Irving Kristol
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Irving William Kristol (; January 22, 1920 – September 18, 2009) was an American journalist and writer. As a founder, editor, and contributor to various magazines, he played an influential role in the intellectual and political culture of the latter half of the twentieth century. He was dubbed the "godfather of
neoconservatism Neoconservatism (colloquially neocon) is a political movement which began in the United States during the 1960s among liberal hawks who became disenchanted with the increasingly pacifist Democratic Party along with the growing New Left and ...
". After his death, he was described by ''
The Daily Telegraph ''The Daily Telegraph'', known online and elsewhere as ''The Telegraph'', is a British daily broadsheet conservative newspaper published in London by Telegraph Media Group and distributed in the United Kingdom and internationally. It was found ...
'' as being "perhaps the most consequential
public intellectual An intellectual is a person who engages in critical thinking, research, and Human self-reflection, reflection about the nature of reality, especially the nature of society and proposed solutions for its normative problems. Coming from the wor ...
of the latter half of the century". He is the father of political writer
Bill Kristol William Kristol (; born December 23, 1952) is an American neoconservative writer. A frequent commentator on several networks including CNN, he was the founder and editor-at-large of the political magazine ''The Weekly Standard''. Kristol is edi ...
.


Early life and education

Kristol was born in
Brooklyn Brooklyn is a Boroughs of New York City, borough of New York City located at the westernmost end of Long Island in the New York (state), State of New York. Formerly an independent city, the borough is coextensive with Kings County, one of twelv ...
, New York, the son of non-observant
Jewish Jews (, , ), or the Jewish people, are an ethnoreligious group and nation, originating from the Israelites of History of ancient Israel and Judah, ancient Israel and Judah. They also traditionally adhere to Judaism. Jewish ethnicity, rel ...
immigrants from
Eastern Europe Eastern Europe is a subregion of the Europe, European continent. As a largely ambiguous term, it has a wide range of geopolitical, geographical, ethnic, cultural and socio-economic connotations. Its eastern boundary is marked by the Ural Mountain ...
, Bessie (Mailman) and Joseph Kristol. He graduated from Boys High School in Brooklyn, New York in 1936 and received his B.A. from the
City College of New York The City College of the City University of New York (also known as the City College of New York, or simply City College or CCNY) is a Public university, public research university within the City University of New York (CUNY) system in New York ...
in 1940, where he majored in history. In college he was a member of the Young People's Socialist League and was part of a small but vocal group of
Trotskyist Trotskyism (, ) is the political ideology and branch of Marxism developed by Russian revolutionary and intellectual Leon Trotsky along with some other members of the Left Opposition and the Fourth International. Trotsky described himself as an ...
anti-Soviets who later became known as the New York Intellectuals. It was at these meetings that Kristol met historian Gertrude Himmelfarb, whom he married in 1942. They had two children, Elizabeth Nelson and
Bill Kristol William Kristol (; born December 23, 1952) is an American neoconservative writer. A frequent commentator on several networks including CNN, he was the founder and editor-at-large of the political magazine ''The Weekly Standard''. Kristol is edi ...
. During
World War II World War II or the Second World War (1 September 1939 – 2 September 1945) was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War II, Allies and the Axis powers. World War II by country, Nearly all of the wo ...
, he served in Europe in the 12th Armored Division as a combat infantryman.


