Two tributes to James Q. Wilson came across my laptop.
This, from Alan Wolfe, at TNR and this one from Father Robert Imbelli at Commonweal.
To those who think that some of us are a bit hysterical when we worry about the intellectual decline in our public discourse, I would only point out that in the past week, the airwaves were drenched with commentary on the passing of Andrew Brietbart but nary a word about James Wilson. Mr. Breitbart's death is certainly a tragedy for his family, especially because he was so young. But, Wilson was a genuine scholar who contributed to the intellectual life of the nation with a brand of highly informed, self-critical conservatism that was worthy of everyone's attention. Breitbart's death was not a tragedy for the intellectual health of the nation; Wilson's was.
TNR's homepage also has links to some of the many articles Wilson published in that journal over the years. All of us who write about politics can but wish we had his wisdom and his erudition, whether or not we shared all of his opinions.
