The Reactionary Mind Lib/E: Conservatism from Edmund Burke to Donald Trump

by Corey Robin, Mike Chamberlain (Reader)

Genres: Philosophy, Audiobook, Nonfiction

Audio CD

Published February 27, 2018

About the author

Corey Robin is Distinguished Professor of Political Science at Brooklyn College.

Reviews

[Sam Whitehill · Rating 4 out of 5]

A history of reactionary ideas from Burke to Trump. Many think of conservativism as a cautious defense of the tried and true, but Robin shows that most defenders of the old regime actually despise it as much as the revolutionaries they oppose. Conservatives would rather remake and reestablish the privileges and power that the rabble aim to topple. One way to do so is to democratize privilege: every man a king in his own domain. Hierarchy and inequality are packaged as goods that allow us to stay in our lane as long as there’s someone beneath us to spit on. The first edition of this book was written before Trump’s rise to power, but it perfectly applies to his rule and describes his appeal.

[Shima · Rating 4 out of 5]

The book’s central premise—that conservatism is fundamentally a defense of hierarchy, not tradition, and that its waves can be traced as backlashes to left-wing emancipation movements—is brilliant and convincingly argued. Robin weaves history, philosophy and political analysis with depth, though the writing can be dense and at times difficult to get through. The final chapter on Trump hasn’t aged well; it misreads him as a passing phenomenon rather than the political force we now know he represents. That section needs a full rewrite to reflect what Trumpism became and is. Otherwise, this book remains a very important contribution to modern political analysis and has completely changed how I view conservative movements.

[Jonathan Jalbert]

Pretty sure "Mike Chamberlain" is an AI...

[Matas Maldeikis · Rating 2 out of 5]

Apie nieką.

[Meridian Taussig · Rating 2 out of 5]

I gave this book a lower rating because it was hard to read! I did not finish it though I'm glad to have tried tackling it! Things I learned that were fascinating: Conservatism seems to have been first defined during the French Revolution. Edmund Burke allowed that men had a great many rights - to the fruits of their labor, their inheritance, education and more, but the one right he refused to concede was "...the share of power and authority ...in the management of the state." He believed that equality ultimately meant a rotation in the seat of power - not a replacement of those in power. Victimhood was a talking point of the right ever since Burke decried the mob's treatment of Marie Antoinette - conservatism speaks to those who have lost something - land, privilege of white men, authority of the husband, rights of a factory owner. The aim is recovery and restoration. Conservatives believe that the liberal obsession with the rule of law disables American power and that the events of 9/11 were a result of this loss of power-the peace and prosperity of the Clinton years weakened American society. Conservatives, through the belief that they have or will loose their power, need a catalyst to fight against.
My apologies for my meager attempt to digest some of this book!

[Greg · Rating 3 out of 5]

Books like this are a bit over my head but still provide me some good background to consider. I do appreciate having some historical perspective to explain how so many people can arrive at a position that I am so fundamentally opposed to.

[Paige Swidarski · Rating 5 out of 5]

This author is smart and funny and explains things in a way that was easy for me to understand. Great author and great book! Eat the rich!