British thinker Edmund Burke often called the ` ` first conservative , '' David Frum says . Yet Burke did differ from the radical individualism of today 's U.S. society , he says . At the same time , he is one of the most influential advisers of Rep. Paul Ryan , the former GOP vice presidential nominee ; you might say that Levin now holds the Irving Kristol chair as a one-man Republican brain trust . Frum says Burke emphasized the importance of community , continuity and responsibility . Frum : Two new books show the need for taking Burke 's philosophy seriously today .
British thinker Edmund Burke often called the ` ` first conservative , '' David Frum says . Yet Burke did differ from the radical individualism of today 's U.S. society , he says . Frum says Burke emphasized the importance of community , continuity and responsibility . Frum : Two new books show the need for taking Burke 's philosophy seriously today .