The New Inquiry: Conservative Thought

Outlined below are key areas of inquiry into conservative thought. You may answer
one or many questions directly, combine topic areas into a single answer, or go
beyond the prompt to explore whatever interests you most about conservatism.

Your response may be as long or as short as it needs to be, though we find pieces
between 1,000 and 3,500 words to be most effective.

We will accept pieces previously published elsewhere, provided we are legally

permitted to reprint them.

All submissions must be e-mailed to tni@thenewinquiry.com by July 25.

Topic Areas & Questions

Reactionism: Is conservatism always and only a reaction to change,

resulting in a politics of shortsighted showdowns with foes of the moment,
or does it contain a positive and sustainable program?

Economics: Does free-market capitalism, which encourages change and

mobility, undermine conservative values?

Elitism: Some strands of conservatism would have us defer authority and

cultural guardianship to an elite class, but it is unclear whether the defining
element of an American elite would be money, fame, or prestige. How are
we to make sense of the anti-elitist and anti-establishment sentiments that
pervade conservative populism today?

Religion: Conservatism often rests its ideal of a higher order on religious

conviction. God provides the benchmarks of extrinsic, absolute value. What
are the implications of this foundation in the West’s prevailingly secular
age?

Art & Culture: If preserving and fostering the creation of art is essential to
cultural continuity, does it follow that it is incumbent upon conservatives to
engage in the study and support of the arts? What does it mean to be a
conservative artist, or a conservative and an artist?

Sex & Gender: In embracing equality as a cardinal modern value, have we

failed to account for the continued utility of gender roles (whether or not
they are socially or biologically determined)?

The Future of Conservatism: If there is a future for conservatism, what is it?