Conservatism, a new conjecture

“Nietzsche, who urges the depressed and demoralized individual to forge an entirely new path through the wilderness, one that is unique to him” This is not the full story on Nietzsche, and it cuts some corners on his thought. This statement about Nietzsche and individualism does not do justice to the whole of the Nietzsche’s project or life, but it can be a semblance of his thought, and that is all: I suppose I might accept that position.  It is important to see this quote within its context.  It comes from the work Conservatism: A Rediscovery by Yoram Hazony.  This is an excellent book describing Hebrew Bible (Christian OT) conservative nationalism.  This is not written from a position of hate, and cannot be indicated as anti-Semitic, and is written by this Jewish man who lives in Jerusalem.  Having gutted books, I intend to read it more carefully.  The challenge of Hazony’s work is his position on the roles of men and women.  Hazony states that “both men and women are capable of fierce loyalties to hierarchies in which they are honored”  Hazony writes in defense of hierarchy and patriarchy basing his approach on the Hebrew textual ideology and pure common sense, as well as a strikingly accurate view of psychological and moral development in people.  Hazony warns about the lack in the present age (not cultural moment, but more grounded in the structures of human existence) [just a quick note, I do away with the “x” in “humxn” because of the inoffensiveness of “human” to conservatives] of a structure, largely in my estimation due to the position-less poststructuralist understanding, which does not promote “family, tribe and nation.” These three institutions and ritually embedded phenomena are considered by Hazony to be pivotal in the development of success in the world. This is not the individual success of the postmodern world but that which preserves norms. Hazony clearly illustrates the kind of honor engendered with the practice of hierarchical structure and ritual.  Hazony writes, “when we do away with norms that give the individual direction and purpose, the individual is plagued by an inability to distinguish what is honorable and what is dishonorable, and from what is worthy and what is unworthy.”  And in saying so, the idea of the individual dissolves and devolves into the plagues of indeterminate choice, “drowning in a sea of alternatives,” and inability to contain life damaging lusts and prowess.  Structures of life, like family, help the person to locate paths of honor, “walking upon them,” as Hazony indicates.  No matter the path of honor, in my opinion, be it Confucianism, Christianity, African History, or the like, persons in this world do more than find actualization, but they identify the mainstays of all “successful” cultural structures; as Hazony names them again: “family, tribe, and nation.” Nationalism is praised as honorable and is not touted in any race-centric way by Hazony. As well, Hazony points out that “political conservatism cannot be separated from such personal conservatism.” Welcome to 2023 and the good old conservatism, revitalized as conservatism rediscovered by people like Hazony.

Comments

Robert Benne said…
Nice exposition of Hazony's conservatism.
1 January 2023 at 06:49
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