Synopsis
Will argues that genuine American conservatism means defending the Founders' natural-rights liberalism against the activist administrative state born of Progressivism.
Core passage idea
Paraphrase · Modern copyrighted workTo conserve the American achievement is to preserve the Founders' classical liberalism of limited government and natural rights, not to resist all change.
It redefines conservatism as fidelity to the founding's liberal principles rather than mere temperamental caution.
To avoid a bubble
Pair with Edmund Burke, Reflections on the Revolution in France.
Reading note
Read it as an argument that the real conservative quarrel is with Progressivism, not with liberty itself.
Best paired with
Edmund Burke, Reflections on the Revolution in France