The Pleasures of Maturity

A socialist in economics, a liberal in politics, and a conservative in culture: this is how Daniel Bell tried to make the briefest possible sense of himself amid the political and cultural confusions of the moment. As ideological one-liners go, his formulation is at least arguable, though it may not convince many socialists. In spite of his diverse ideological preferences, Bell is not without an intellectual base. He was, after all, a guiding force in the development of neoconservative styles of thought during the late 1960s and ’70s. And judging from the essays in The Winding Passage, he clearly wishes to retain an affiliation: he continues to associate with these intellectuals, to contribute
to their journals and p...