In an age where what passes for the archetype conservative are the likes of Candace Owens, Bill Mitchell, Sean Hannity, Matt Gaetz, Tomi Lahren, and Donald Trump, it can be discouraging for those of us who take pride in the rich legacy and colorful history of thinkers on the Right to be associated with such grifters, demagogues, and charlatans.
Trying to define conservatism is challenging and trying to compile a list of individuals who best exemplify conservatism is problematic. Yet this is becoming increasingly important in a world where “conservatism” is quickly being coopted by reactionary nationalist populists who have little to nothing in common with the namesake.
In this episode Saving Elephants host Josh Lewis offers his list of conservative thinkers well worthy of your time and attention.
Disclaimer
This list is imperfect and incomplete. If I were to revisit the list next year or possibly even next week, I’m sure there are plenty of names I’d believe should supplant the names here. Some of these individuals may even be uncomfortable with the label “conservative”, though they all share aspects of the broader conservative worldview. The names below are not listed in order of preference or importance, but they are all insightful and noteworthy.
The fifty individuals discussed in this episode are noted below. If you’d like to learn more about each one you can check out the original blog post of Fifty Conservative Thinkers for a brief bio and links.
Josh’s (Incomplete) List of Fifty Conservative Thinkers Worth Your Time
Edmund Burke
Milton Friedman
Wilhelm Röpke
David Bahnsen
F.A. Hayek
John Adams
Frederick Douglass
Thomas Sowell
James Madison
Barry Goldwater
Ronald Reagan
Bradley J. Birzer
Russell Kirk
Matthew Continetti
David French
Gertrude Himmelfarb
George Nash
Stephen J. Tonsor
Roger Scruton
Jacques Ellul
Whittaker Chambers
Michael Oakeshott
Eric Voegelin
Timothy Carney
C.S. Lewis
G.K. Chesterton
Jonah Goldberg
Wendell Berry
T.S. Eliot
Ross Douthat
Mary Eberstadt
M. Stanton Evans
Irving Kristol
George Will
William F. Buckley
Kristen Soltis Anderson
Robert Nisbet
Carly Fiorina
Arthur Brooks
Marian Tupy
Charles Marohn
Patrick Deneen
Harry Jaffa
Walter Williams
Frank S. Meyer
Alexis de Tocqueville
Lord Acton
Leo Stauss
Willmoore Kendall
Yuval Levin