American Neoconservatism

by Jean-François Drolet

Book by Jean-Francois Drolet

Hardcover

First published April 1, 2011

Reviews

[PBA]

Admittedly I am a former student of Drolets, so any hint of bias is hopefully just that- a hint. In this book, Drolet manages to confront and dislodge many of the myths surrounding neoconservatism. Far too many scholars, writers and students perceive neoconservatism to be a school of thought born in the early noughties. Additionally, this same misperception tends to be coupled with another. Namely the belief which regards the 'neocons' as nothing more than a cabal which pushed for regime change in Iraq.

Drolet adroitly manages to elucidate the influence of neoconservatism in light of the Iraq War, and offers a true assessment of America's historical and current intellectual climate. Through tracing neoconservatisms early roots to its more contemporary adherents, the book illustrates the impact ideas have in American foreign policy. In the end, the reader questions the supposed 'death of the necocons' and is forced to contemplate when this idea, will once again rear its head to the world.

Due to the sheer depth and critical analysis in the book, any readers choosing this as an introductory text might become exhausted. Also, some preliminary knowledge of significant intellectuals vis a vis neoconservatism (such as Leo Strauss, Lionel Trilling, Allan Bloom and Irving Kristol) will certainly help avoid any obfuscation.

Nevertheless, Drolet covers a broad intellectual, philosophical, cultural and political milieu; making for an edifying read. Situating his thesis and critique in the history of ideas and debates within International Relations, 'American Neoconservatism: The Politics and Culture of a Reactionary Idealism' may prove to be an exegesis for this subject

[Tasshin Fogleman · Rating 4 out of 5]

One of my ongoing personal projects is to understand the role of Leo Strauss in the Great Books Community, specifically at St. John's College. The man, his thought, and his subject matter are quite difficult to get ahold of, because he holds an enormous intellectual tradition behind him: Plato, Thucydides, Hobbes, Kant, Rousseau, Nietzsche, Heidegger, to name a few. Drolet, whose book has a whole chapter devoted to Strauss, has a seemingly impossible command of this tradition as well as the political/historical/ideological axes that stage this drama. However, he also brings to the table a bias which is clearly present but vaguely articulated. I suspect I would sympathize with it, but it seems that he, too, has a depth of thought that allows him to both penetrate and obfuscate the subject matter. Still, there are some passages which stand out for exceptional clarity and utility, most notably when Drolet, confined to concision, allows himself to explicate large bodies of thought in a brief passage: Strauss, Thucydides, Nietzsche, etc.

I would like to return to this book as I gain a greater command on the intellectual tradition that Strauss abided in, the contingent political realm that I grew up in, and a firmer idea of where I stand for myself (hint: it seems to me that neither neoconservatism or liberalism is satisfactory).