Sydney Hook: A Conservative?

In this 1987 interview, Sydney Hook discusses his changing views in ideology after the Second World War. Hook recalls his vehement opposition to the World War One on the socialist belief that it was a senseless conflict between imperial powers that did not represent the interests of the people. His hope that the Russian Revolution would bring about peace, however, was destroyed when Lenin’s reign became one of a totalitarian dictator, changing his view of the Bolshevik Party. He supported World War Two and opposed the communist state of the USSR because the situations were fundamentally different from Marxist ideals and World War One, respectively. It is interesting that Hook does not consider his transfer of support and ideological change of his own, but a change in society. He still believes socialism is a key to democracy, but the current Communist Party oppresses democracy and therefore cannot be supported. His response to the label of conservative suggests that though his fundamental beliefs have not changed, society’s definition of a liberal has changed to, what he considers, a less democratic position.

He also makes references to Santayana and Dewey.