Irving Kristol
Irving Kristol
================
Full Name and Common Aliases
Irving Kristol was born on June 22, 1920, in Brooklyn, New York. He is commonly known as "the godfather of neoconservatism" due to his influential role in shaping the modern conservative movement.
Birth and Death Dates
June 22, 1920 - September 18, 2009
Nationality and Profession(s)
American, Public Policy Analyst, Writer, Editor, Professor
Irving Kristol was a prominent public policy analyst, writer, editor, and professor. He played a significant role in shaping American politics and intellectual discourse through his writings and leadership positions.
Early Life and Background
Kristol was born to Orthodox Jewish immigrants from Poland. His family moved to the Bronx when he was six years old. Kristol's early life was marked by a strong interest in literature and philosophy, which led him to attend City College of New York (CCNY). He later transferred to the University of Wisconsin–Madison, where he earned his Bachelor's degree in 1940.
In 1941, Kristol married Lillian Rubin, with whom he had two children. During World War II, Kristol served as a lieutenant in the U.S. Army Air Forces' intelligence division. After the war, he returned to New York City and began working as a freelance writer for various publications.
Major Accomplishments
Kristol's work spanned multiple fields, including journalism, academia, and policy analysis. Some of his notable accomplishments include:
Founding Editor: Kristol co-founded the influential journal The Public Interest in 1965 with Daniel Bell and Irving Howe.
Neoconservative Movement: He was a key figure in shaping the modern conservative movement, advocating for a more interventionist foreign policy and emphasizing the importance of a strong national defense.
Policy Analysis: Kristol's work on public policy issues, such as healthcare reform and education, had significant impacts on American politics.Notable Works or Actions
Some notable works by Kristol include:
The Neoconservative Persuasion (1993): This collection of essays offers insight into the development and principles of neoconservatism.
Reflections of a Neoconservative (1983): In this book, Kristol defends his ideology against critics, providing a comprehensive explanation of his views.Impact and Legacy
Irving Kristol's influence on American politics and intellectual discourse is undeniable. His work as a public policy analyst, writer, and editor has shaped the modern conservative movement and continues to be relevant today.
Kristol's legacy extends beyond his writings and leadership positions. He played a significant role in shaping the careers of many notable figures, including former U.S. Secretary of State Henry Kissinger and prominent journalist Norman Podhoretz.
Why They Are Widely Quoted or Remembered
Irving Kristol is widely quoted and remembered due to his:
Influence on American Politics: His work as a public policy analyst, writer, and editor has had a lasting impact on American politics and intellectual discourse.
* Shaping of the Neoconservative Movement: As one of the key figures in shaping the modern conservative movement, Kristol's legacy continues to influence contemporary debates on foreign policy and national security.
Quotes by Irving Kristol
It was a new kind of class war – the people as citizens versus the politicians and their clients in the public sector.
International law is a fiction abused callously, or ignored ruthlessly, by those nations that, unlike the Western democracies, never took it seriously in the first place.
People need religion. It’s a vehicle for a moral tradition. A crucial role. Nothing can take its place.
It is ironic to watch the churches, including large sections of my own religion, surrendering to the spirit of modernity at the very moment when modernity itself is undergoing a kind of spiritual collapse...
If your aims as a donor are modest, you can accomplish an awful lot. When your aims become elevated beyond a reasonable level, you not only don’t accomplish much, but you can cause a great deal of damage.
The liberal paradigm of regulation and license has led to a society where an 18-year-old girl has the right to public fornication in a pornographic movie – but only if she is paid the minimum wage.
The really difficult moral issues arise, not from a confrontation of good and evil, but from a collision between two goods.
Democracy does not guarantee equality of conditions – it only guarantees equality of opportunity.
No modern nation has ever constructed a foreign policy that was acceptable to its intellectuals.
A neoconservative is a liberal who’s been mugged by reality. A neoliberal is a liberal who’s been mugged by reality but has refused to press charges.