The Rhetoric of Reaction

The Rhetoric of Reaction: Perversity, Futility, Jeopardy is a book by theorist Albert O. Hirschman which analyzes the rhetoric of conservatism that has been used to oppose social change. In his historical survey, he finds three reactionary theses have been deployed frequently: perversity, futility, and jeopardy. He says the theses and their corresponding narratives are simplistic, flawed, and cut off debate. He then discusses three progressive theses, also flawed, and proposes a new framework.