More

The Flexible Temperament

– James Piereson, "The Flexible Temperament," The New Criterion, March 2010. (A review of The Neoconservative Persuasion by Irving Kristol.)

Excerpt: Kristol’s intellectual contribution was to bring these fundamental ideas into contemporary debates about politics and public policy through his writings in outlets like the Wall… More

The Origins of Neoconservatism

– Harvey Mansfield, "The Origins of Neoconservatism" (An interview with Eli Kozminsky), Harvard Political Review, March 7, 2011.

Excerpt: What did Kristol find so radical, yet conservative, about Strauss? The article in Kristol’s book is a review of Strauss’ Persecution and the Art of Writing, which came out in… More

A Legacy of Temperament

– Roger Kimball, "A Legacy of Temperament," National Review, June 6, 2011. (A review of The Neoconservative Persuasion by Irving Kristol.)

Excerpt: An honest man, said the poet William Blake, may change his opinions, but not his principles. Irving Kristol, who died in September 2009 just shy of 90, embarked on intellectual… More

Irving Kristol, Edmund Burke, and the Rabbis

– Meir Soloveichik, "Irving Kristol, Edmund Burke, and the Rabbis," Jewish Review of Books, Summer 2011. (A review of The Neoconservative Persuasion by Irving Kristol.)

Excerpt: Renowned as a founder of neoconservativism, Irving Kristol was “neo” in other respects as well. “Is there such a thing as a ‘neo’ gene?” he once… More

The Brooklyn Burkeans

– Jonathan Bronitsky, "The Brooklyn Burkeans," National Affairs, Winter 2014.

Excerpt: By the time Kristol and Himmelfarb moved back home to New York in 1958, they were entrenched in the classical-liberal tradition and, therefore, primed to react negatively to the… More

Teaching

James Burnham’s “The Machiavellians”

– “James Burnham's 'The Machiavellians'" (as William Ferry), Enquiry, July 1943. (A review of The Machiavellians: Defenders of Freedom by James Burnham.)

Excerpt: The atmosphere, these days, contains a good deal more of what is called ‘realism’ than is usually considered desirable for healthy progress. In some measure this is a… More

The Moral Critic

– “The Moral Critic,” Enquiry, April 1944. (A review of E. M. Forster by Lionel Trilling.)

Excerpt: The liberal flatters himself upon his intentions, problems, “and prefers not to know that the good will generates its own that the love pf humanity has its own vices and the… More

What the Nazi Autopsies Show

– "What the Nazi Autopsies Show," Commentary, September 1948.

Excerpt: The Nazis are human: that is what the psychiatrists tell us. We always knew that, though it does no harm to have it confirmed. But the Nazis are also non-human: that is what we,… More

The Slaughter-Bench of History

– "The Slaughter-Bench of History," Commentary, July 1949. (A review of Faith and History by Reinhold Niebuhr and Meaning in History by Karl Lowitz.)

Excerpt: Judaism is tormented by the fact that the Messiah has not come, while the gas chambers have. Christianity is tormented by the fact that the Messiah did come, almost two thousand… More

God and the Psychoanalysts

– "God and the Psychoanalysts," Commentary, November 1949.

Excerpt: Psychoanalysis was from its very beginnings disrespectful, when not positively hostile, towards all existing religious creeds and institutions. Naturally, the religious… More

Love Affair: Psychoanalysts and Religion

– "Love Affair: Psychoanalysts and Religion," Time, November 14, 1949.

Einstein: The Passion of Pure Reason

– "Einstein: The Passion of Pure Reason," Commentary, September 1950.

Excerpt: Einstein’s new Jewishness was not the result of his discovering a hidden Jewish self. It was, on the contrary, a new means of escaping from his self. The flight to Reason from… More

Two Varieties of Democracy

– "Two Varieties of Democracy," Commentary, September 1952.  (A review of The Rise of Totalitarian Democracy by J. L. Talmon.)

Excerpt: An essential defect of Mr. Talmon’s analysis is that he takes the ideology of “totalitarian democracy” as corresponding to an actual fact. In a sense he is deceived by the… More

The Philosophers’ Hidden Truth

– "The Philosophers' Hidden Truth," Commentary, October 1952.  (A review of Persecution and the Art of Writing by Leo Strauss.)

Excerpt: No doubt, there will be scholars who will respectfully dispute Professor Strauss on just about every point. They will find, as many already know, that he is a most formidable… More

Men of Science – and Conscience

– “Men of Science – and Conscience,” Encounter, October 1953.

