What if the book every conservative needs to read was published fifty years ago?

At only 100 pages, The Conscience of a Conservative has inspired conservatives for decades, yet there has been no revival of this book in the recent groundswell of conservative thought in the United States.

Written by Barry Goldwater in 1960, The Conscience of a Conservative built momentum for his unsuccessful 1964 presidential election. He may have lost that election, but the influence of his legacy continues to shape the conservative movement.

This classic political book should be required reading for anyone who attends a Tea Party. Goldwater’s slim manifesto still accurately explains our philosophy and political movement.

Far too many conservatives struggle to articulate why he or she identifies with the movement. It’s easy to express what we’re against: higher taxes, big government programs, the welfare state, and intrusion into our private lives. But what do we support? What does it mean to be a conservative?

Writing in a similar era when Republicans were also painted as the “party of no,” Goldwater opens his book by defining conservatism. He writes:

…the Conservative looks upon politics as the art of achieving the maximum amount of freedom for individuals that is consistent with the maintenance of social order.

He also explains the difference between conservatives and liberals:

The root difference between the Conservatives and the Liberals of today is that Conservatives take account of the whole man, while the Liberals tend to look only at the material side of man’s nature. The conservative believes that man is, in part, an economic, an animal creature; but that he is also a spiritual creature with spiritual need spiritual desires. What is more, these needs and desires reflect the superior side of man’s nature, and thus take precedence over his economic wants. Conservatism therefore looks upon the enhancement of man’s spiritual nature as the primary concern of political philosophy. Liberals, on the other hand—in the name of a concern for “human beings” –regard the satisfaction of economic wants as the dominant mission of society. They are moreover, in a hurry. So that their characteristic approach is to harness the society’s political and economic forces into a collective effort to compel “progress.” In this approach, I believe they fight against Nature.

Goldwater outlines the three aspects of what a conservative believes. All three should be memorized and understood by anyone claiming the label of conservative.

1. Every person is a unique member of human species.

“The Conservative knows that to regard man as part of an undifferentiated mass is to consign him to ultimate slavery.”

2. The economic and spiritual are “inextricably intertwined.

“He cannot be economically free, or even economically efficient, if he is enslaved politically; conversely, man’s political freedom is illusory if he is dependent for his economic needs on the State.”

3. Each individual is responsible for his or her own material and spiritual development.

“The choices that govern his life are choices that he must make; they cannot be made by any other human being, or by a collectivity of human beings.”

The Conscience of a Conservative continues to cover the dangers of big government, states’ rights, civil rights, labor, education, taxes and spending, and education.

If busy conservatives only took the time to read the first chapter, “The Perils of Power,” “States’ Rights,” “Taxes and Spending,” and “The Welfare State,” the Tea Party movement would be much better off.

Again, if you’re searching for a book on the path that conservatives should take to restore our nation to the vision that the Founders intended, The Conscious of a Conservative is a smart place to start.

While Goldwater grew more libertarian and antagonistic towards social conservatives towards the end of his life, The Conscious of a Conservative is a fast read that articulately lays out the timeless case for conservative values.

Over the last fifty years, our goal still remains the same. The charge Goldwater wrote in 1960 still applies today:

Thus, for the American Conservative, there is no difficulty in identifying the day’s overriding political challenge: it is to preserve and extend freedom.

In a time when millions of Americans are seeking alternatives to the Big Government, Chicago-style tactics of the Obama Administration, conservatives should read Goldwater’s classic.

Cross-posted at Smart Girl Nation.

Liberal Fascism, Jonah Goldberg
This is the best book that I’ve read in a while. I love studying political movements. I’m determined to finish this book quickly. I appreciate Goldberg’s sarcastic writing style. Sarcasm is under-appreciated in our society. It’s not dense, but it’s long. There’s a lot of material in each chapter, and most of it is completely unfamiliar. Having attended a Christian elementary and high school, I’m familiar with many of these concepts since history was taught with a Judeo-Christian worldview. However, Goldberg’s book shocks because it exposes so many different perspectives.

The Road to Serfdom, F.A. Hayek
There might be an impromptu book club around this. It’s on Read to Lead and is a conservative classic.

After the Hangover, R. Emmett Tyrrell, Jr.
A few weeks ago, I discovered BookSneeze through Thomas Nelson Publishing. They give bloggers free copies of books in exchange for reviews. The only problem is that you can only get one book at a time. I’ve also seen numerous reviews of this book lately, so I’m excited to read it.
Completed May 17, 2010

Spoken from the Heart, Laura Bush
I’ve been waiting for the release of this book. Reading the reviews, it should be good.

Sign Me Up! A Marketer’s Guide To Email Newsletters that Build Relationships and Boost Sales, Blumberg, et al. &
The Truth About Email Marketing, Simms Jenkins
These are a priority this month. In a previous post Mr. Jenkins was nice enough to comment here, so I look forward to reading his book!
Sign Me Up! Completed: May 9, 2010

Writing to Change the World, Mary Pipher
I keep wanting to start this, but other things happen. I will read this book in May.
Completed: May 16, 2010

Conscious of a Conservative, Barry Goldwater
This is another conservative classic that’s been on my reading list for a while. It’s also on Read to Lead. Today, Goldwater’s classic was on clearance at Barnes & Noble. Clearance stickers and books make a dangerous combination.
Completed: May 8, 2010

Were I already not overwhelmed with books, I would have picked up Carrie Fisher’s biography because it looks hilarious, and the new biography on Anne Boleyn by Alison Weir. Boleyn is a fascinating character, and biographers have only recently given her attention. Last year, I read a biography from the 70s that essentially chronicled her through the spin that Henry VIII created during her trial and death. I’ve also read newer biographies of Elizabeth I that have been much more sympathetic to her mother. Weir’s perspective looks interesting.

If anyone ever gets the impression that I’m a stuffy high-brow conservative, who only reads biographies and political books, rest assured that my taste is also middle America plebeian. Earlier, I penciled in the release of Dead in the Family, the latest Sookie Stackhouse novel by Charlaine Harris, on my calendar. I ran to Target when it was released on Tuesday and bought it. I only have about 30 more pages to read. I try to feed the brain with more “smart books,” but who can resist the occasional fun novel?
Completed May 7, 2010

I’ve briefly thought about this comparison after a random remark was made in a Mad Men episode about Goldwater. There are strong similarities — popularity with grassroots, going against party establishment, strong fiscal conservative values and the mobilization of new conservative supporters.

Of course there are huge differences. Goldwater would sharply oppose Palin’s social conservativism. Palin could also benefit greatly from studying Goldwater’s grassroots organization if a run for the White House is in her 2012 plans.

As we know, Goldwater lost in 1964, but his campaign and efforts largely helped Reagan win 1980. Will Palin follow a similar path? Thoughts?