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The Conservative Sensibility Hardcover – June 4, 2019

4.5 out of 5 stars 713 ratings

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The Pulitzer Prize-winning columnist's "astonishing" and "enthralling" New York Times bestseller and Notable Book about how the Founders' belief in natural rights created a great American political tradition (Booklist) -- "easily one of the best books on American Conservatism ever written" (Jonah Goldberg).



For more than four decades, George F. Will has attempted to discern the principles of the Western political tradition and apply them to America's civic life. Today, the stakes could hardly be higher. Vital questions about the nature of man, of rights, of equality, of majority rule are bubbling just beneath the surface of daily events in America.

The Founders' vision, articulated first in the Declaration of Independence and carried out in the Constitution, gave the new republic a framework for government unique in world history. Their beliefs in natural rights, limited government, religious freedom, and in human virtue and dignity ushered in two centuries of American prosperity. Now, as Will shows, conservatism is under threat -- both from progressives and elements inside the Republican Party. America has become an administrative state, while destructive trends have overtaken family life and higher education. Semi-autonomous executive agencies wield essentially unaccountable power. Congress has failed in its duty to exercise its legislative powers. And the executive branch has slipped the Constitution's leash.

In the intellectual battle between the vision of Founding Fathers like James Madison, who advanced the notion of natural rights that pre-exist government, and the progressivism advanced by Woodrow Wilson, the Founders have been losing. It's time to reverse America's political fortunes.

Expansive, intellectually thrilling, and written with the erudite wit that has made Will beloved by millions of readers,
The Conservative Sensibility is an extraordinary new book from one of America's most celebrated political writers.
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Editorial Reviews

Review

"A thoughtful, elegant reflection on American conservatism and the Founders' political thought."―The Atlantic

"A blockbuster -- if a book so thoughtful and learned and graceful can be called a 'blockbuster.'"―
Jay Nordlinger, National Review

"When you read a work as wise, incisive and superbly written as this one, you rightly assume it was produced by a first-rate mind."―
The Wall Street Journal

"A monumental achievement.
The Conservative Sensibility is not a 'Washington book' about partisan politics--it's much bigger than that. It's a career capstone that will stir your soul with its passionate reminder of what conservatism really means. Buy it, read it, share it."
Senator Ben Sasse, New York Times-bestselling author of Them and The Vanishing American Adult

"Staggeringly good. Easily one of the best books on American Conservatism ever written."―
Jonah Goldberg

"Embodies the ideal of thoughtful, learned conservatism....Deeply erudite....Fascinating."―
Fareed Zakaria, The Washington Post

"
The Conservative Sensibility ... is an argument about human history, epistemology, culture, religion, politics and constitutionalism, and not another vehicle for soon-dated Trump hagiography or hatred.... Its account of how the presidency has taken over the legislature in the modern era is essential to understanding the extreme danger that a figure like Trump now poses to core constitutional principle."―Andrew Sullivan, New York Times Book Review

"Wonderful... [Will's] magnum opus... elegant."
Hugh Hewitt

"A wonderful book [that will] be read for a long time."―
Dana Perino, Fox News

"Sums up a lifetime of thinking about politics and culture."
The New York Times

"Brilliant."―
The Los Angeles Times

"Excellent... [T]here is a sense of finality in
The Conservative Sensibility, as though Will is offering his ultimate statement if not his last word.... Will has produced one of the best books about American conservatism ever to have been written."―Kevin D. Williamson, The Washington Examiner

"[A] strong affirmation of inalienable individual rights as set forth in the Declaration of Independence and the U.S. Constitution.... Will, a Goldwater/Reagan/Buckley Republican, has left the party. But he might argue that the party has left him, and this book can serve as a blueprint for how it might return."―
John R. Coyne, Jr., Washington Times

"A remarkable summation of Will's political thought after a half-century in Washington. It's the sort of book that, when read by a young person in high school or college, might change his life."―
Matt Continetti, Politico "Playbook"

"A richly documented history of and argument for a wider embrace of conservative political values."―
Kirkus Reviews

"A clarion call for substantive thinking, at a time when Americans are hungry for strong leadership and a renewed debate for the soul of our country."―
"Therefore, What?" Podcast

"The summa of a lifetime's worth of thinking about politics.... Will's good sense, power of reasoning, historical knowledge, and stylistic flair on full display here.... Masterful."―
Commentary magazine

"[A] magnum opus..... Will still beats all his rivals in his ability to combine high thinking with a shrewd capacity to understand day-to-day American politics.... It is hard to think of any of today's angry young "movement" conservatives surviving in journalism for fifty years, as Mr. Will has, and still having enough to say to produce a big book at 78."―
The Economist