The Simple and the True

– “The Simple and the True,” Encounter, February 1954.

Niccolo Machiavelli

– “Niccolo Machiavelli,” Encounter, December 1954.

Excerpt: Since Machiavelli, a dimension has been amputated from man’s political existence.  The operation was a success; but there are stitches and scars, inevitably.  It is in… More

The Judgment of Clio

– “The Judgment of Clio,” Encounter, January 1955.  (A review of Historical Inevitability by Isaiah Berlin.)

“…And People Opening Veins in Baths”

– “'...And People Opening Veins in Baths',” Encounter, May 1956.  (A review of Tacitus on Imperial Rome translated by Michael Graves and Tiberius: A Study in Resentment by Gregorio Maranon.)

Excerpt: We have lost the habit of judging tyrants so harshly, for we are more attentive to their historical roles, their “objective” tasks, than to their human meanings. It is the… More

A Philosophy for Little England

– “A Philosophy for Little England,” Encounter, July 1956.  (A review of Philosophy, Politics, and Society edited by Peter Laslett.)

A Philosophy for Little England?

– “A Philosophy for Little England?” (A reply), Encounter, September 1956.

“A Condition of Mere Nature”

– “'A Condition of Mere Nature',” Encounter, October 1956.  (A review of The Anglo-American Tradition in Foreign Affairs edited by Arnold Wolfers and Lawrence W. Martin.)

Politics, Sacred and Profane

– “Politics, Sacred and Profane,” Encounter, September 1957.  (A review of Battle for the Mind by William Sargent and Captured in Tibet by Robert Ford.)

The Essence of Capitalism

– “The Essence of Capitalism,” Encounter, November 1957. (A review of Polity and Economy by Joseph Cropsey.)

Old Truths and the New Conservatism

– “Old Truths and the New Conservatism,” Yale Review, May 1958.

Excerpt: Now, it may please us to think that everyone is born either a little liberal or a little conservative. It may please us so much, indeed, that we conveniently forget there was a… More

The Conquistadors’ Conscience

– “The Conquistadors' Conscience,” Reporter, September 17, 1959. (A review of Aristotle and the American Indians by Louis Hanke.)

…And a Reply

– “...And a Reply,” Encounter, March 1960.  (Reply to Richard Wollheim. “One Man, One Vote...”)

Keeping Up with Ourselves

– “Keeping Up with Ourselves,” Yale Review, June 1960. (A review of The End of Ideology by Daniel Bell.)

Excerpt: There is no question that terribly important things have happened to America in recent decades; but “the end of ideology” is not one of them, and Mr. Bell’s title… More

A Traitor to His Class?

– "A Traitor to His Class?," Kenyon Review, Summer 1960. (A review of Love and Death in the American Novel by Leslie A. Fielder.)

High, Low, and Modern

– “High, Low, and Modern,” Encounter, August 1960.

Excerpt: It is often said that “mass culture” is the price we pay for democracy. That all depends, of course, on what we mean by democracy. If we mean by democracy nothing… More

Machiavelli and the Profanation of Politics

– “Machiavelli and the Profanation of Politics,” in The Logic of Personal Knowledge: Essays by Various Contributors Presented to Michael Polanyi on His Seventieth Birthday (London: Routledge & Kegan Paul, 1961).

A Treasure for the Future

– "A Treasure for the Future," The New Republic, July 10, 1961. (A review of Between Past and Future:  Six Exercises in Political Thought by Hannah Arendt.)

Excerpt: The subtitle, however, may be misleading. Miss Arendt writes with passion and urgency, and she is a woman of strong political opinions. But she isn’t a political thinker in… More

Democracy and Its Discontents

– “Democracy and Its Discontents,” Harper's, September 1961. (A review of eight books.)

The Idea of Mass Culture

– “The Idea of Mass Culture,” Yale Review, February 1962. (A review of The Political Context of Sociology by Leon Bramson.)

Of Newton Minow and Matthew Arnold

– “Of Newton Minow and Matthew Arnold,” The New Leader, January 7, 1963.

One Man, One Vote

– “One Man, One Vote,” The New Leader, June 24, 1963.

From the Land of the Free to the Big PX

– "From the Land of the Free to the Big PX," New York Times Magazine, December 20, 1964.

What Is the Public Interest?

– "What Is the Public Interest?" (with Daniel Bell), The Public Interest, Fall 1965.

