|
|
|
|
|
|
Resources |
|
|
|
Willmoore Kendall Remembered
| Article
# : |
10522 |
|
|
Section : |
BOOK WORLD
|
| Issue
Date : |
2 / 1986 |
4,327 Words |
| Author
: |
Gregory Wolfe
Gregory Wolfe is the founder and coeditor of Image: A Journal
of the Arts and Religion, and a frequent contributor to The
World & I. |
The republication of Willmoore Kendall's The Conservative Affirmation after nearly a quarter of a century is testimony that, for all the violent controversy that surrounded the man and his writings, his seminal role in the history of conservatism and of American political thought is now firmly and irrevocably established. That is not to say that his ideas are any less provocative or disturbing: the dogmas of modern liberalism which he subjected to his unique brand of relentless dialectical criticism are still ascendant in the universities, the media, and the political sphere, and his own sharply defined strictures on the nature of "true" conservatism continue to find opponents on the Right. Kendall remains a presence to be reckoned with, a gadfly who cannot be ignored. If his prophetic belief that the innate conservatism of the American people would not tolerate the wholescale reshaping of the nation's constitutional and moral heritage has to some extent been vindicated by the political resurgence of conservatism, the "Liberal Revolution" which he identified has made inroads that will not be abandoned for a long time to come.
Perhaps the most succinct characterization of Willmoore Kendall found expression in the title of a memorial tribute to him in the National Review written not long after his death in 1967: "Difficult, Singular, and Legendary." Prickly, volatile, given to sudden changes of affection and loyalty, Kendall left behind not only personal enemies, but a host of friends who had suddenly discovered that they were no longer in Kendall's graces. William F. Buckley, Jr., a student of his and later an intimate, called Kendall "the most difficult man I have ever known." He was difficult in part because he was singular: Though he gained a European polish at Oxford and on the Continent and became a formidable
... (1993 of 26209 Characters)
Read Full Article
|
|
