ARC Books
Published alongside ARC 2026
The Age of Reconstruction
Johnny Patterson
The most comprehensive synthesis of ARC's philosophy published to date. It sets out a framework for how our societies can turn from a trajectory of decline towards a path to flourishing.
Something is shifting in the West: an undercurrent of unease, a sense that the institutions we inherited are failing and that the future our children face may be smaller than the past we were given. The book argues that this decline is not terminal, but the result of decades of neglect.
It charts a path from diagnosis to reconstruction, and sets out not only what has gone wrong but what we must build, how, and why it is still possible.
Inside the book
Five Pillars of Reconstruction
The book is built on five connected pillars. Each is one of the five streams of the ARC Conference, with research behind it.
Our Shared Stories
8 research papersOur Social Fabric
7 research papersOur Economies
5 research papersOur Energy Systems
6 research papersOur Relationship with Technology
4 research papers
Praise for the book
Will Western Civilization flourish, or flounder? It depends on us, the decisions we make right now. And Johnny Patterson's wonderful The Age of Reconstruction gives us the formula, based on timeless ideas and wisdom.
A superb helicopter view of how we got to the place we are in: compelling in its diagnosis, and essential reading for anyone serious about charting a way forward. This book gives us the capacity to find true north again.
Its claim is that there is a better story, one that animated the heroes of our history, that we should adopt and embrace if we are to build again.
1 of 3
ARC Research · £20
The Best of Our Inheritance
Restoring Our Foundations · A collection of essays
Fifteen historians, economists, philosophers, artists and statesmen make the case for remembering the values of our civilisation: the classical virtues of Greece and Rome, the Judeo-Christian ethic that shaped our moral imagination, the rule of law, free enterprise.
It is offered by people who believe decline is not inevitable.
We are changing how the book is supplied. Please check back soon.
Contents
- Foreword
- 1Our Classical Inheritance: A Legacy of Virtue, Ideas, and the Arts
- 2Our Christian Inheritance, Western Civilisation, and My Personal Journey
- 3The Dignity of the Responsible Individual
- 4Democracy, Freedom, Property Rights
- 5A Politics of Freedom Like No Other
- 6On the Rule of Law
- 7Renewing the Spirit of Democratic Capitalism
- 8Free Exchange as a Driver of Abundance
- 9Technology, Innovation, and Prosperity
- 10Energy and the Wealth of Nations
- 11A Tradition of Beauty in the Physical World
- 12Family: The Human Foundation
- 13The Power of Networks: A Legacy of Renewal
- 14Courage on the Frontlines: Remembering Who We Are
- 15A Call to the Artists: Renewing the Imagination
ARC Ideas
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From the research
- Strengthening the Social FabricFamily Matters: Why Our Choices Determine Our Economic Prosperity
- Free Enterprise and Good GovernanceBuilding Economic Dynamism: Can the West Grow Again?
- Energy, Resources, and Our EnvironmentEnergy for the 21st Century: A Declaration of Guiding Principles
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The research
Thirty research papers sit behind the five streams, for anyone who wants to go further.