Buckley believes that Yale should have professors who disparage neither Christianity nor Capitalism, and that Yale's alumni should rise up and order these errant professors to cease and desist. Buckley then details the anti-Christian and anti-Capitalist sentiments he's heard from professors at Yale during his five years there (in the 1950's).

Buckley chooses to complete his thesis by assuming the correctness of historical precedent. Because the founding fathers of Yale were Christian Capitalists, Yale should censure professors who cause students to question their beliefs in Christianity or Capitalism.

The problem is that many things have historical precendent, from Anti-Popery (Buckley is Catholic) to Witch Hunts. Which Ideas do we choose to drop over time? By what measure(s) do we rank Ideas?

I think Buckley would have chosen Utility for his measure, but then he would have had to demonstrate the relative usefulness of Christianity versus other religions, and the relative usefulness of Capitalism versus other economic systems. Which would have made this book a life's work, instead of an initial post-collegiate production.