Career

Kristol was affiliated with the Congress for Cultural Freedom. He wrote in '' Commentary'' magazine from 1947 to 1952 under the editor Elliot E. Cohen (not to be confused with Eliot A. Cohen, a current ''Commentary'' contributor). With
Stephen Spender Sir Stephen Harold Spender (28 February 1909 – 16 July 1995) was an English poet, novelist and essayist whose work concentrated on themes of social injustice and the class struggle. He was appointed U.S. Poet Laureate Consultant in Poetry ...
, he was co-founder of and contributor to the British-based '' Encounter'' from 1953 to 1958; editor of '' The Reporter'' from 1959 to 1960. He also was the executive vice-president of the publishing house
Basic Books Basic Books is a book publisher founded in 1950 and located in New York City, now an imprint of Hachette Book Group. It publishes books in the fields of psychology, philosophy, economics, science, politics, sociology, current affairs, and his ...
from 1961 to 1969, the Henry Luce Professor of Urban Values at
New York University New York University (NYU) is a private university, private research university in New York City, New York, United States. Chartered in 1831 by the New York State Legislature, NYU was founded in 1832 by Albert Gallatin as a Nondenominational ...
from 1969 to 1987, and co-founder and co-editor (first with Daniel Bell and then Nathan Glazer) of '' The Public Interest'' from 1965 to 2002. He was the founder and publisher of '' The National Interest'' from 1985 to 2002. Following '' Ramparts'' publication of information showing
Central Intelligence Agency The Central Intelligence Agency (CIA; ) is a civilian foreign intelligence service of the federal government of the United States tasked with advancing national security through collecting and analyzing intelligence from around the world and ...
funding of the Congress for Cultural Freedom, which was widely reported elsewhere, Kristol left in the late 1960s and became affiliated with the
American Enterprise Institute The American Enterprise Institute for Public Policy Research, known simply as the American Enterprise Institute (AEI), is a center-right think tank based in Washington, D.C., that researches government, politics, economics, and social welfare ...
. Kristol was a fellow of the
American Academy of Arts and Sciences The American Academy of Arts and Sciences (The Academy) is one of the oldest learned societies in the United States. It was founded in 1780 during the American Revolution by John Adams, John Hancock, James Bowdoin, Andrew Oliver, and other ...
, a member of the
Council on Foreign Relations The Council on Foreign Relations (CFR) is an American think tank focused on Foreign policy of the United States, U.S. foreign policy and international relations. Founded in 1921, it is an independent and nonpartisan 501(c)(3) nonprofit organi ...
and a fellow emeritus at the
American Enterprise Institute The American Enterprise Institute for Public Policy Research, known simply as the American Enterprise Institute (AEI), is a center-right think tank based in Washington, D.C., that researches government, politics, economics, and social welfare ...
(having been an associate fellow from 1972, a senior fellow from 1977 and the John M. Olin Distinguished Fellow from 1988 to 1999). As a member of the board of contributors of ''
The Wall Street Journal ''The Wall Street Journal'' (''WSJ''), also referred to simply as the ''Journal,'' is an American newspaper based in New York City. The newspaper provides extensive coverage of news, especially business and finance. It operates on a subscriptio ...
'', he contributed a monthly column from 1972 to 1997. He served on the Council of the
National Endowment for the Humanities The National Endowment for the Humanities (NEH) is an independent federal agency of the U.S. government, established by thNational Foundation on the Arts and the Humanities Act of 1965(), dedicated to supporting research, education, preserv ...
from 1972 to 1977. In 1978, Kristol and William E. Simon founded The Institute For Education Affairs, which as a result of a merger with the Madison Center became the Madison Center for Educational Affairs in 1990.


Death

Kristol died from complications of
lung cancer Lung cancer, also known as lung carcinoma, is a malignant tumor that begins in the lung. Lung cancer is caused by genetic damage to the DNA of cells in the airways, often caused by cigarette smoking or inhaling damaging chemicals. Damaged ...
, aged 89, on September 18, 2009, at the Capital Hospice in
Falls Church, Virginia Falls Church City is an independent city (United States), independent city in the Commonwealth (U.S. state), Commonwealth of Virginia, United States. As of the 2020 United States census, 2020 census, the population was 14,658. Falls Church is ...
.


