Political Philosophy and Cultural Renewal

Francis Graham Wilson (1901-1976) was an eminent political scientist who taught at the University of Washington and the University of Illinois. He is best known for establishing a historical theory of public opinion as distinct from the methodology. He is the author of numerous articles and books on public opinion, including The American Political Mind and The Case for Conservatism.H. Lee Cheek, Jr., is Professor of Political Science and Religion at the University of North Georgia, and a senior fellow of the Alexander Hamilton Institute. His previous books include Political Philosophy and Cultural Renewal, Order and Legitimacy, and Calhoun and Popular Rule, among other works.M. Susan Power is Professor of Political Science at Arkansas State University. Her books include Before the Convention: Religion and the Founders and Jacques Maritain. Kathy B. Cheek is adjunct instructor at Lee University, a choreographer and teacher of dance.

• Introduction Francis Graham Wilson: An Appreciation Part 1: Towards a Theory of Political Life 1. Human Nature and Politics 2. A Revival of Organic Theory 3. The Structure of Modern Theology Part 2: The Political Theory of Renewal and Conservatism 4. A Theory of Conservatism 5. The Political Philosophy of Conservatism 6. The Ethics of Political Conservatism 7. The Emergence of a Conservatism Religion 8. The Conservative in Crisis: Notes on De Officiis Part 3: Sources of Renewal in the American Political Mind 9. A Jeffersonian Tradition 10. Democratic Theory: A Central Issue 11. Ethics in the Study of Democratic Politics 12. The Federalist on Public Opinion 13. Pessimism in American Politics 14. Notes from the Democratic Rhetoric A Wilson Checklist

"Wilson measured up to his own exacting standards of what the conservative spirit should be. He shouldered a great responsibility with elan and moved beyond the defensive, reaching out boldly to blend the fading past and the emerging future into an imaginative present. With this rich sampling of Wilson's work, the editors have measured up to that standard as well."—Intercollegiate Review"It has been argued, perhaps most notably by George Nash, that American conservatism as a intellectual movement became articulate only after World War II... It is noteworthy that Russell Kirk's The Conservative Mind was not published until 1953. It would be mistaken, however, to deny the existence of important American conservative voices during the mid-nineteenth century. As proof of this, editors Lee Cheek Jr., M. Susan Power, and Kathy B. Cheek have done a great service in compiling representative essays from the American political scientist Francis Graham Wilson (1901-1976). In addition excellent introduction that guides the reader through Wilson's life and legacy. The essays span a wide range human nature, organic theory, conservatism, Cicero's de officiis and the American political mind."—Joseph R. Fornieri The University Bookman