Between Orthodoxy and Revolution: A Reconstruction of the Political Philosophy of Gilbert Keith Chesterton

The aim of this paper is to examine the essays, literary and journalistic works of the English writer Gilbert Keith Chesterton from a political theory framework and to question those conceptual elements which underlie some of the main assumptions of modernity. The specific purpose of this article is to organize those dispersed elements and postulate the possibility of drawing up a political philosophy on the basis of an integral reading of the author’s works. Chesterton’s criticism of the modern concept of progress is highlighted in order to explore the possibility of deriving a coherent body of ideas from the author’s reflections that could be considered relevant to political theory. I take as a starting point, core concepts in political science present in Chesterton’s works which are linked to key theological doctrines within Christian thinking, the fundamental vector of his writings. Emphasis is placed on studying in-depth the reflections of the author about democracy, thereby establishing a specific relation with his theological and political considerations