Introduction

This introduction presents an overview of the key concepts discussed in the subsequent chapters of this book. The book argues that political philosophy places politics in the larger whole to which it belongs. It examines the relationship of political questions to the fundamental issues of human life. The book also argues that conservativism must also include a theory of change as well as a defense of continuity, and in this pursuit of genuine restoration, he turned to Cicero for counsel. It identifies the destructiveness of modern ideological movements, as it links the inherited wisdom of the ancients with the best modern attempts to protect the dignity of the human person. The quest for increased freedom—both personal and societal—has been a major concern among students of American politics and society, and political philosophy; however, the temptation to recreate human existence as a means of explaining the modern "project" as a progressive, liberating activity has come under increased scrutiny.