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The Conservative Tradition

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The Conservative Tradition

By: Patrick N. Allitt, The Great Courses
Narrated by: Patrick N. Allitt
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About this listen

A thorough understanding of Conservatism's lineage, principles, and impact on history is essential to making sense of the 21st-century political dialogue-a dialogue that consumes the television you watch, the newspapers you read, and the radio you listen to.

No matter where you place yourself on the ideological spectrum, these 36 lectures will intrigue you, engage you, and maybe even provoke you to think about this political philosophy in an entirely new way.

In crafting his exploration of just why this has happened, Professor Allitt has specifically designed his lectures to be objective, neutral, and intellectually satisfying for every viewer and listener - whatever their ideological outlook. Using an easygoing and engaging style, these lectures show you how Anglo-American Conservatism developed and evolved in both Great Britain and the United States; how traditional Conservatism produced evolutionary variants like Neoconservatism and Libertarianism; and the provocative ways in which Conservatism has interacted with differing political philosophies. Following the fascinating history of Conservatism, you'll also meet the widest possible range of thinkers and practitioners behind the Conservative tradition, including John Stuart Mill, Ayn Rand, Francis Schaeffer, Adam Smith, Henry Adams, Alexander Hamilton, William Pitt the Younger, Winston Churchill, Margaret Thatcher, Ronald Reagan, H.L. Mencken, William F. Buckley Jr., Ludwig von Mises, and Friedrich von Hayek.Whether you consider yourself a Liberal or a Conservative-or something in between-these lectures can make you a more effective and informed citizen, armed with a sharpened understanding of the ways in which this philosophy has influenced events around the world.

PLEASE NOTE: When you purchase this title, the accompanying reference material will be available in your Library section along with the audio.

©2009 The Teaching Company, LLC (P)2009 The Great Courses
Political Science Politics & Government

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All stars
Most relevant
This is now the second time that I have had to write about historians not using the correct terminology in the Great Courses series. On a number of occasions Patrick Allitt refers to England when he quite clearly means Great Britain or the United Kingdom. For those who are Welsh or Irish or Scots it is particularly annoying. At one point he even refers to the impact that Walter Scott had on England and does not even recognise the impact that he had on his own country. This very narrow english-centric view was also illustrated in a comment that he made at the end of the series on his own life experiences. He was born in 1956, I was born in 1955, so we are very much of the same age. He talked about a natural feeling of difference that people had in the United Kingdom to the monarchy and people in authority, and that he had never heard anyone question this. I grew up in Edinburgh, in a family that I would certainly not regard as radical in any way, but they certainly did not display deference to authority. Also, to me, his conservative leanings shone through.

Get your terminology correct

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If your interested in conservatism in the UK and USA and want something without opinion then this is well worth it

Fantastic listen and Unbiased

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Patrick N. Allitt's overview of conservative tendencies in politics makes for fascinating listening. Professor Allitt is forthright in stating that he takes no position on the views he presents; his aim is to deliver the course in a politically neutral manner. The course covers UK and US politics from Burke to Blair, examining all of the key talking points along the way. Professor Allitt is frank about the vagueness of political categories and the seeming contradiction of policies and figures who were viewed in their day as 'radical' but by later generations as 'conservative'. He deliberately ends the course in 2000 in order to avoid raising questions that could open up new avenues of controversy. The accompanying booklet gives a thorough synopsis of and reading list for each lesson. Highly recommended.

A thorough overview

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An interesting and detailed account of British and American Conservatism - narrated from a (moderate) Conservative point of view.

As a non-Conservative I profoundly disagreed with a lot of the conservative arguments and points of view that were discussed - but the professor's likable manner and great story telling skills helped me get through all the lectures.

The lectures only cover the history of conservatism in Britain and the USA.

The history of British and American conservatism

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Good summary from the perspective of a hard-right lecturer, but not much critical engagement from outside the right perspective and the bare minimum consideration of how left perspectives changes conservative approaches. Rather than consider how the changing nature of Conservative thought is inectricably linked to it's left opposition, we are presented it as if it mattered nought and all chance was from within. It's also out of date - lecture doesn't move past 2008 or 2009.

I'd recommend it for what I wrote in the first line, bearing in mind it's limitations

Good overview, but bias shows through

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