"
The Conservative Sensibility is George Will's definitive declaration.... Admirers of Will - I plead guilty - now have what amounts to a definitive statement, a summation of his remarkable career in journalism and politics.... A deep and sustained reflection on American conservatism.... There is nothing worse than a predictable columnist, and Will is anything but predictable. One reads him not only for his prose but also for the chance to observe a great and restless intellect.... Here, then, is George Will's task: to remind Americans of our unique heritage by connecting present debates and public figures to our nation's fundamental ideas, disagreements, problems, and statesmen..... Such is the education that awaits the reader of this beautiful, graceful, profound book."―Matthew Continetti, National Review

"[Will is] one of the most consequential thinkers in the history of the conservative movement... To say that Will wrote a brilliant book brings new meaning to understatement.... A great read.... Will's discussion of the Constitution positively sizzles... Unputdownable."―
John Tammy, Forbes

"[A] magisterial assessment of contemporary life and its foundations."―
Richard Vetter, Forbes

"The conservatively inclined reader, interested in the history of the United States and the politics of the present era, will find in the author's reflections much to enjoy and from which to learn....In order to reverse the direction of events, someone must formulate an alternative to it-which George Will has done in this fine book."
The New Criterion

About the Author

George F. Will writes a twice-weekly syndicated column on politics and domestic and foreign affairs for the Washington Post. He began his column with The Post in 1974, and he received the Pulitzer Prize for Commentary in 1977. He is also a regular contributor to MSNBC and NBC News. His fourteen previous books include One Man's America, Men at Work, and Statecraft as Soulcraft. Will grew up in Champaign, Ill., attended Trinity College and Oxford University and received a PhD from Princeton.

Product details

  • Publisher ‏ : ‎ Grand Central Publishing; First Edition (June 4, 2019)
  • Language ‏ : ‎ English
  • Hardcover ‏ : ‎ 640 pages
  • ISBN-10 ‏ : ‎ 0316480932
  • ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 978-0316480932
  • Item Weight ‏ : ‎ 1.9 pounds
  • Dimensions ‏ : ‎ 6.55 x 2.05 x 9.35 inches
  • Customer Reviews:
    4.5 out of 5 stars 713 ratings

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4.5 out of 5 stars
713 global ratings

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Customers say

Customers find the book to be a good read with crisp prose and articulate writing style. They describe it as fascinating and thought-provoking, with one customer noting how it de-mystifies American history through many little-known historical anecdotes.

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36 customers mention "Writing style"28 positive8 negative

Customers appreciate the writing style of the book, describing it as crisp and articulate, with one customer noting how it presents complex observations in a concise manner.

"...on economics, culture, education and foreign policy are insightful and lucid. Quotations are more frequent here as it is well trampled turf...." Read more

"...While also making a strong case for viable conservative “sensibilities” and direction. He is up front regarding his atheism...." Read more

"...sensibility as the author describes it, the constitution is practically sacred scripture, nearly perfect in its construction, and to be revered and..." Read more

"...I suspected that, but George Will's superb narrative convinced me by tying various things together, from natural law to the Declaration of..." Read more

35 customers mention "Readability"35 positive0 negative

Customers find the book to be a good read, with one customer describing it as erudite and another noting it is to the point.

"...But they are deft and to the point, and Will's analyses surpass the boiler plate responses usually generated...." Read more

"...little-known historical anecdotes that help make the books such a rewarding read...." Read more

"Will presents a logical and thorough case for conservatism...." Read more

"...years, and with no hesitation, would say it is one of the most insightful books I have ever read...." Read more

20 customers mention "Thought provoking"17 positive3 negative

Customers find the book thought-provoking and fascinating, with one customer noting how it de-mystifies American history and provides many little-known historical anecdotes.

"...Also the picaresque metaphors, ironic understatements, and measured judgments as well, free of the malicious ad hominem assaults and out-of-context..." Read more

"...the book, and as in any George Will tome, there are many little-known historical anecdotes that help make the books such a rewarding read...." Read more

"...George Will is a political scholar of the first order, and his knowledge of our Founding is always a revelation...." Read more

"...As a college history major p, the truth of American history is de-mystified and made plain...." Read more

