What Is Conservative Political Thought? From Counter-Enlightenment to Contemporary Illiberalism, Lectures

What are the main ideological features of conservative political thought? How has conservatism developed throughout its history from the French Revolution until today? In what way can the history of conservative political thinking help us understand the recent novel developments in Western countries, especially the rise of new kind of “illiberal democracy,” right-wing populism, and the more radical far-right movements?

This course offers an overview of conservative political thinking. While the course opens with a historical overview of conservatism, the main focus lies in understanding the novel forms of contemporary conservative political thought through this history. The purpose of the course is to offer students a deeper understanding of conservatism as a specific political ideology and to provide conceptual tools for critically assessing some of today’s central political developments in Europe and beyond.