"To be conservative ... is to prefer the familiar to the unknown, to prefer the tried to the untried, fact to mystery, the actual to the possible, the limited to the unbounded, the near to the distant, the sufficient to the superabundant, the convenient to the perfect, present laughter to utopian bliss." So wrote Michael Oakeshott in his 1956 essay "On Being Conservative."
Michael Oakeshott (1911–1990) was an English philosopher and political theorist, whose long career as a scholar helped define a distinctive vision of conservative thought.
This "Right Ideas" webinar features a discussion between Baylor professor of political science Elizabeth Corey and NAS fellow John Sailer on the work and relevance of this unique scholar.
Photo by Library of the London School of Economics and Political Science // Professor Michael Oakeshott, c1960s // Uploaded by calliopejen1 // https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=15987493
