ABSTRACT
An unflattering account of neoconservatism describes Irving Kristol as its “standard bearer.” It is probably an accurate description, not only with respect to the role that Kristol has actually played in the rise of an intellectually active and politically effective conservative movement but also with respect to how he is perceived by others. Romanticism is a simplification of the complexity of the world, both a flight from reality and an attempt to conquer it. The romantic views the world from the lens of his imagination, whether that lens takes the shape of a beautiful image or a compelling ideal. “Ideology” is the attempt to relate all social and political phenomena to a single idea or set of ideas. Although ideology and romanticism are not identical, they are closely akin to each other. Two revolutions signaled the arrival of modern politics: American and French. They had much in common, but for Kristol, their differences may be more important than their similarities.