Ideas

During the late 1960s up until the 1970s, neoconservatives were worried about the
Cold War The Cold War was a period of global Geopolitics, geopolitical rivalry between the United States (US) and the Soviet Union (USSR) and their respective allies, the capitalist Western Bloc and communist Eastern Bloc, which lasted from 1947 unt ...
and that its
liberalism Liberalism is a Political philosophy, political and moral philosophy based on the Individual rights, rights of the individual, liberty, consent of the governed, political equality, the right to private property, and equality before the law. ...
was turning into radicalism, thus many neoconservatives including Irving Kristol, Norman Podhoretz and
Daniel Patrick Moynihan Daniel Patrick Moynihan (; March 16, 1927 – March 26, 2003) was an American politician, diplomat and social scientist. A member of the Democratic Party (United States), Democratic Party, he represented New York (state), New York in the ...
wanted Democrats to continue on a strong anti-communist foreign policy. This foreign policy was to use Soviet human rights violations to attack the Soviet Union. This later led to Nixon's policies called détente. Kristol did not believe that the same
civil liberties Civil liberties are guarantees and freedoms that governments commit not to abridge, either by constitution, legislation, or judicial interpretation, without due process. Though the scope of the term differs between countries, civil liberties of ...
should be granted to communists because it would be like paying "a handsome salary to someone pledged to his liquidation". In 1973, Michael Harrington coined the term, "neo-conservatism", to describe those liberal intellectuals and political philosophers who were disaffected with the political and cultural attitudes dominating the Democratic Party and were moving toward a new form of conservatism. Intended by Harrington as a pejorative term, it was accepted by Kristol as an apt description of the ideas and policies exemplified by '' The Public Interest''. Unlike liberals, for example, neo-conservatives rejected most of the Great Society programs sponsored by
Lyndon B. Johnson Lyndon Baines Johnson (; August 27, 1908January 22, 1973), also known as LBJ, was the 36th president of the United States, serving from 1963 to 1969. He became president after the assassination of John F. Kennedy, under whom he had served a ...
and, unlike traditional conservatives, they supported the more limited welfare state instituted by
Franklin D. Roosevelt Franklin Delano Roosevelt (January 30, 1882April 12, 1945), also known as FDR, was the 32nd president of the United States, serving from 1933 until his death in 1945. He is the longest-serving U.S. president, and the only one to have served ...
. In February 1979, Kristol was featured on the cover of ''
Esquire Esquire (, ; abbreviated Esq.) is usually a courtesy title. In the United Kingdom, ''esquire'' historically was a title of respect accorded to men of higher social rank, particularly members of the landed gentry above the rank of gentleman ...
''. The caption identified him as "the godfather of the most powerful new political force in America – Neo-conservatism". That year also saw the publication of the book, ''The Neo-conservatives: The Men Who Are Changing America's Politics''. Like Harrington, the author, Peter Steinfels, was critical of neo-conservatism, but he was impressed by its growing political and intellectual influence. Kristol's response appeared under the title "Confessions of a True, Self-Confessed – Perhaps the Only – 'Neo-conservative'". Neo-conservatism, Kristol maintained, is not an ideology but a "persuasion", a way of thinking about politics rather than a compendium of principles and axioms. It is classical, rather than romantic, in temperament and practical and anti-utopian in policy. One of Kristol's most well-known quips defines a neo-conservative as "a liberal who has been mugged by reality". These concepts lie at the core of neo-conservative philosophy to this day. While propounding the virtues of