Excerpt: The aim of THE PUBLIC INTEREST is at once modest and presumptuous. It is to help all of us, when we discuss issues of public policy, to know a little better what we are talking… More

One Utopian, One Sensible Way to Reconcile State and Society

– “One Utopian, One Sensible Way to Reconcile State and Society,” Harper's, March 1966. (A review of Freedom Through Power by William Withers and Reclaiming the American Dream by Richard C. Cornuelle.)

New Left, New Right

– "New Left, New Right." The Public Interest, Summer 1966.

First, on all the evidence, the one worst way to cope with this crisis in values is through organized political-ideological action. Most of the hysteria, much of the stupidity, and a good… More

Civil Disobedience Is Not Justified by Vietnam

– “Civil Disobedience Is Not Justified by Vietnam” (A response in a symposium) New York Times Magazine, November 26, 1967.

Advice for Managers from a Florentine Consultant

– “Advice for Managers from a Florentine Consultant,” Fortune, April 1968. (A review of Management and Machiavelli by Jay Anthony.)

Our Shaken Foundations

– “Our Shaken Foundations,” Fortune, July 1968.

A Different Way to Restructure the University

– "A Different Way to Restructure the University," New York Times Magazine, December 8, 1968.

The Improbable Guru of Surrealistic Politics

– “The Improbable Guru of Surrealistic Politics,” Fortune, July 1969. (A review of An Essay on Liberation by Herbert Marcuse.)

American Historians and the Democratic Idea

– "American Historians and the Democratic Idea," American Scholar, Winter 1969-1970.

History and Human Survival

– "History and Human Survival," New York Times, August 2, 1970. (A review of Essays on the Young And Old, Survivors And the Dead, and on Contemporary Psychohistory by Robert Jay Lifton.)

“When Virtue Loses All Her Loveliness”—Some Reflections on Capitalism and “the Free Society”

– "'When Virtue Loses All Her Loveliness’—Some Reflections on Capitalism and 'the Free Society'," The Public Interest, Fall 1970.

Excerpt: I use the word “conservative” advisedly. Though the discontents of our civilization express themselves in the rhetoric of “liberation” and… More

“Capitalism” and “the Free Society”

– "'Capitalism' and 'the Free Society'," (a reply to John K. Jessup), The Public Interest, Winter 1971.

Excerpt: Now, there is only one rejoinder that someone like Jessup can make to this point. It is the libertarian answer given by Hayek and Friedman: what legitimates a “free… More

Pornography, Obscenity and The Case for Censorship

– "Pornography, Obscenity and The Case for Censorship," New York Times Magazine, March 28, 1971.

From Priorities to Goals

– "From Priorities to Goals," The Public Interest, Summer 1971.

Excerpt: Controversies over matters of political philosophy, since they are controversies over fundamental beliefs, are exceedingly dangerous for any nation. They certainly ought not to… More

Welfare: The Best of Intentions, the Worst of Results

– “Welfare: The Best of Intentions, the Worst of Results,” Atlantic, August 1971.

Excerpt: Is it surprising, then, that — unmanned and demoralized — he removes himself from family responsibilities that no longer rest on his shoulders? That he drifts out of… More

A Foolish American Ism – Utopianism

– "A Foolish American Ism – Utopianism," New York Times Magazine, November 14, 1971.

On the Democratic Idea in America

– New York: Harper, 1972.

1. Urban Civilization and its Discontents 2. The Shaking of the Foundations 3. Pornography, Obscenity, and the Case for Censorship 4. American Historians and the Democratic Idea 5. American… More

The Need for a Philosophy of Education

– “The Need for a Philosophy of Education” (remarks originally delivered as part of a conference at Rockefeller University on February 21-22, 1972) in The Idea of a Modern University, ed. Sidney Hook, Paul Kurtz, and Miro Todorovich (New York: Prometheus Books, 1974).

An Urban Civilization without Cities

– “An Urban Civilization without Cities,” Horizon, Autumn 1972.

About Equality

– "About Equality," Commentary, November 1972.

Excerpt: So this, it appears to me, is what the controversy “about equality” is really about. We have an intelligentsia which so despises the ethos of bourgeois society, and which is so… More

Equality and Justice

– "Equality and Justice" (A reply to letters), Commentary, February 1973.

Excerpt: I still do believe that any society has to be governed by a principle of justice which legitimates particular inequalities, and that our own society is having trouble finding such… More

Capitalism, Socialism and Nihilism

– "Capitalism, Socialism and Nihilism," The Public Interest, Spring 1973.

