Shoulders of Giants

Magazine publications, no matter how useful and insightful, are not the only source of good ideas, which is why libraries predominately hold books. Featured below are a wide range of authors on a great many subjects of fiction (but mainly) non-fiction that might be of interest but not often part of required readings. In due course, many of these will have a short synopsis of their thought and references to their greatest contributions to the intellectual great tradition. No list can possibly be comprehensive or complete, and suggestions for additions are happily solicited. And yes, there are some names, properly deemed “giants” as well who are not primarily authors but doers: either building important private organizations or significant public service. As time and energy permits, short explanations of why all of these individuals are on this list and worthy of your interest.

A Note about this list.

Most of these are 20th century thinkers and writers. A few stretch back thousands of years (Plato, Aristotle, Cicero); others just hundreds (Thomas Aquinas, Adam Smith, Edmund Burke). Only a few are alive and active today. And a few are listed not for their writings but their activity that made an impact in the 20th Century by virtue of their academic entrepreneurship or public service (e.g. Vic Milione, David Jones, Glenn Campbell, Leonard Read, William Baroody, Paul Weyrich). We owe a lot to the endeavors of this last group; they should be remembered for their achievements rather than the ideas they articulated. The great bulk of those on this list were not only active scholars in the 20th Century but were, in various ways, outliers or dissenters from the mainstream of thinking in their fields. As a result, they have not been fully accepted and thus their ideas not largely considered today. They are listed here because their independent thinking and scholarship merit study and consideration, [delete: both for their courage and intellect]. In due course, we’ll be adding brief sketches of their lives and a little guidance on their most important works.

The following individuals have contributed in various ways to conservatism and classical liberalism.

Literature.

Fiction and story-telling is a wonderful way to explore the human imagination and experience and learn about people we’ll never meet, delving into their thoughts and actions as we cannot. For American literature, the great geographical bases have been New England (including New York) and the South. Most of the great classics stem from these two regions, with the West and the Midwest playing lesser roles. The West was a place to go to; the Midwest, even when dealing with pioneers, was more about settling in. There is a continuing tension between New England and the South — Puritans and Cavaliers if you like. Which writers were better in making their case for their region and delving into the inner lives of their protagonists? While the Midwest was more sedate, the West was the most adventuresome: struggles against both nature and people were always part of the background. Within that literature is a different kind of tension: why did people venture on such a dangerous pilgrimage? Here the tension is between whether the radical individual who wanted to get away from the community in which he came from or whether communities moved West to avoid being changed by their existing society. The former is the theme of most Western movies, but the other may be more accurate. The “Pilgrims” came to North America because they did not want to be changed by societal influences of the England and the Netherlands where they lived. Moving to Massachusetts, they believed, as a community would allow them to continue their lives shared by their beliefs without undue influences corroding that way of life. Likewise the Mormon pilgrimage westward: they moved so they could stay the same!

Two other broad themes in American literature are those of war and outer space. Great wars and the experiences they present test people and demonstrates character in ways civilian life cannot. Science fiction allows for the full imagination to explore alternative and often utopian possibilities, at least possibilities that might be imaginable. Finally, there are detective stories and romances.

Outside of American itself, only European literature has left a major imprint. The greatest: Dante, Cervantes, Goethe, Shakespeare, Rabelais are still with us, infusing their stories and insights into our own literature. Only a very few authors from Latin America, Africa, and the Middle East have made an impact, and even less so South and East Asian authors.

Taking a temporal rather than geographical framework is also interesting. The colonial, the formative and antebellum, and later periods all have important literature, much of taking part in the geographical framework above. Struggles of individuals and outside groups (immigrants, ethnic groups, the poor and rich) are all grist. Likewise, the impact of the European/Mediterranean literature, beginning with the Old Testament, going to the New, the Greek plays and Roman literature remains powerful.

And finally, the three dimensions where all humans live their lives: inward, outward and upward. Who am I and how should I live? What is the path of my pilgrimage to make use of this gift of live and the time I have? How should I interact with fellow humans that I encounter in my community? Love and hate,cooperation and competition, finding ways through thought and experience.

Political Science

Politics is a communal activity involving efforts to gain power and discern the common good. These should be combined but often are not, even to the complete exclusion of one or the conflation of the two. How ambitious or restrained should power be in a community? More boldly: should be be forced to bend to the will of another (even for their “own good”) or should they have enough liberty to find their own way by thought and experience? For many, often labeled libertarians, the focus is on government itself (often defined as having a monopoly on the use of legitimate force). “How big should it be?” is not the best framework. As an institution one might probe just what should that human institution attempt to do, which is another way of asking what are its legitimate functions? Should people be left largely to govern themselves and, then, what areas should government intervene? A narrower formulation looks at the U.S. Constitution for guidance and what degree should that guidance be binding assuming it can be discerned? A larger question asks whether Constitution and the ideas of the Founders that shaped it are still applicable to us living in the 21st century. It many ways humans have not changed at all in 250 years, but the circumstances in which we live have. At the largest framework, can we understand the common good by careful analysis of how others, over the centuries, have lived and which of their choices have been the most successful. Does “nature” have “laws” that should guide us? Or are we entirely on our own?

