Il neoconservatorismo di Irving Kristol: una «persuasione» europea

This paper analyses the distinctiveness of Irving Kristol’s political thought within the American political and cultural context. While neoconservatism is often associated with liberal imperialism and the promotion of democracy through military means, this retroactively flattens the movement’s earlier diversity. This study, drawing also on archival material, seeks to demonstrate how Kristol’s intellectual trajectory diverges sharply from later neoconservatives. In particular, it focuses on Kristol’s reflections on those social and cultural issues that he considered both a cause and a consequence of the rise of the New Left and its disintegrative effects. Kristol’s primary concern was to preserve the unity of the American political community by advocating a renewed commitment to the values and principles of Adam Smith. However, for Kristol, this return did not entail mere restoration, but rather a selective reappropriation that also implied going beyond Smith’s vision and liberalism.