The Conservative Tradition

Preserving the traditions and values of the past and applying them to the future - this is the core of the Conservative attitude. In the U.S., this philosophy has become one of the two dominant ideologies of our modern political tradition. A thorough understanding of Conservatism's lineage, principles, and impact on history is essential to making sense of the 21st-century political dialogue. No matter where you place yourself on the ideological spectrum, the 36 lectures of Professor Patrick Allitt's course will intrigue you, engage you, and maybe even provoke you to think about this political philosophy in an entirely new way.

As you listen to Professor Allitt discuss the fascinating history of Conservatism, you'll likely be surprised to discover, whether your own leanings are Conservative or Liberal, how much of your side's views came from or were influenced by the other. You'll gain a more rounded understanding of not just your point of view but of the opposing side's, as well.

By the end of this course, you'll have an enhanced appreciation of the development of a philosophy that, Professor Allitt reminds us, has been "perhaps the dominant phenomenon of recent American politics" and how it has impacted both sides of the political spectrum. You'll be a more effective and informed citizen, armed with a sharpened understanding of the ways in which this philosophy has influenced events around the world.

All Lectures:
1. What Is Conservatism?
2. The Glorious Revolution and Its Heritage
3. Burke, Tradition, and the French Revolution
4. Pitt and the Wars of the French Revolution
5. The American Revolution
6. The Federalists
7. Conservatives in the American South
8. Northern Antebellum Conservatism
9. Opposing the Great Reform Act
10. Robert Peel and the Conservative Revival
11. Smith, Ricardo, Malthus, Mill
12. Conservatism and the American Civil War
13. Industrialists, Mugwumps, Traditionalists
14. Disraeli and Tory Imperialism
15. The Rise of Labour and the House of Lords
16. The Idea of Anglo-Saxon Supremacy
17. No Vote for Women
18. American Conservatives after World War I
19. Opposing the New Deal
20. The Tory Party from Bonar Law to Churchill
21. The Reaction to Labour and Nationalization
22. American Anticommunism and McCarthyism
23. American Traditionalists
24. Libertarianism
25. National Review and Barry Goldwater
26. Upheavals of the 1960s
27. The Neoconservatives
28. The Neoconservatives and Foreign Policy
29. Christian Conservatives and the New Right
30. Margaret Thatcher's Counterrevolution
31. Monarchs and Prime Ministers
32. Reagan Triumphant
33. The End of the Cold War
34. Paleoconservatives and Theoconservatives
35. Culture Wars
36. Unresolved Paradoxes