The desirability of having the “people” share in their governance is a different one from simply letting them alone, so they can govern themselves. A “democracy” or at least a regime with a significant democratic element is widely seen as an ideal. How to design a government where millions of people, all of whom know only a few fellow citizens, and yet all have some opportunity to shape the policies of that government is an enormous task. Allowing some form of periodic input, such as voting or gauging public opinion, is some part of an answer, but questions arise of how often, who should be allowed to participate, and how should the choices about which they can opine are all, themselves, complicated and often in dispute. Political borders do change; as do definitions of citizenship as well as its implementation.

Over time a political culture emerges combining habits, experiences and past deliberations. They both constrain and guide us in our political actions, yet they can also be judged an inequitable restraints.

Finally, a political regime needs leadership. And an important task of a leader is to guide the polity away from dangers even as its seeks to expand the opportunities and well-being of its citizens. Those dangers can emerge from within, but most often the focus is on the outside, namely issues of foreign policy and national security. The War of Southern Secession (now usually called the Civil War, but civil wars are best used when both sides want to control the entire country; secession is when one party wants to separate for the then existing polity) was an internal divide; World War I is still somewhat unclear, but World War II and the Cold War were clearly about foreign threats. How best to deal with them so the benefits outweigh the costs? A systemic cost, pointed out regularly by those who cherish personal liberty, is that wars are not only about the killing of people and the destruction of property, but also an occasion where government expands greatly without a corresponding shrinkage when a war ends. While notions of “natural law” are elusive but still apparent to many on the domestic front, it seems all but absent in international affairs.

Sociology

Sociology is the study of humans in their “native habitat”, which is to say in groups. Certainly in the first two decades of life, and the last two of a long life, are lived in close contact with others. That range of those is wide and multiple from family, kinship, ethnic, tribal, neighborhoods, communities and “society.” It includes groups where the connection is hardly discernible such as the “lonely crowd” described by David Riesman to a deeply bonded family, monastic group, or military company. The firm or the business network are economic groups. The province or the nation are political groups. Monastic groups are among the many of co-religionists. It is sometimes argued that strong individualism is opposed to community groups but that is mistaken. Strong individuals are rooted in community groups as many have observed, such as Tocqueville and Nisbet. A nation with a modest government leaves more space for voluntary, communal groups of all kinds.

Economics

Economics is largely concerned with the material well-being of individuals in a society. Most often it is overwhelmingly shaped by the political borders that exist at any time: thus, “the U.S. economy” or “the Chinese economy” are subjects of great analysis. Material goods are largely “rivalrous”, meaning that if they are used for one purpose by one party they cannot be used by others. Thus, how to deal with scarcity that seems pervasive? Dealing with scarcity is the role of the marketplace, where the facts supply and demand seem to result in a price that allows participants to reduce the most serious scarcities they face by way of voluntary exchanges. The role of property, owned clearly and privately, is largely dominant in this arena, although the government shapes the environment by determining money and the rules for such exchanges. The government acquires some things by markets and others things by involuntary taxes and appropriations.

The other way to deal with scarcity is to produce more goods and services. Once produced, these need to be distributed in some fashion and then consumed to contribute to overall and individual well-being. Work that is compensated by money allows households to provide, at least for the most part, for their essentials and, often, for “wants” as well as “needs.” This is easily done through markets, but other resources flow along different lines. Within the family itself, however defined, markets and prices are largely in the background. A social safety net (whether private or governmental or a combination of both) helps those with special needs. And inheritances, necessarily, distribute resources along non-market lines.

Using economic resources and discovering new ones are the central questions of economics. A society as well as the government grapples with the best way to harness a wide range of interests, endeavors and motivations. The mainstream of economics has, overall, been the discipline most hospitable to ideas that might be called “conservative.” The fact of scarcity directly disputes utopian fantasies. Scarcity means choices, which are often hard even in an economy that is deemed prosperous. Here two distinct (albeit often overlapping) schools have emerged, routinely called “Chicago” and “Austrian’ denoting the locus of the two origins. The Chicago school was shaped heavily by Frank Knight in the first half of the 20th Century and later come to greater recognition and influence by way of the work of Milton Friedman, George Stigler, Ronald Coase, James Buchanan, Gary Becker (all Nobel Laureates) and others. The Austrian School had its origins in the late 19th Century and early 20th with notable thinkers being Carl Menger and Eugene Boehm-Bawerk with major contributions later by Ludwig von Mises, Friedrich Hayek and Israel Kirzner. While the areas of agreement seem very large with a strong emphasis on how supply, demand, prices, and markets work, the differences are occasion for very sharp disputes. The Chicago school sees itself more “scientific” and accepts many of the tools of analysis that are data-driven and quantitative. The Austrian school gives much greater scope to “subjective” factors underlying economic action and has serious doubts about the utility of much quantitative data, making greater scope of innovation and entrepreneurship as they emphasize growth over static equilibrium analysis.