Excerpt: WHENEVER and wherever defenders of “free enterprise,” “individual liberty,” and “a free society” assemble, these days, one senses a peculiar kind of nostalgia in the… More

Utopianism, Ancient and Modern

– “Utopianism, Ancient and Modern,” Imprimus, April 1973.

In Defense of Equality

– Michael Walzer, "In Defense of Equality," Dissent, September 1973.

The American Revolution as a Successful Revolution

– “The American Revolution as a Successful Revolution” (lecture delivered at American Enterprise Institute, October 12, 1973), printed in America's Continuing Revolution: An Act of Conservation (Washington, D.C.: American Enterprise Institute, 1975).

Excerpt: As we approach the bicentennial of the American Revolution, we find ourselves in a paradoxical and embarrassing situation. A celebration of some kind certainly seems to be in… More

Republican Virtue vs. Servile Institutions

– “Republican Virtue vs. Servile Institutions” delivered at and then reprinted by the Poynter Center at Indiana University, May 1974. (Reprinted in The Alternative, February 1975.)

Excerpt: This is a serious matter. For the American democracy today seems really to have no other purpose than to create more and more Scarsdales—to convert the entire nation into a… More

Is Technology a Threat to Liberal Society?

– “Is Technology a Threat to Liberal Society?” (Lecture at Science, Technology and Modern Society symposium of Polytechnic Institute of New York), March 13-14, 1975.

On Conservatism and Capitalism

– “On Conservatism and Capitalism,” Wall Street Journal, September 11, 1975.

On Corporate Capitalism in America

– "On Corporate Capitalism in America," The Public Interest, Fall 1975.

Excerpt: Whether for good or evil—and one can leave this for future historians to debate–the large corporation has gone “quasi-public,” i.e., it now straddles,… More

The High Cost of Equality

– “The High Cost of Equality,” Fortune, November 1975. (A review of Equality and Efficiency: The Big Tradeoff by Arthur Okun.)

Adam Smith and the Spirit of Capitalism

– “Adam Smith and the Spirit of Capitalism,” in The Great Ideas Today, ed. Robert Hutchins and Mortimer Adler (Chicago: Encyclopedia Britannica, 1976).

What Is “Social Justice”?

– ''What Is 'Social Justice'?” Wall Street Journal, August 12, 1976.

What Is a Liberal–Who Is Conservative?

– “What Is a Liberal–Who Is Conservative?” (A symposium), Commentary, September 1976.

On the Unfairness of Life

– “On the Unfairness of Life,” Wall Street Journal, August 16, 1977.

How Equal Can We Be?

– “How Equal Can We Be?” (An interview), Business and Society Review, Fall 1977.

In Memory of Martin Diamond

– “In Memory of Martin Diamond,” The Alternative, October 1977.

Looking Back on Neo-Conservatism: Notes and Reflections

– “Looking Back on Neo-Conservatism: Notes and Reflections,” The American Spectator, November 1977.

Two Cheers for Capitalism

– New York: Basic Books, March 1978.

PART ONE: The Enemy of Being is Having 1. Corporate Capitalism in America 2. Business and the “New Class” 3. Frustrations of Affluence 4. Ideology and Food 5. The… More

The “Human Rights” Muddle

– “The 'Human Rights' Muddle,” Wall Street Journal, March 20, 1978.

Capitalism, Socialism and Democracy

– “Capitalism, Socialism and Democracy” (A symposium), Commentary, April 1978.

Human Nature and Social Reform

– “Human Nature and Social Reform,” Wall Street Journal, September 18, 1978.

Excerpt: What it comes down to is that our reformers simply cannot bring themselves to think realistically about human nature.  They believe it to be not only originally good, but also… More

The Disaffection from Capitalism

– “The Disaffection from Capitalism,” in Capitalism and Socialism: A Theological Inquiry, ed. Michael Novak (Washington, D.C.: American Enterprise Institute, 1979).

The Spiritual Roots of Capitalism and Socialism

– “The Spiritual Roots of Capitalism and Socialism,” in Capitalism and Socialism: A Theological Inquiry, ed. Michael Novak (Washington, D.C.: American Enterprise Institute, 1979).

The Godfather of Neoconservatism (And His Family)

– Geoffrey Norman, "The Godfather of Neoconservatism (And His Family)," Esquire, February 13, 1979.

No Cheers for the Profit Motive

– “No Cheers for the Profit Motive,” Wall Street Journal, February 20, 1979.

