Patriotism is not enough : Harry Jaffa, Walter Berns, and the arguments that redefined American conservatism / Steven F. Hayward. (Text)

Reprint. Originally published 2017.

Includes bibliographical references and index.

Preface to the paperback edition : the crisis of the conservative house divided -- The first rule of Straussian Fight Club is ... -- "A little touch of Harry in the night" -- "Patriotism is not enough" -- Starting over : something has gone wrong ... -- Statesmanship and the renegade revival -- The vital center cannot hold -- Equality as a principle and a problem -- How to think about the Constitution : two views -- Extremism in defense of liberty -- The administrative state and the end of constitutional government -- Political philosophy in an anti-philosophic age.

A new preface by the author. This book is a lively intellectual history of a small circle of thinkers, especially, but not solely, Harry Jaffa and Walter Berns, who challenged the "mainstream" liberal consensus of political science and history about how the American Founding should be understood. Along the way they changed the course of the conservative movement and had a significant impact on shaping contemporary political debates from constitutional interpretation, civil rights, to the corruption of government today. Most importantly, these thinkers explain the deep reasons for patriotism{u2014}why we should love America not just because it is our country, but because it is a free and just country.