Something believed : the Agrarian political philosophy

This research attempted to identify and define a political philosophy within the social/political writings of the Agrarians. This research also sought to locate the Agrarian political philosophy within the American political thought tradition, and to compare and contrast the Agrarians and the post-industrial theorists particularly with respect to their respective aesthetic philosophies. The research method consisted of a thorough review of the social/political essays and other writings of the Agrarians, as well as a review of the writings of many secondary sources who have commented upon Agrarian social thought and/or upon the American political tradition and approaches to political philosophy. It was concluded that one may identify an epistemology, an ontology, and an ethical system within the social/political writings of the Agrarians, and that the elements comprise a political philosophy which may be located within the American political tradition as a twentieth century conservative statement, most akin to such contemporary political theorists as Leo Strauss and Eric Voegelin. It was further concluded that the Agrarian political philosophy manifests itself in a social/aesthetic statement which is in many respects hostile to post-industrial theory.