Excerpt: It is, in my opinion, as absurd to praise the profit motive—i.e., economic action based on self-interest—as it is to condemn it. The human impulse to such action is, like… More

Business Ethics and Economic Man

– “Business Ethics and Economic Man,” Wall Street Journal, March 20, 1979.

The Adversary Culture of Intellectuals

– “The Adversary Culture of Intellectuals,” Encounter, October 1979.

Confessions of a True, Self-Confessed – Perhaps the Only – Neoconservative

– “Confessions of a True, Self-Confessed – Perhaps the Only – Neoconservative,” Public Opinion, October/November, 1979.

The Goal

– “The Goal,” Encounter, March 1980.

Rationalism in Economics

– "Rationalism in Economics," The Public Interest, Special Issue 1980.

Excerpt: IT is widely conceded that something like a “crisis in economic theory” exists, but there is vehement disagreement about the extent and nature of this crisis. The more… More

The Common Sense of “Human Rights”

– ''The Common Sense of 'Human Rights',” Wall Street Journal, April 8, 1981.

How to Choose Between Dictatorships

– “How to Choose Between Dictatorships,” [London] Times, May 5, 1981.

Reason Interview: Irving Kristol

– "Reason Interview: Irving Kristol," Reason, January 1983.

Reflections of a Neoconservative: Looking Back, Looking Ahead

– New York: Basic Books, October 1983.

I. IN THE BEGINNING… 1. Memoirs of a Trotskyist 2. Memoirs of a “Cold Warrior”   II. THE CULTURE OF DEMOCRATIC CAPITALISM 3. The Adversary Culture of Intellectuals 4.… More

Kristol’s Red Persuasion?

– Robert Lekachman, "Kristol's Red Persuasion?" The Nation, October 29, 1983. (A review of Reflections of a Neoconservative: Looking Back, Looking Ahead by Irving Kristol.)

Excerpt: In sum, at their worst these polemics are diatribes against the world supposedly made by liberals and those to the left of them. At their best, they convey much thoughtful, somber… More

There’ll Never Be a “1984”

– “There'll Never Be a '1984',” Wall Street Journal, December 16, 1983.

A Choice of Blind Alleys

– “A Choice of Blind Alleys,” Times Literary Supplement, November 23, 1984. (A review of Politics and the Pursuit of Happiness by Ghita Ionescu.)

Sidney Hook: Humanist, Pragmatist, Democrat, American

– “Sidney Hook: Humanist, Pragmatist, Democrat, American,” Humanities (Washington, D.C.: National Endowment for the Humanities, 1984.)

The Twisted Vocabulary of Superpower Symmetry

– “The Twisted Vocabulary of Superpower Symmetry” (remarks originally delivered as part of a conference in May 1985), in Scorpions in a Bottle: Dangerous Ideas About the United States and the Soviet Union, ed. Lissa Roche (Hillsdale, MI: Hillsdale College Press, 1986).

“Human Rights”: The Hidden Agenda

– “'Human Rights': The Hidden Agenda,” The National Interest, Winter 1986-87.

Excerpt: A final point: There are some conservative (or non-left) “human rights” activists who feel that this theme can be exploited for purposes of anti-communist and… More

The Spirit of ’87

– "The Spirit of '87," The Public Interest, Winter 1987.

Excerpt: THE AMERICAN CONSTITUTION is a highly paradoxical document. Rhetorically, it is dry, legalistic, lacking in eloquence. Substantively, too, while it may not in fact have been “the… More

The War of the Words

– “The War of the Words,” Wall Street Journal, June 11, 1987.

Virtues and Vices of Democracy

– "Virtues and Vices of Democracy" (A Federalist Society symposium), November 7, 1987.

Religion and the Constitution

– "Religion and the Constitution" (An AEI symposium), December 1, 1987.

The End of History?

– “The End of History?” (A symposium), The National Interest, Summer 1989.

Some Kindergarten Remediation

– “Some Kindergarten Remediation,” Wall Street Journal, June 22, 1989.

On the Character of American Political Order

– “On the Character of American Political Order,” In The Promise of American Politics: Principles and Practice after Two Hundred Years, ed. Robert Utley (New York: University Press of America, 1989).

Foreword to Resonant Lives: 50 Figures of Consequence

– Foreword to Resonant Lives: 50 Figures of Consequence by Paul Greenberg (Washington, D.C.: Ethics and Public Policy Center, 1991).

Standing Room Only

– “Standing Room Only,” Times Literary Supplement, July 12, 1991. (A review of American Citizenship: The Quest for Inclusion by Judith Shklar.)

