210099 SE M3: Understanding conservatism (2025S)

Conservatism is a permanent feature of modern politics. Some believe it is currently undergoing a revival. But what is conservatism? The fact that conservatism, unlike other ideologies, does not have a firmly established canon has led many to dismiss it as an “anti-ideology.” This seminar suggests that conservatism is far from an anti-ideology. It may not offer a single, perfectly coherent set of political ideas – but it is possible to identify a number of beliefs that virtually all conservative ideologies share, notably a commitment to maintaining social order and stability, particular ideas about what is and is not “natural,” and an intense dislike of disruptive and revolutionary change. As such, conservatism can also enter into symbiotic relationships with a range of other ideologies, such as certain forms of classical liberalism.

This seminar seeks to take conservatism seriously by exploring the work of various thinkers who are often regarded as quintessential conservatives, as well as thinkers who have not claimed the mantle of conservatism, but who have drawn on some fundamentally conservative ideas. We will begin with Edmund Burke, who is widely regarded as the “patron saint” of modern conservatism. We will also look at the (in)famous Catholic reactionary Joseph de Maistre and Carl Schmitt's engagement with his “alter ego,” the political theologian Juan Donoso Cortés. In the part of the seminar that covers the second half of the twentieth century to the present, thinkers as diverse as Jacques Maritain, Hannah Arendt, F.A. von Hayek, Robert Nozick, Alasdair MacIntrye and Patrick Deneen will be our main guides. Students should expect to gain a good overview of different branches of conservative political thought, which will help them to better understand the past and present of this influential tradition.