I. Conservatism's forerunners -- Critics of revolution -- II. What conservatism is -- Character, outlook, and labelling of conservatism -- III. Conservatism's first phase (1830-80) : resisting liberalism -- Parties and politicians : a right without authority -- Ideas and thinkers : turning reason against liberalism -- IV. Conservatism's second phase (1880-1945) : adaption and compromise -- Parties and politicians : authority recovered and squandered -- Ideas and thinkers : distrust of democracy and of public reason -- V. Conservatism's third phase (1945-80) : political command and intellectual recovery -- Parties and politicians : recovering nerve and rewinning power -- Ideas and thinkers : answering liberal orthodoxies -- VI. Conservatism's fourth phase (1980-the present) :hyper-liberalism and the hard right -- Parties and politicians : letting in the hard right -- Ideas and thinkers : yes or no to a hyper-liberal status quo -- Coda : choices for the right.