ABSTRACT
An ideology that many have called Neoconservatism has been the basis of the foreign policy of the Bush administration, and not merely after the September 11, 2001, terrorist assaults or as a direct result of that momentous event. Irving Kristol often referred to as the godfather of Neoconservatism, identifies some of the principles of Neoconservatism. Kristol makes a distinction between great powers and smaller nations, between defensive and presumably offensive modes of operation, and between material and ideological interests. Neoconservatism is based on several major ideas and the chapter covers some of them. They are: assertive nationalism; radicalism; militarism; exceptionalism; a mixture of optimism and Hobbesian pessimism; evangelism; and unilateralism. Neoconservatism has been characterized by its strong endorsement of military instruments for the promotion of what has been viewed as the national interest of the United States and even the interest of humanity at large.
