1st Edition

Conservatism, Past and Present A Philosophical Introduction

By Tristan J. Rogers Copyright 2025
340 Pages
by Routledge

340 Pages
by Routledge

340 Pages
by Routledge

In Conservatism, Past and Present: A Philosophical Introduction , Tristan J. Rogers argues that philosophical conservatism is a coherent and compelling set of historically rooted ideas about conserving and promoting the human good. Part I, “Conservatism Past,” presents a history of conservative ideas, exploring themes, such as the search for wisdom, the limits of philosophy, reform in preference... Read more

Introduction: Philosophical Conservatism

PART I – Conservatism Past

1. Ancient Sources: The Search for Wisdom

2. Christian Sources: The Limits of Philosophy

3. Enlightenment Conservatism: Change from Within

4. The Spirit of Conservatism: Freedom through Authority

5. Modern Conservatism: A Tradition of Liberty

Interlude: A Common Moral Faith

PART II – Conservatism Present

6. Nationalism

7. Populism

8. The Family

9. Education

10. Responsibility

Conclusion: Conservatism Future?

Index

Biography

Dr. Tristan J. Rogers teaches Logic and Latin at Donum Dei Classical Academy in San Francisco, CA. He has also taught philosophy at Santa Clara University, the University of Colorado Boulder, and the University of California, Davis. He is the author of The Authority of Virtue: Institutions and Character in the Good Society (2020).

"Tristan Rogers' Conservatism, Past and Present is an important contribution. Against the widespread neglect of conservative thought in the academy, Rogers shows that there is a serious tradition of conservative political philosophy—with which responsible political philosophers must engage—by tracing conservative themes in the thought of major thinkers within the Western intellectual tradition, including Plato, Aristotle, Cicero, Augustine, Aquinas, Hume, Burke, Hegel, Tocqueville, and so on. Drawing on this tradition, Rogers articulates and defends a position he calls “philosophical conservatism,” which he deploys to advance conservative views on contemporary political debates, demonstrating the continued appeal of conservative thought." 

-Dr. David McPhersonProfessor of Philosophy at the Hamilton Center for Classical and Civic Education, University of Florida, USA.