Interview with Tom Bethell

– Interview with Tom Bethell, American Spectator, December 1991.

Excerpt: “The Democratic party is falling apart,” he said. “Which is lucky for us. It’s completely out of sync with the public. What’s happening to the… More

The Capitalist Future

– “The Capitalist Future” (AEI Francis Boyer Lecture), December 4, 1991.

The Capitalist Future

– “The Capitalist Future,” Francis Boyer Lecture at the American Enterprise Institute, December 4, 1991.

Excerpt: This cultural nihilism will have, in the short term, only a limited political effect—short of a massive, enduring economic crisis. The reason it will not happen—this is still… More

Toasts and Remarks Delivered at a Dinner in Honor of Irving Kristol on His Seventy-fifth Birthday

– Christopher DeMuth, George Will, Walter Berns, Midge Decter, Charles Krauthammer, Daniel Patrick Moynihan, and William Kristol, "Toasts and Remarks Delivered at a Dinner in Honor of Irving Kristol on His Seventy-fifth Birthday," The American Enterprise Institute, January 21, 1995.

Excerpt: If what is called neoconservatism is by now an institution of sorts, it truly is what Emerson said institutions are–the lengthening shadow of a man. And the man is Irving… More

A Man without Footnotes

– Nathan Glazer, "A Man without Footnotes," in The Neoconservative Imagination: Essays in Honor of Irving Kristol, ed. Christopher DeMuth and William Kristol, (Washington, DC: AEI Press, 1995).

Irving Kristol’s Moral Realism

– Philip Selznick, "Irving Kristol's Moral Realism," in The Neoconservative Imagination: Essays in Honor of Irving Kristol, ed. Christopher DeMuth and William Kristol, (Washington, DC: AEI Press, 1995).

A Letter from Paris

– H. J. Kaplan, "A Letter from Paris," in The Neoconservative Imagination: Essays in Honor of Irving Kristol, ed. Christopher DeMuth and William Kristol, (Washington, DC: AEI Press, 1995).

The Common Man’s Uncommon Intellectual

– Michael S. Joyce, "The Common Man's Uncommon Intellectual," in The Neoconservative Imagination: Essays in Honor of Irving Kristol, ed. Christopher DeMuth and William Kristol, (Washington, DC: AEI Press, 1995).

Twice Chosen: Irving Kristol as American

– Michael Novak, "Twice Chosen: Irving Kristol as American," in The Neoconservative Imagination: Essays in Honor of Irving Kristol, ed. Christopher DeMuth and William Kristol, (Washington, DC: AEI Press, 1995).

The Need for Piety and Law: A Kristol-Clear Case

– Leon R. Kass, "The Need for Piety and Law: A Kristol-Clear Case," in The Neoconservative Imagination: Essays in Honor of Irving Kristol, ed. Christopher DeMuth and William Kristol, (Washington, DC: AEI Press, 1995).

Reflections of a Neoconservative Disciple

– Mark Gerson, "Reflections of a Neoconservative Disciple," in The Neoconservative Imagination: Essays in Honor of Irving Kristol, ed. Christopher DeMuth and William Kristol, (Washington, DC: AEI Press, 1995).

Neoconservatism: The Autobiography of an Idea

– New York: Free Press, 1995.

SECTION I 1. An Autobiographical Memoir   SECTION II: RACE, SEX, AND FAMILY 2. Welfare: The Best of Intentions, the Worst of Results 3. The Tragedy of “Multiculturalism” 4.… More

Booknotes

– "Booknotes" (An interview with Brian Lamb), September 5, 1995.

America’s “Exceptional” Conservatism

– “America’s ‘Exceptional’ Conservatism” from Neoconservatism: The Autobiography of an Idea, (New York, NY: The Free Press, 1995).

An Autobiographical Memoir

– “An Autobiographical Memoir” from Neoconservatism: The Autobiography of an Idea, (New York, NY: The Free Press, 1995).

Excerpt: Is there such a thing as a “neo” gene? I ask that question because, looking back over a lifetime of my opinions, I am struck by the fact that they all quality as “neo.” I… More

Godfather

– Wilfred M. McClay, "Godfather," Commentary, February 1996. (A review of Neoconservatism: The Autobiography of an Idea by Irving Kristol.)

Excerpt: Perhaps, then, there is another sense in which Kristol deserves the appellation of “godfather.” Ever since the appearance of Mario Puzo’s book of that title, there has been a… More

The Right Stuff

– “The Right Stuff,” Prospect, October 1996.