History

As John Lukacs, an eminent historian, has pointed out, humans can think about the present and the future, but they can only do so by tapping into the past. And has noted Nobel Laureate in literature, William Faulkner, has remarked T”he past isn’t even past, it’s with us.” Infusing our very existence, we want to find some kind of meaning in the past, so whether we “search for it in all the wrong places” becomes a central question. There is, of course, personal or individual histories (autobiography and biography) as well as those with a larger scope. Determining just what that larger scope should be is an important starting point, shaped by both what we know and what we want to find out. Most of the past is outside of history, a “pre-history” much of which can never be known. Given that, do we want to find out about people like us, and, if so, by what characteristics: blood or kinship relations, fellow citizens, those who participated in activities we want to better understand (ruling, war-making, craftsmanship, governing, worshipping)? Finding a deeper meaning in history goes back, at least, to Herodotus and countless since then. What are the most important patterns? Is the source of those patterns a benevolent providence, an angry God, or of just “one damn thing after another.” The last being an analog to evolution which finds meaning the a pattern of “random mutations”. Among the foremost historians of recent time is a search for a more modern “natural law” which appears in different forms over centuries and from various contemporary groups.

Religion

For a great many people, “religion” or, better, a special religion is, by far, the most important subject. It does, after all, look upward rather than inward or outward, although those aspects are also addressed. As Augustine so aptly expressed it, one needs to believe something before one can understand. With some fundamental assumptions and beliefs, one can’t begin to think and explore. Religions combine both the emotional or affective side of human beings as well as their deliberative or rationals dimension. It strives to give meaning to the most important subjects, as does philosophy, but it also provides, or attempts to provide, solid answers with creeds, rituals and ceremonies which, even when only dimly perceived or understood, offer deep solace and guidance. One usually starts with consideration of one’s own religious heritage. After that, one might look to others, most often those with large current followings and those which have endured over millennia.

With that, different groupings come to mind. In the U.S., Christians are predominated since the arrival at Plymouth Rock. Jews were a noticeable minority, sometimes accommodated by speaking of a Judeo-Christian heritage, even if few, if any profess to being “Judeo-Christians.” Nonetheless it points to the obvious origins of Christianity in the Old Testament (or covenant) which was prior to the New Testament. More recently Muslims have become another minority, and some point to the overlapping history and some beliefs of the “Abrahamic faiths” encompassing all three. A principal difference among the three are that Judaism is rooted in a tribal setting: a “god” chose the tribe of Israel. That thereby emphasizes the static, traditionally defined matrilineally, or by way of one’s mother, with virtually no interest then in converting others. Christianity and Islam, on the other hand, want converts, either through voluntary acceptance, social pressure or even coercion.

The other “world religions” sometimes inspire interest as well: Hinduism, Buddhism and Confucianism, although the last is somewhat awkwardly included as it has little sense of a deity. Most religions are defined by worshipping a divine power that exists in a timeliness, hard to understand fully sphere. Other more constricted or tribal religions, such as Shintoism are largely studied by specialists. One of the complications for studying religions is determining one’s stance toward it: within, as a believer of some kind, or an outsider, which risks missing the central appeal by looking at distracting secondary aspects. Trying to understand and “feel” the attraction of a religion while a skeptic is one of the major conundrums of humans seeking to understand something.

For almost all Americans, there is something of Christianity inside of them, whether they like or want it or not. This is hardly surprising since not only the origins of its current culture are Christian but the culture is deeply derived from its Christian heritage, however eroded in recent decades. That, at a minimum, provides a historical departure for its study: why did forefathers belief so deeply and act upon those beliefs and what were the cultural achievements of those centuries that were infused with the beliefs of Christians. Such a study encompasses parts of government, economics, commune living, art and architecture and many other endeavors.

Conclusion

All of the authors listed are chosen because they have attempted to expand our understanding of some of the topics above. Nevertheless, despite a rather long list, many subjects of great human endeavor and importance are neglected. Poetry and the visual and performing arts. Psychology. To a large extent, Philosophy. The Hard Sciences. Nonetheless, it is a wide-ranging list with thinkers championing very different ideas. Not all deserve to be accepted as they presented but all are worth considering and understanding.

