Review: “Conservatism: A Rediscovery” by Yoram Hazony

“In my own life, being disabled and living with an acute example of life’s predicament means that the worldview Hazony describes and prescribes has made far more sense and has offered far more consolation than liberalism ever could.”

Everything seems against the possibility of a conservatism that goes beyond simplistic economism and vague gestures at “values” and “principles,” which all seem conveniently to entrench the interests and dominance of a managerial corporate and administrative structure while undermining the ability of the common man or woman to pursue that which makes life meaningful. Yoram Hazony’s Conservatism: A Rediscovery is a much-needed vision of what it means to conserve in a society and culture where conservation seems increasingly impossible. While Hazony understandably writes in a mainly American context, the substance of Hazony’s arguments is relevant to British conservatives, both on its merits and because the United States’ influence means that we on the imperial periphery must pay attention to changing ideological currents.

Hazony’s book faces these questions of life and politics head on, providing a post-liberal vision for an increasingly chaotic and unstable world of a modernity all the more liquified by the solvent of liberalism. This is expressed in clear, eloquent writing that avoids overloading the reader with niche philosophical jargon. At the same time, it refuses the condescension of the shallowness rife in political writing today. The point of this book is that our culture requires restoration. And, for that, we must rediscover conservatism. As Hazony writes, conservatism means that “when faced with the disastrous consequences of a particular course of action, we must retrace our steps and restore, as much as possible, the conditions that existed prior to setting out on this course.”

Hazony lays out his thesis in four parts, beginning with “History,” moving to “Philosophy” as the core of the book, followed by “Current Affairs,” and ending with a reflection titled “Personal.” The order the parts are presented in might seem a little strange to some: Should not philosophy be first, with history coming afterward? However, having read it through, the structure and the order in which it is presented lends a coherence and a feeling of connection. Each part builds on the preceding section, providing a sense of argumentative force that aids in convincing the reader of Hazony’s central argument: that the vision of conservatism he presents is true, right, possible, and indeed vital for the rejuvenation of our societies.