The Intellectual Journey of David Brooks: From Radical to Conservative

🔄David Brooks' journey from radicalism to conservatism shows the power of intellectual growth and open-mindedness.

🔁Burke's philosophy of epistemological modesty and trust in educated sentiments had a profound impact on Brooks' thinking.

📍Brooks emphasizes the importance of tradition, institutions, and family in shaping morally admirable emotions and values.

🔗The intellectual lineage and reverence for the past are fundamental to Brooks' ideology, which values the wisdom of previous generations.

✨Brooks shares personal anecdotes and experiences that influenced his transformation and expanded his perspective.

What led to David Brooks' shift from radicalism to conservatism?

—Brooks' encounter with conservative thinkers like Edmund Burke and his experiences as a police reporter challenged his previous beliefs and made him lean towards conservatism.

How does Brooks view reason and emotion?

—Brooks distrusts reason but trusts well-educated sentiments and emotions that arise from encountering morally admirable figures and experiences.

What role does tradition play in Brooks' thinking?

—Brooks emphasizes the importance of tradition, institutions, and family in shaping morally admirable emotions, values, and a sense of connection to previous generations.

How does Brooks view the relationship between the past, present, and future?

—Brooks believes in a continuous conversation between the Dead, the living, and the Unborn, where the wisdom and values of the past inform our actions and decisions.

What are some key influences on Brooks' intellectual journey?

—Brooks mentions his encounters with conservative thinkers, personal reflections, and experiences as a police reporter as some of the key influences that shaped his intellectual journey.

00:22David Brooks expresses gratitude for the opportunity to speak and highlights the significance of his conversation with someone like David Brooks.

02:30This conversation is part of the 175th anniversary of RH's College, celebrating the place of intellectual stimulation and moral and spiritual formation that it provides.

06:03Brooks shares his journey from being a radical leftist to embracing conservative ideas.

09:42Encounters with conservative thinkers, like Edmund Burke, challenged Brooks' previous beliefs and made him lean towards conservatism.

13:31Brooks emphasizes the importance of tradition, institutions, and family in shaping morally admirable emotions and values.