READ INSTEAD IRVING BABBITT'S "DEMOCRACY AND LEADERSHIP" (still in print)
2 out of 5 stars
READ INSTEAD IRVING BABBITT'S "DEMOCRACY AND LEADERSHIP" (still in print)
The Conservative Sensibility by George Will Despite the enormous number of excellent stories, vignettes, and memorable quotes about America’s history by George Will in this book, his essential message—that secular conservatives can, by reason alone, achieve the level of virtue and morality practiced by our Founders—falls short of the mark. In fact, most of the quotes he relates state the opposite with much more conviction. Here, for example, is Tocqueville as quoted by Will (page 485): “Religion is considered as the guardian of mores, and mores are regarded as the guarantee of the laws and pledge for the maintenance of freedom.” “Despotism may be able to do without faith, but freedom cannot…What can be done with a people master of itself if it is not subject to God?” And here is Einstein (page 491): “I’m not an atheist. We are in the position of a little child entering a huge library filled with books in many different languages…The child dimly suspects a mysterious order in the arrangement of the books but doesn’t know what it is.” These amazing quotes, and there are many more, are ironically surrounded by a so-called conservative philosophy presented by Will that he claims is grounded in non-belief, a non-belief based on reason alone. In my opinion, George Will’s primary message suffers from a form of “presentism” (the belief that today’s secular values are the best) allowing only one view of the world, one absolute ideology stating that only science can explain reality. Will almost rebukes conservatives like Russell Kirk who insist that “external standards” of value are necessary for any democratic society, where “external standards” imply metaphysical values generated by our imaginative powers, such as humility and compassion, that accompany strong spiritual beliefs. Will’s ideas of a secular conservatism lead to, at best, an update and recast of the Stoic philosophy of Greece and Rome. This is a powerful philosophy, but one limited to the elites of society who are internally governed by their inherent natures and hardly suitable for widespread application throughout a society. Will also believes “It is astonishing that we do not live in a state of perpetual astonishment” (page 486-487) based on scientific discoveries and their application to daily life. In this he reminded me of the late, great Carl Sagan. But people do not find meaning in their lives by contemplating how insignificant they are relative to the awesome universe, or how their subconscious rules decision making, or how their imaginative minds are only a part of a physical body that has evolved with a particular arrangements of molecules, a cosmic accident. Contrast this with the imaginatively conservative views of the Apollo 8 astronauts Frank Borman and Bill Anders, who read from Genesis to intently listening masses on earth while coming home from a round trip to the moon on Christmas Eve in 1968. The Apollo astronauts, when they left earth’s gravity and viewed it from afar, saw the imaginative miracle of our planet, not only its scientific insignificance. Reason is a tool, a necessary one, but “reason alone” led us through the arrogance and excesses of the industrial revolution to the Titanic disaster and two world wars, the second ended by dropping nuclear weapons on the populace of two cities, the “reasoning” being that invasion would cost more lives than the bombings. Such “reasoning” as a tool for life requires focus and purpose, and traditional conservatives believe that purpose, by necessity, comes from “external standards” that limit our inclinations and desires. Unless one’s reason leads to an individual stoicism of virtue, a Sisyphean effort for the elite few, reason alone can just as easily lead the general populace to commit to what is most powerful in the material world; and that, as Hobbes tells us, is always a tyranny giving the illusion of security. George Will, grandson of a pastor, grew up immersed in a moral world created by his parents and grandparents. A little more humility would tell him that his reason, supposedly founded on non-belief, has been guided and given focus by both nature and nurture, a nurture full of conveyed spiritual values. Science of course necessarily corrects religion, but to the traditional conservative spiritual beliefs also compliment science. There is a difference between not holding to a specific religious dogma based on revelation and not having any faith; that is, between blind acceptance of rituals or practices and not having a sense of spiritual mystery and awe. Stoic conservatives like George Will always have a place in the conservative milieu, but they must not be allowed to define conservatism lest it decay and vanish. I recommend instead the imaginative conservatism of Irving Babbitt, who without a particular religious affiliation wrote in "Democracy and Leadership" (still in print): “The first characteristic of traditional conservatism is the fostering and development of virtuous leaders and effective democratic institutions,” and (page 28) “The idea of humility, the idea that man needs to defer to a higher will, came into Europe with an Oriental religion, Christianity.” Even the pessimist Schopenhauer directed us inward toward a higher will that disciplines and guides the lower. The essence of traditional conservatism is an inner striving toward virtue, excellence, compassion, and humility—a striving toward “external standards” as defined by spiritual values.
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Top reviews from the United States

  • Reviewed in the United States on September 1, 2019
    ...but this isn't an authorized version approved by conservative traditionalists, evangelists, militarists & culture warriors. Also it's a provocation to vested supporters of a very dysfunctional status quo, so expect a variety of negative reviews.

