John Stuart Mill, the most influential English philosopher of the 19th century, according to the Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy, once said, “..conservatives are not necessarily stupid, but most stupid people are conservatives.” A modern day progressive may also add hard-heartedness and pharisaicalness to the characterization.
In this blog, I will endeavor to counter the ad hominem attack on conservatives by directing the attention to the essences of conservatism.
Conservative comes from the Latin word conservare, which means “to defend, maintain and preserve”. A conservative seeks to defend, maintain and preserve “the spiritual, intellectual and political tradition of the western culture.” (Russell Kirk)
Russell Kirk, the author of the seminal book The Conservative Mind, gives us a catalogue of conservatives’ convictions(kirkcenter.org):
Conservatives believe that there exists an enduring moral order.
Conservatives adhere to custom, convention, and continuity.
Conservatives believes in what may be called the principle of prescription.
Conservatives are guided by their principle of prudence.
Conservatives pay attention to the principle of variety.
Conservatives are chastened by their principle of imperfectibility.
Conservatives are persuaded that freedom and property are closely linked.
Conservatives uphold voluntary community, quite as they oppose involuntary collectivism.
Conservatives perceive the need for prudent restraints upon power and upon human passions.
Conservatives understand that permanence and change must be recognized and reconciled in a vigorous society.
In the Essays section of the blog, I will post my thoughts on various subjects (e.g. freedom, equality, human nature, natural rights, morality, political order, economic order) as relating to conservative principles..
Most ideas presented here are not original(not even the title of the blog). Many are products of my reading. I hope, by putting them together in new ways, I will be able to make the case for why conservative principles are vital to
“secure the Blessings of Liberty to ourselves and our Posterity”