For almost all they are sometimes labelled “conservative” even though the rationale for that is at best too expansive and often greatly confusing. A few were partisan in a political sense, but for different parties and over different issues. They were interested, individually, in a very diverse range of topics and disciplines. In the first instance, they should all be remembered for the contributions they have made to those of us, in the 21st Century, interested in independent individuals enveloped by healthy communities who enjoy the prosperity and liberties that a small but effective government facilitates.

For those who want to read a concise, easy-to-read overview of the disciplines covered are an excellent series are the ISI Student Guides to a variety of disciplines, including those discussed above.

A Student's Guide to Political Philosophy

by Harvey C. Mansfield

Harvard’s Harvey C. Mansfield, one of America’s leading political theorists, explains why the quest for the good life must address the type of government you want to uphold. He directs you to the thinkers and philosophies and classic works that have proved most influential throughout the ages..

A Student's Guide to U.S. History

by Wilfred M. McClay

Understand U.S. history in one sitting. Wilfred M. McClay invites you to experience the perennial freshness and vitality of this great subject as he explores some of the enduring commitments and persistent tensions that have made America what it is.

A Student's Guide to Liberal Learning

by James V. Schall

Understand the liberal arts in one sitting. A Student’s Guide to Liberal Learning is an inviting conversation with a learned scholar about the content of an authentic liberal arts education. It surveys ideas and books central to the tradition of humanistic education that has fundamentally shaped our country and civilization.

A Student's Guide to the Study of History

by John Lukacs

Understand history in one sitting. John Lukacs, one of today’s most widely published historians, explains what the study of history entails, how it has been approached over the centuries, and why it should be undertaken by today’s students. This guide is an invitation to become a master of the historian’s craft.

A Student's Guide to Economics

by Paul Heyne

Learn economics in one sitting. Paul Heyne, one of America’s most respected free-market economists, takes you through the history of economic thought, from Adam Smith to John Maynard Keynes and F. A. Hayek and up to James Buchanan and other recent economic thinkers.

A Student's Guide to Philosophy

by Ralph M. McInerny

Learn from one of America’s leading philosophers, Ralph McInerny of the University of Notre Dame, as he explores vital questions like: Who is a philosopher? Can philosophical thought be avoided? What have philosophers written over the ages? And why should we care?

A Student's Guide to Literature

by R. V. Young

Understand literature in one sitting. Literary scholar R. V. Young addresses timely issues in this guide to Western literature and poetry. Learn how great fiction and poetry are integral to a liberal education, and visit the classic works of literature again—or for the first time.

A Student's Guide to the Core Curriculum

by Mark C. Henrie

Understand the core curriculum in one sitting. Mark C. Henrie's guide explains the value of a traditional core of studies in Western civilization and then surveys eight courses available in most American universities which may be taken as electives to acquire such an education. This guide puts “the best” within reach of every student.

A Student's Guide to American Political Thought

by George W. Carey

Understand American political thought in one sitting. George W. Carey’s primer instructs you on the fundamental matters of American political theory while pointing you to the readings and resources you need to get a better grasp on the ideas that have shaped our political heritage.

A Student's Guide to Classics

by Bruce S. Thornton

Understand classics in one sitting. Bruce Thornton’s crisp and informative guide provides you with an overview of each of the major poets, dramatists, philosophers, and historians of ancient Greece and Rome.

A Student's Guide to Music History

by R. J. Stove

Understand music history in one sitting. R. J. Stove's guide gives you a concise account of classical music’s development from the early Middle Ages onwards.

A Student's Guide to the Study of Law

by Gerard V. Bradley

Understand law in one sitting. Gerard V. Bradley's guide introduces you to the major concepts, cases, and thinkers that have shaped American legal scholarship and history. He also helps you better understand what, at bottom, is at stake in the different understandings of the nature of law that drive many of our national debates.

A Student's Guide to Natural Science

by Stephen M. Barr

Understand natural science in one sitting. Stephen M. Barr's guide gives you an understanding of the nature, history, and great ideas of natural science from ancient times to the present, with a primary focus on physics.

A Student's Guide to Psychology

by Daniel N. Robinson

Understand psychology in one sitting. Daniel N. Robinson’s guide surveys the philosophical and historical roots of modern psychology and sketches the major schools and thinkers of the discipline. You’ll learn to identify those false prejudices—such as contempt for metaphysics and the notion that the mind can be reduced to the chemical processes of the brain—that so often perplex and mislead students of psychology.

A Student's Guide to International Relations

by Angelo M. Codevilla

Understand international relations in one sitting. Angelo M. Codevilla explains the history of the international system, the dominant schools of American statecraft, the instruments of power, contemporary geopolitics, and more. The content of international relations, he demonstrates, flows from the differences between our global village’s peculiar neighborhoods.