    George Will's finely reasoned retrospective, begins in the introduction with the Revolutionary War victory at Princeton in 1777 (a few days after Trenton) to show that pivotal events have no inevitable outcomes; that daunting odds can be overcome. He has in mind a comparable conflict which may require analogous acts of rebellion and courage: Saving American liberty from a powerful and steadily growing threat such as King George III never posed--the imperceptible daily submersion of our traditional constitutional protections by the gathering weight of interests and driven by politics of incumbency--both being consequences of the century-long, and accelerating, evisceration of our 1797 constitution.

    The crisp prose, the concise rendition of complex observations into a few judicious words are there as in his Washington Post columns. Also the picaresque metaphors, ironic understatements, and measured judgments as well, free of the malicious ad hominem assaults and out-of-context quotations favored in today's feral political dialog. The pundit's art of condensing complex ideas into single page essays isn't easy to sustain in a 600 page book, but he has. Clarity of mind allows this brevity. Murky ideas or obfuscating rhetoric won't survive long in clear text.

    The first 4 chapters--over 200 pages--eloquently contrast essential differences between conservative and progressive conceptions of human nature, American history and law, and record the erosion of liberty and civil society through the gradual conversion of constitutional limits and separation of powers into elastic loopholes from which an imperial presidency and a vast, coercive federal bureaucracy have emerged and metastasized. Liberals (who once supported constitutional limits) are largely passed by: Though the name persists, they have been effectively displaced or absorbed into the progressive movement which resists most constitutional restraints on government and effectively dominates public political discussion, academia, and--unequally--both political Parties.

    The next 4 chapters on economics, culture, education and foreign policy are insightful and lucid. Quotations are more frequent here as it is well trampled turf. But they are deft and to the point, and Will's analyses surpass the boiler plate responses usually generated. Much of his focus is on how we arrived on this slippery slope and the intellectuals who blazed the downhill path.

    The ninth chapter (subtitled, "conservatism without theism") will distress many conservatives for his denial that religious belief is indispensable to the nation or morality, and declaring himself an atheist, to boot. His logic for this is utterly airtight and interestingly bookended by excerpts from Huckleberry Finn. Christopher ("God is not Great") Hitchens he ain't.

    The last chapter outlines what conservatives must accomplish if the currently ascendant national trends are to be halted and reversed. This seems dauntingly difficult: They must recover by persuasion the founders' fading legacy of freedom from an electorate of short memory and long accustomed to Beltway generosity funded by an aggressively growing national debt. The author has a lot of sound ideas for this. A pivotal victory analogous to 1777 Princeton may--or may not--occur before the bankruptcy clock chimes, or America elects a strongman/woman with an ambitiously coercive agenda for a progressive Utopia.

    Bottom line: Is this a book for you? If politics, economics, history or philosophy interest you This book will challenge your intellect, even if--especially if--you disagree with part or even all of it. I was surprised to find myself agreeing so consistently with a self-described conservative--a persuasion I abandoned many decades ago. I expect I will reread this book someday.
    8 people found this helpful
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  • Reviewed in the United States on June 21, 2019
    Governments do not exist to dispense rights, but to secure the natural rights that we hold just by virtue of our humanity. That proposition was a lodestar for the Founders when they established our country in the late eighteenth century during the Enlightenment. Over the past century, though, states have grown all over the West, including in the United States, and our founding principle has undergone steady erosion. In "The Conservative Sensibility," George Will makes the case for the classical liberalism of the Founding.

    Will describes how our founding principles championed by James Madison differ from the progressivism that was mainstreamed by Woodrow Wilson and implemented steadily since, and also from European conservatism, which defended throne, altar, and existing structures. American conservatism seeks instead to conserve the classical liberalism of the Founding and the institutions created to put it into practice.

    It is often said that constitutions elsewhere limn what government can do either for you or to you, but that our Constitution limits powers and gives citizens, in Will's words, "rights against the polity, rights that protect a zone of individual sovereignty in which the inherent dignity of the individual is expressed in the free exercise of agency." Separation of powers and constantly shifting factions were to prevent any group or groups from establishing tyranny.

    Since the early twentieth century, however, thought that was not American at all but that originated in continental Europe, especially Germany, has produced policies that have been grafted onto our institutions, with gradual loss of liberty and the attendant problems that have ensued. These changes have affected both the daily lives of ordinary people but also our institutions—the author examines our government, lamenting presidential supremacy and the decline of Congress. He also looks at the history of the judiciary and offers his opinion on its proper role.

    A classically liberal society requires free markets, dynamism, and growth, as well as work and production on the part of the populace, and Will rightly upbraids the tendency of many to falsely claim that they are "disabled" and remain on relief. There is no stomach in either party in either Washington or in the voting booths that send politicians to Washington to implement the serious spending cuts needed to prevent our debt-to-GDP ratio from eventually growing to the degree that it produces a massive fiscal crisis or currency crisis. Will insists that conservatives must take the politically perilous action of telling the full truth about the budget and spending.