supply-side economics Supply-side economics is a Macroeconomics, macroeconomic theory postulating that economic growth can be most effectively fostered by Tax cuts, lowering taxes, Deregulation, decreasing regulation, and allowing free trade. According to supply- ...
as the basis for the economic growth that is "a ''
sine qua non A ''sine qua non'' (, ) or ''condicio sine qua non'' (plural: ''condiciones sine quibus non'') is an indispensable and essential action, condition, or ingredient. It was originally a Latin legal term for " conditionwithout which it could not b ...
'' for the survival of a modern democracy", he also insists that any economic philosophy has to be enlarged by "political philosophy, moral philosophy, and even religious thought", which were as much the ''sine qua non'' for a modern democracy. One of his early books, ''Two Cheers for Capitalism'', asserts that
capitalism Capitalism is an economic system based on the private ownership of the means of production and their use for the purpose of obtaining profit. This socioeconomic system has developed historically through several stages and is defined by ...
, or more precisely,
bourgeois The bourgeoisie ( , ) are a class of business owners, merchants and wealthy people, in general, which emerged in the Late Middle Ages, originally as a "middle class" between the peasantry and Aristocracy (class), aristocracy. They are tradition ...
capitalism, is worthy of two cheers. One cheer because "it works, in a quite simple, material sense" by improving the conditions of people; and a second cheer because it is "congenial to a large measure of personal liberty". He argues these are no small achievements and only capitalism has proved capable of providing them. However, it also imposes a great "psychic burden" upon the individual and the social order. Because it does not meet the individual's "'existential' human needs", it creates a "spiritual malaise" that threatens the legitimacy of that social order. As much as anything else, it is the withholding of that potential third cheer that is the distinctive mark of neo-conservatism as Kristol understood it. Regarding
foreign policy Foreign policy, also known as external policy, is the set of strategies and actions a State (polity), state employs in its interactions with other states, unions, and international entities. It encompasses a wide range of objectives, includ ...
Kristol said "What's the point in being the greatest, most powerful nation in the world and not having an imperial role?", adding that the USA "should play a far more dominant role in world affairs" in form of "command and giving orders as to what is to be done". Kristol was pessimistic about the prospects of the
Vietnam War The Vietnam War (1 November 1955 – 30 April 1975) was an armed conflict in Vietnam, Laos, and Cambodia fought between North Vietnam (Democratic Republic of Vietnam) and South Vietnam (Republic of Vietnam) and their allies. North Vietnam w ...
, believing that
South Vietnam South Vietnam, officially the Republic of Vietnam (RVN; , VNCH), was a country in Southeast Asia that existed from 1955 to 1975. It first garnered Diplomatic recognition, international recognition in 1949 as the State of Vietnam within the ...
was "barely capable of decent self-government under the best of conditions. It lacks the political traditions, the educated classes, the civic spirit that makes self-government workable." Due to this the most America could hope for would be to "remove this little, backward nation from the front line of the Cold War so that it can stew quietly in its own political juice".