Excerpt: I remember the day very well, back in 1956, when I arrived at my office at Encounter-of which I was then co-editor-and found on my desk an unsolicited manuscript by Michael… More

The Family Way

– Jacob Weisberg, "The Family Way," The New Yorker, October 21 & 28, 1996.

Excerpt: Someone imperfectly versed in the idiosyncrasies of American political life might have found Irving Kristol’s seventy-fifth-birthday party a bit peculiar. Gathered to… More

Machiavelli for Moderns

– "Machiavelli for Moderns" (An introduction to an AEI lecture by Michael Ledeen), May 12, 1997.

Arguing the World

– "Arguing the World" (A documentary), written and directed by Joseph Dorman, January 7, 1998.

Is Technology a Threat to Society?

– "Is Technology a Threat to Society?" The Public Interest, Spring 2001.

Excerpt: I think there is some loose thinking about this whole problem of scientists, engineers, and their social responsibilities. When scientists say they want to live up to their social… More

Book Discussion on “On Two Wings”

– "Book Discussion on On Two Wings" (An AEI symposium), December 4, 2001.

Book Discussion on “Heaven on Earth”

– "Book Discussion on Heaven on Earth" (An AEI symposium), April 22, 2002

The Neoconservative Persuasion: What It Was, and What It Is

– "The Neoconservative Persuasion: What It Was, and What It Is,"  The Weekly Standard, August 25, 2003.

Excerpt: Viewed in this way, one can say that the historical task and political purpose of neoconservatism would seem to be this: to convert the Republican party, and American conservatism… More

My “Public Interest”

– "My 'Public Interest'," The Weekly Standard, December 18, 2006.

Excerpt: In 1965, through a series of circumstances that need not be recounted here, the stars became properly aligned so that my wish could become a reality. Dan Bell and I were able to… More

Irving Kristol, Norman Podhoretz, and the Jewish Religion

– Allan Arkush, "Irving Kristol, Norman Podhoretz, and the Jewish Religion," in Reason, Faith, and Politics: Essays in Honor of Werner J. Dannhauser, ed. Arthur M. Melzer and Robert P. Kraynak, (Lanham, MD: Lexington Books, 2008).

Farewell to the Godfather

– Christopher Hitchens, "Farewell to the Godfather," Slate, September 20, 2009.

Excerpt: The neoconservative faction, or should we say movement, is generally secular and often associated with the name of Leo Strauss. Kristol was one of those who never minded saying… More

Three Cheers for Irving by David Brooks

– David Brooks, "Three Cheers for Irving," The New York Times, September 21, 2009.

Excerpt: Kristol championed capitalism and wrote brilliantly about Adam Smith. But like Smith, he could only give two cheers for capitalism, because the system of creative destruction has… More

Irving Kristol

– "Irving Kristol," The Economist, September 24, 2009.

Excerpt: Conservatism, Kristol-style, acquired a “neo”. He was always, he mused, a neo-something: neoMarxist, neoliberal, neo-Orthodox (because he believed, though he wasn’t sure… More

The Interested Man

– Nathan Glazer, "The Interested Man," The New Republic, November 4, 2009.

Excerpt: I think back to these early days because it seems to me that Irving was all of a piece, almost from the beginning. No comment on his passing has failed to mention the young… More

The Moral Realism of Irving Kristol by Eric Cohen

– Eric Cohen, "The Moral Realism of Irving Kristol," National Affairs, Winter 2010.

Excerpt: Neoconservatism was, as Kristol always described it, merely a “­persuasion” that tried to “imagine the world as it might be,” but also to “live and… More

Two Cheers for Philanthropy

– Leslie Lenkowsky, "Two Cheers for Philanthropy," Philanthropy, Winter 2010.

Excerpt: In philanthropy as in much else of American life, however, the 1960s challenged older patterns. For foundations, this meant that efforts to change public policy, empower… More

Remembering Irving Kristol

– James Piereson, "Remembering Irving Kristol," The New Criterion, February 2010.

The Neoconservative Persuasion: Selected Essays, 1942-2009

– New York: Basic Books, 2011.

Foreword: In Memoriam: Irving Kristol, 1920-2009: William Kristol Introduction by Gertrude Himmelfarb   I. IN THE BEGINNING . . . : Enquiry Auden: The Quality of Doubt A Christian… More

Beyond Ideology

– James Q. Wilson, "Beyond Ideology," Wall Street Journal, January 21, 2011. (A review of The Neoconservative Persuasion by Irving Kristol.)

