This book investigates developments and changes in the nature of Conservative political thought and the meaning of Conservatism throughout the 20th century. Starting from the Edwardian crisis under Arthur Balfour, the study explores the Conservative mind through a series of chapters that examine how Conservative thinkers, politicians, and activists sought to define the problems they faced, what they thought they were arguing against, and what audiences they were seeking to reach. Topics covered include the influence of the English Idealists, the ideas of Arthur Steel-Maitland, the ending of th ... More

This book investigates developments and changes in the nature of Conservative political thought and the meaning of Conservatism throughout the 20th century. Starting from the Edwardian crisis under Arthur Balfour, the study explores the Conservative mind through a series of chapters that examine how Conservative thinkers, politicians, and activists sought to define the problems they faced, what they thought they were arguing against, and what audiences they were seeking to reach. Topics covered include the influence of the English Idealists, the ideas of Arthur Steel-Maitland, the ending of the 1922 coalition with the Lloyd George Liberals, Conservative Book Clubs, the political economy of Harold Macmillan, the resignation of the Conservative Treasury team under Peter Thorneycroft in 1958, the ideological origins of the Thatcherite revolution under Margaret Thatcher, and Conservative ideas on the role of the State and civil society. It concludes that Conservatism, as articulated throughout the 20th century, can be clearly defined and recognises Thatcherism as a significant departure from previous 20th-century Conservative thought.