    The record of both parties regarding spending has been abysmal, but Republicans have at least cut taxes and regulations in recent years, as well as eliminated the odious individual mandate in the 2010 health insurance law. During the 2009 – 2016 period there was a seemingly endless cascade of Democratic scandals, including Solyndra, Fast and Furious, the IRS targeting scandal, the Hillary Clinton email scandal, using the FBI to spy on the challenging-party presidential campaign of 2016, the NSA and VA scandals, et al, et al, et al, et al, et al.

    Since 2017 Republicans have run essentially scandal-free government but also have had to endure even more Democratic perfidy in the form of the bogus "collusion" story (the Democrats were the actual colluders in 2016) and the feral, almost unspeakably shameful attempt to keep Justice Kavanaugh off the Supreme Court. There are serious internal debates in both parties, but for now, the Republicans are light-years closer to the principles set forth in "The Conservative Sensibility."

    Will urges some measure of reticence in foreign policy, and in education, he urges that our system strive to produce critical and independent thinkers—he sees the study of history to be especially beneficial toward that end. As an agnostic conservative, I greatly enjoyed the chapter describing Darwin, evolution, and how one can be both secular and conservative. One of the wisest admonitions in the volume urges conservatism to take care that it can appeal all over the country, including to secular urbanites, as the irreligious percentage of the population, already growing, inevitably climbs further in coming decades.

    There are many references to the Founders and to Lincoln through the book, and as in any George Will tome, there are many little-known historical anecdotes that help make the books such a rewarding read. You won't agree with everything in this volume, but "The Conservative Sensibility" is not to be missed if you are on the Right—those who care about ideas would profit from what might be George Will's magnum opus, whether they are classical liberals like Will, populists, or those who essentially remain Reaganites but with a few populist leanings.
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  • Reviewed in the United States on July 6, 2020
    Will presents a logical and thorough case for conservatism. By peeling away the thin veneer that serves as progressivisms justifications, Will exposes the failed socio-political outcomes of the post New Deal era. He credibly ties the on-going spiral of failures to pandering liberal efforts. While also making a strong case for viable conservative “sensibilities” and direction.

    He is up front regarding his atheism. So those who shun conservatism’s modern day tie-up with evangelical Christianity will find Will making his entire case for conservatism, without that linkage.
    6 people found this helpful
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  • Reviewed in the United States on February 14, 2025
    Used but in excellent condition. Arrived on time and well packed. Would purchase from this seller again.
  • Reviewed in the United States on August 30, 2019
    As I write this, 17% of reviewers have given "The Conservative Sensibility" a 1 star rating. It is very difficult for me to believe these reviewers actually read the entire book, or even the first chapter. I have been a serious reader for more than forty years, and with no hesitation, would say it is one of the most insightful books I have ever read. George Will is a political scholar of the first order, and his knowledge of our Founding is always a revelation. I underlined sentences or passages on every other page; it is that memorable.
    Will has few actual recommendations for returning our country to the exalted principles of our Founding Fathers-- ratifying a balanced budget amendment, a stronger and less deferential federal judiciary, and restoring sovereignty to the states. This, regrettably, is only being realistic to the circumstances we now face. If George Will writes no other book in his lifetime, this will be an appropriate way to end his quest for saving the Founders' vision--securing the natural rights of each individual.
    4 people found this helpful
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Top reviews from other countries

  • Patrick Cimolini
    5.0 out of 5 stars A good read for progressives.
    Reviewed in Canada on January 29, 2021
    I am a left of center person politically. The Conservative Sensibility gives a person like me a understanding of how principled conservatives view the world. I share many of the fundamental principles that George F. Will writes about. Where we might gently quibble lies in how we apply the principles to our political and personal lives. The book is an excellent read for anyone who has the sensibility of democracy being a messy business where many seemingly conflicting ideas must be weighed and considered seriously from many points of view before action is taken.
  • Nancy in Kitchener
    5.0 out of 5 stars Gift recipient delighted
    Reviewed in Canada on January 9, 2020
    I gave this book as a Christmas gift and have been hearing positive reviews daily, since. It is apparently a mindful read, and I am told I will probably have to wait till next Christmas for my turn. Good things are worth waiting for.
  • JCJoffre
    5.0 out of 5 stars Great read for great minds
    Reviewed in Canada on December 30, 2020
    George Will at his best. A must read for Conservative minded people. A great learning experience for those ambiguous about Conservatism. Other light weights are referred to Barak Obama’s A Promised Land