Excerpt: The essays in “The Neoconservative Persuasion”—all but one never before brought together in a book—are a remarkable introduction to one of the few people who… More

Irving Kristol and Republican Virtue

– Peter Wehner, "Contentions" blog, Commentary, January 24, 2011.

Excerpt: On C-SPAN’s series After Words, David Brooks hosted an engaging and wide-ranging interview with William Kristol on The Neoconservative Persuasion: Selected Essays 1942-2009,… More

Irving Kristol’s Brute Reason

– Paul Berman, "Irving Kristol's Brute Reason," New York Times Book Review, January 30, 2011.

Excerpt: And, in this new spirit, he plunged into his magnum opus, which, instead of a book, was the constructing of something called “neoconservatism.” This was intended to be a new… More

Irving Kristol’s Neoconservative Persuasion

– Gertrude Himmelfarb, "Irving Kristol's Neoconservative Persuasion," Commentary, February 2011.

Excerpt: Much has been made of the consistency of tone in his writings—bold and speculative but never dogmatic or academic, always personal, witty, ironic. That tone is not only a matter… More

The Neoconservative Persuasion

– Amy Kass, Charles Krauthammer, Irwin Stelzer, Leon Kass, and William Kristol, "The Neoconservative Persuasion" (A panel discussion), February 2, 2011.

The Neoconservative Persuasion: A Tribute to Irving Kristol

– Audio, Video and Transcript.  A Hudson Institute panel, February 2, 2011.

As conservatives try once again to re-envision America’s future and how to secure it, the publication of this volume of previously uncollected essays by Irving Kristol, “the godfather… More

Irving Kristol: “The Neoconservative Persuasion”

– (Interview of William Kristol by David Brooks), Book TV, C-SPAN 2, February 11, 2011.

Mr. Kristol, who wrote the foreword to “The Neoconservative Persuasion,” discusses his late father’s essays on the history of the neoconservative movement. While the… More

The Great Persuader by James W. Ceaser

– James W. Ceaser, "The Great Persuader," The Weekly Standard, February 14, 2011. (A review of The Neoconservative Persuasion by Irving Kristol.)

Excerpt: Of public intellectuals so conceived, there have been only a handful: George Bancroft, whose famous History of the United States and orations sketched out much of the Jacksonian… More

Three Cheers

– Jeremy Rozansky, "Three Cheers," Counterpoint, Winter 2011. (A review of The Neoconservative Persuasion by Irving Kristol.)

“I myself have accepted the term, perhaps, because, having been named Irving, I am relatively indifferent to baptismal caprice.” So said Irving Kristol of having been called a… More

The Flexible Temperament

– James Piereson, "The Flexible Temperament," The New Criterion, March 2010. (A review of The Neoconservative Persuasion by Irving Kristol.)

Excerpt: Kristol’s intellectual contribution was to bring these fundamental ideas into contemporary debates about politics and public policy through his writings in outlets like the Wall… More

The Origins of Neoconservatism

– Harvey Mansfield, "The Origins of Neoconservatism" (An interview with Eli Kozminsky), Harvard Political Review, March 7, 2011.

Excerpt: What did Kristol find so radical, yet conservative, about Strauss? The article in Kristol’s book is a review of Strauss’ Persecution and the Art of Writing, which came out in… More

A Legacy of Temperament

– Roger Kimball, "A Legacy of Temperament," National Review, June 6, 2011. (A review of The Neoconservative Persuasion by Irving Kristol.)

Excerpt: An honest man, said the poet William Blake, may change his opinions, but not his principles. Irving Kristol, who died in September 2009 just shy of 90, embarked on intellectual… More

Irving Kristol, Edmund Burke, and the Rabbis

– Meir Soloveichik, "Irving Kristol, Edmund Burke, and the Rabbis," Jewish Review of Books, Summer 2011. (A review of The Neoconservative Persuasion by Irving Kristol.)

Excerpt: Renowned as a founder of neoconservativism, Irving Kristol was “neo” in other respects as well. “Is there such a thing as a ‘neo’ gene?” he once… More

The Brooklyn Burkeans

– Jonathan Bronitsky, "The Brooklyn Burkeans," National Affairs, Winter 2014.

Excerpt: By the time Kristol and Himmelfarb moved back home to New York in 1958, they were entrenched in the classical-liberal tradition and, therefore, primed to react negatively to the… More