Podcast Summary
New Books Network
Yoram Hazony, "Conservatism: A Rediscovery" (Regnery Publishing, 2022)
Release Date: November 29, 2025
Host: Hope Jay Lehman
Guest: Yoram Hazony

Main Theme / Purpose

The episode explores Yoram Hazony’s 2022 book, Conservatism: A Rediscovery, a reexamination of conservative political thought. Hazony argues for a return to the Anglo-American traditions at the heart of true conservatism, focusing on religion, nationalism, and social hierarchy. Throughout the conversation, Hazony challenges the post–World War II consensus of liberal democracy and neoliberalism, proposing a vibrant and substantive alternative. The discussion covers the intellectual lineage of conservatism, the emerging National Conservatism movement, cultural challenges facing conservative communities, and the importance of lived tradition over abstract ideology.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. The Need to “Rediscover” Conservatism

• Hazony urges a differentiation between traditional conservatism and postwar liberal democracy, which he sees as having subsumed both left and right under liberal assumptions (02:03–03:02).

  • "Conservatism needs to be rediscovered. That is, it needs to be differentiated from the post World War II concept of liberal democracy and return to its traditional three pillars of religion, nationalism and economic growth." — Yoram Hazony (02:03)

• He associates true conservatism with the English constitutional tradition and thinkers such as John Fortescue and John Selden.

• Hazony laments that after the fall of Communism, ideological debate narrowed, ushering in an era of bipartisan liberalism and paving the way for 'woke neo-Marxism' (08:18–09:03).

  • "There could be arguments between Democrats and Republicans, but pretty much everybody became a liberal." — Yoram Hazony (08:30)

2. What is National Conservatism?

• Hazony distinguishes National Conservatism from postwar fusions (like neoconservatism) and contemporary figures (e.g., DeSantis, J.D. Vance) (09:11–22:08).

• Influenced by Irving Kristol, he critiques the shift in neoconservatism toward globalist liberalism and lauds the original tradition’s skepticism toward universal rights and market freedom without the bedrock of religion and nationality (10:59–12:50).

  • "Irving Kristol was almost the exact opposite [of modern neoconservatism]... He was especially skeptical of the possibility of maintaining anything like the free enterprise system in the absence of strong nationality, national independence, and especially religion." — Yoram Hazony (11:17–12:06)

• Explains that ‘nationalism’ as used by the left has become pejorative, whereas many societies see it as pride in sovereignty and independence, not supremacy or xenophobia (14:14–16:19).

  • "A nationalist will say, look, there really is such a thing as a nation. And we owe things to our fellow nationals." — Yoram Hazony (16:15–16:23)

• Describes the birth and ongoing work of the National Conservatism movement in response to globalism post-2016 (17:24–22:08).

3. Intellectual Roots and Forgotten Figures

• Hazony challenges the idea that Edmund Burke “invented” conservatism, pointing to earlier legal and political thinkers like John Selden and John Fortescue whose ideas underpin the English and American constitutional tradition (22:34–28:31).
  • "If you open Burke's book, what you see is that he's an advocate of Anglo American traditionalism...a political theory that says that the heart of any constitution of any political order is its religious and legal traditions." — Yoram Hazony (22:57–23:44)
• Urges conservatives to recover a sense of “inherited rights” rather than seeing rights as mere rational creations (26:22–28:31).
• Hazony’s personal mission includes resurrecting overlooked conservative thinkers (30:26–31:13):
  • “I did an entire doctorate in political theory at Rutgers University...but we never studied Fortescue or Selden or Matthew Hale or Blackstone...It's a responsibility that we have is to make sure that we always go back and see who's been forgotten.” — Yoram Hazony (30:46–31:13)

4. Conservatism in Britain vs. America

• Recounts the decline of traditionalism in the British Conservative (Tory) Party, noting that despite its liberalization, tradition remains central for many Britons (33:17–35:48).
  • "England is a very, very tradition oriented country. Even, you know, if the English don't quite recognize it...at some level, they do take them seriously." — Yoram Hazony (35:28–35:59)
• Hopes for a "systematic national conservatism" to fill the void after the failures of Johnson, Truss, and others (39:13–40:43).