Awards and honors

In July 2002, he received from President
George W. Bush George Walker Bush (born July 6, 1946) is an American politician and businessman who was the 43rd president of the United States from 2001 to 2009. A member of the Bush family and the Republican Party (United States), Republican Party, he i ...
the
Presidential Medal of Freedom The Presidential Medal of Freedom is the highest civilian award of the United States, alongside the Congressional Gold Medal. It is an award bestowed by decision of the president of the United States to "any person recommended to the President ...
, the nation's highest civilian honor.


Articles

* “Other People's Nerve” (as William Ferry), ''Enquiry'', May 1943. * “James Burnham's 'The Machiavellians'" (as William Ferry), ''Enquiry'', July 1943. (A review of The Machiavellians: Defenders of Freedom by James Burnham.) * “Koestler: A Note on Confusion,” ''Politics'', May 1944. * “The Indefatigable Fabian,” ''New York Times Book Review'', August 24, 1952. (A review of Beatrice Webb's Diaries: 1912–1924, edited by Margaret I. Cole.) * "Men and Ideas: Niccolo Machiavelli," ''Encounter'', December 1954.
"American Intellectuals and Foreign Policy," ''Foreign Affairs'', July 1967 (repr. in ''On the Democratic Idea in America'').


* [http://www.nationalaffairs.com/public_interest/detail/when-virtue-loses-all-her-loveliness-some-reflections-on-capitalism-and-the-free-society "When Virtue Loses All Her Loveliness," ''The Public Interest'', Fall 1970 (repr. in ''On the Democratic Idea in America'' and ''Two Cheers for Capitalism'').]
"Pornography, Obscenity, and Censorship," ''New York Times Magazine'', March 28, 1971 (repr. in ''On the Democratic Idea in America'' and ''Reflections of a Neo-conservative'').
* "Utopianism, Ancient and Modern," ''Imprimus'', April 1973 (repr. in ''Two Cheers for Capitalism'').
"Adam Smith and the Spirit of Capitalism," ''The Great Ideas Today'', ed. Robert Hutchins and Mortimer Adler, 1976 (repr. in ''Reflections of a Neo-conservative'').

"Memoirs of a Trotskyist," ''New York Times Magazine'', January 23, 1977 (repr. in ''Reflections of a Neo-conservative'').
* "The Adversary Culture of Intellectuals," ''Encounter'', October 1979 (repr. in ''Reflections of a Neo-conservative''). * "The Hidden Cost of Regulation", ''The Wall Street Journal''.


Books

Authored * ''On the Democratic Idea in America''. New York: Harper, 1972. * ''Two Cheers for Capitalism: A Penetrating Assessment Of Free Enterprise And The Corporate System''. 1978. * ''Reflections of a Neo-conservative: Looking Back, Looking Ahead''. 1983. * ''Neo-conservatism: The Autobiography of an Idea''. 1995. * ''The Neo-conservative Persuasion: Selected Essays, 1942–2009''. New York:
Basic Books Basic Books is a book publisher founded in 1950 and located in New York City, now an imprint of Hachette Book Group. It publishes books in the fields of psychology, philosophy, economics, science, politics, sociology, current affairs, and his ...
, 2011. * ''On Jews and Judaism: Selected Essays''.
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, 2014. Edited * ''The Crisis in Economic Theory''. Edited with Daniel Bell. New York:
Basic Books Basic Books is a book publisher founded in 1950 and located in New York City, now an imprint of Hachette Book Group. It publishes books in the fields of psychology, philosophy, economics, science, politics, sociology, current affairs, and his ...
, 1981. Contributed * ”Rationalism in Economics” (Chapter 12). ''The Crisis in Economic Theory''. Edited with Daniel Bell. New York:
Basic Books Basic Books is a book publisher founded in 1950 and located in New York City, now an imprint of Hachette Book Group. It publishes books in the fields of psychology, philosophy, economics, science, politics, sociology, current affairs, and his ...
, 1981. p. 201.


See also

* Gertrude Himmelfarb *
William Kristol William Kristol (; born December 23, 1952) is an American neoconservative writer. A frequent commentator on several networks including CNN, he was the founder and editor-at-large of the political magazine '' The Weekly Standard''. Kristol is e ...
* Norman Podhoretz


References


External links


Website and bibliography of Irving Kristol's writings

American Conservatism 1945–1995, by Irving Kristol



The Neoconservative Persuasion, by Irving Kristol


– Daily Telegraph obituary *
Irving Kristol Papers finding aid
– Wisconsin Historical Society
Arguing the World
1998 PBS documentary film featuring Nathan Glazer, Daniel Bell, Irving Howe, and Kristol {{DEFAULTSORT:Kristol, Irving American columnists American newspaper publishers (people) American political commentators American political writers Presidential Medal of Freedom recipients Neoconservatism Former Marxists American Trotskyists American Enterprise Institute National Association of Scholars City College of New York alumni Critics of multiculturalism New York University faculty United States Army soldiers United States Army personnel of World War II American male journalists Jewish American journalists Jewish American non-fiction writers Jewish philosophers 1920 births 2009 deaths Writers from Brooklyn Deaths from lung cancer in Virginia 20th-century American male writers 20th-century American non-fiction writers American magazine founders American male non-fiction writers American anti-communists Jewish anti-communists