No “conservative” has done more damage to the interpretation of the American past than Harry Jaffa. He spent his career attaching the conservative movement to Abraham Lincoln and more importantly to a distorted version of the Declaration of Independence. Modern conservatism relies on Jaffa’s version of the Declaration, and with the 250th anniversary of the adoption of Jefferson’s work this summer, his “proposition nation” mythology will be on full display. But who was the real Harry Jaffa, and why should anyone pay attention to his ruminations on history, Lincoln, Jefferson, or, more importantly, the Southern tradition?
Joe Stromberg joins us to talk about Harry Jaffa and his impact on American conservatism.
Outstanding informative discussion, thank you. I learned about Strauss and Jaffa in ways I did not know.