5. Family, Tradition, and the Effects of Modernity

• Hazony critiques the modern nuclear family as a historical aberration and argues for the extended, multigenerational family as central to conservative life (43:10–46:54).
  • “The nuclear family image...is actually very far from being a traditional family. Because...the family itself was the central economic unit...Not only was the business run by the mother and father with the help of the older people and the younger people together, but a lot of education and religion was passed down.” — Yoram Hazony (43:31–44:45)
• The pandemic prompted a forced return to extended family life and, for some, a rediscovery of abandoned values (47:59–49:09).
  • "People started having family dinners again. Suddenly discovered the...incredible bonds and ties that you can only have with your family..." — Yoram Hazony (48:22–48:32)
• Notes that while recent immigrants often retain stronger family structures, these tend to be assimilated away within a generation or two (49:56–51:11).

6. Living Conservatively—Theory and Practice

• Hazony contrasts “lifestyle conservatives” with those who genuinely live out conservative values:
  • Many self-identifying conservatives lead atomized, liberal lives with few family or communal connections, which cannot sustain conservatism in reality (53:33–57:27).
    • "They call themselves conservative, but...all they have is a stack of conservative magazines to read." — Hope Jay Lehman (paraphrasing Hazony, 53:33–53:37)
• He shares his and his wife’s journey toward an authentically traditional life, emphasizing the need for communities in which tradition is alive (61:05–66:46).
  • "You have to find older people who themselves have inherited the tradition and are in the business of passing it down. And that's the way human beings work. That's the way we're happy." — Yoram Hazony (66:11–66:37)
• Encourages readers, young and old, to rediscover honor, constraint, and God-fearing living (66:52–67:23).

7. Notable Critiques: The Enlightenment’s Blind Spots

• Points out that key Enlightenment thinkers had no children or family life, making their teachings on society incomplete (58:49–59:51).
  • "It's just preposterous that when you read them as a person who actually lives in a community where people are raising children...you're reading people [who] are completely ignorant of the subject they're writing about." — Yoram Hazony (59:38–59:58)

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• “Conservatism needs to be rediscovered… a God fearing nation with nation and religion at the center of our national belief system.” — Yoram Hazony (02:03)
• “Irving Kristol was almost the exact opposite [of globalist neoconservatism]… especially skeptical of the possibility of maintaining free enterprise in the absence of strong nationality, national independence, and especially religion.” — Yoram Hazony (11:17–12:06)
• “A nationalist will say, look, there really is such a thing as a nation. And we owe things to our fellow nationals.” — Yoram Hazony (16:15–16:23)
• “Even if the things that are in the books are true, until you actually experience it, see it over and over again with your own eyes, you don't understand it. You just don’t get it.” — Yoram Hazony (65:41–66:02)
• “You have to find older people who themselves have inherited the tradition and are in the business of passing it down… That's the way we're happy.” — Yoram Hazony (66:11–66:37)
• “It's just preposterous that when you read them [enlightenment thinkers] as a person who actually lives in a community where people are raising children...you're reading people [who] are completely ignorant of the subject they're writing about.” — Yoram Hazony (59:38–59:58)

Timestamps for Key Segments

• Rediscovering Conservatism: 02:03–09:11
• National Conservatism: 09:11–22:08
• The Intellectual Lineage: 22:34–31:13
• Conservatism in Britain: 33:17–40:43
• The Family & Modernity: 42:11–49:09
• The Lived Conservative Life: 53:33–66:46
• Enlightenment and the Family: 58:49–59:51
• Building New Communities and Practice: 61:05–66:46
• Closing: 67:23–69:20

Conclusion

This episode offers a rich, historical, and practical discussion of conservatism as a living tradition. Hazony’s arguments go beyond political posturing, outlining a vision for conservatism deeply embedded in national, religious, and familial traditions. He calls for the active recovery and practice of these principles, not just their intellectual defense. Whether one is conservative or simply wants to understand the movement’s present and future, this conversation offers crucial insights and an honest appraisal of Western culture’s crossroads.

Further Information

• Book: [Conservatism: A Rediscovery by Yoram Hazony (Regnery, 2022)]
• National Conservatism Conferences: https://nationalconservatism.org/
• Host: Hope Jay Lehman, New Books Network

For anyone interested in political theory, tradition, or the current direction of conservative thought, Hazony’s book and this conversation are essential.