The Reactionary Mind, Corey Robin
The Reactionary Mind, Corey Robin
List: $16.99 | Sale: $11.89
Club: $8.49

The Reactionary Mind
Conservatism from Edmund Burke to Donald Trump

Author: Corey Robin

Narrator: Mike Chamberlain

Unabridged: 9 hr 48 min

Format: Digital Audiobook Download

Publisher: Tantor Media

Published: 02/27/2018

Synopsis

In The Reactionary Mind, Robin traces conservatism back to its roots in the reaction against the French Revolution. He argues that the right was inspired, and is still united, by its hostility to emancipating the lower orders. Some conservatives endorse the free market; others oppose it. Some criticize the state; others celebrate it. Underlying these differences is the impulse to defend power and privilege against movements demanding freedom and equality—while simultaneously making populist appeals to the masses. Despite their opposition to these movements, conservatives favor a dynamic conception of politics and society—one that involves self-transformation, violence, and war. They are also highly adaptive to new challenges and circumstances. This partiality to violence and capacity for reinvention have been critical to their success.

About Corey Robin

Corey Robin teaches political science at Brooklyn College and the CUNY Graduate Center. His writings have appeared in the New York Times, Harper's, and the London Review of Books.

Reviews

Goodreads review by Bill on April 06, 2019

Corey Robin's take on conservatism has helped me understand not only the Tea Party and pro-Trump movements, but also the triumphalist EWTN element of the American Roman Catholic Church. People who call themselves "conservatives," Robin argues, are not conservatives at all, but rather reactionaries.......more

Goodreads review by Kevin on December 25, 2024

Right-wing parody as strategy... The Good: --This book’s 1st edition later became hyped in capitalist media as “the book that predicted Trump”. Make sure to read the 2nd edition (2017), which has updates such as replacing Palin with Trump, and focusing more on reactionary economics. --I was worried thi......more

Goodreads review by Avi on December 29, 2012

I'm tempted to one star it, but I've read worse. The theory felt like Foucalt-lite. And the second half of the book didn't even feel like it was an attempt to write about the mind, just "reactionaries." I really wanted a psychological study of conservatism (or types of conservatism). This wasn't it.......more

Goodreads review by W.D. on September 18, 2018

Loved it. It's great for academics and the general reader both. Even if you are in the field there's a lot you'll get out of it. His reading of Edmund Burke is superbly and subtly argued. I wrote a much longer review on my blog here. If/when I have time, I'll try to scale it down here, but here are......more

Goodreads review by Sebastien on April 02, 2017

I enjoyed Corey Robin's collection of essays on conservatism and I do like his approach and analysis. But one must be aware and understand he approaches things from the left. That is where he stands and it's a good idea to be aware of that, I think. Also this is far from comprehensive, it is a sligh......more

Add to Cart
Add to Wish List