Conservatism

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Conservatism is not easily defined by a complete set of standards; varieties of conservatism exist and contradict each other at times, which is what makes the concept much more difficult to understand. Generally when you think 'conservative,' you think of preservation. This makes me wonder. if those groups that are resisting against the U.S.-invasion of Iraq are fighting to preserve their country, their values, and their sovereignty then can they too be considered conservative?

In trying to make a better understanding of what conservatism is, John Kekes asserts that conservatism is a political morality ".because it concerns the political arrangements that make a society good; and it is moral because it holds that the goodness of a society depends on the goodness of the lives of the people who live in it" (Kekes, 1998). He notes that conservatives recognize that some political arrangements are ".detrimental to good lives." and they aim to reform such arrangements (1). Kekes seems to focus on the "goodness of society" and that of "good lives" to explain how conservatism has preserved itself and why it continues to work. He argues that conservatism ".is in everyone's interest in a society." and because of this, they go on to defend political arrangements ".because they work; that they work is shown by their history, and it is through reflection on their history that the reason for them are found" (46). He maintains that "the strongest version of conservatism beings then with the conservative attitude that combines enjoyment of the political conditions of good lives, fear of their loss, and historical reflection on how best to identify, maintain, and protect them" (47).

In Chapter 2: The Problem of Defining Conservatism of their book, The Conservative Tradition in America , Dunn and Woodard, discuss the difficulty pin pointing conservatism because of the many varieties, but for the purpose of their book, thy define it ". as a defense of the political, economic, religious, and social status quo from the forces of abrupt change, that is based on a belief that established customs, laws, and traditions provide continuity and stability in the guidance of society " (30). Unlike Kekes, Dunn & Woodard maintain that the role of the conservative is to preserve status quo and they note that "Conservatives believe that in any society some people will be more dominant socially, economically and politically. Their leaderships and influence give stability to society and ensure an orderly transfer of power and wealth." On a more economical perspective, the authors point out that "The exercise of an individual's right to improve himself economically is a basic conservative value," which is why they argue in defense for capitalism as it ".is the best system to allow individual expression, the accumulation of material goods, and the working of free markets". Another strong statement the authors make is that "Conservatives have always been defenders of the rights of property, recognizing that 'property' includes more than material things" (36).

Conservatives tend to emphasize:

orthodox and traditional religious values
less faith in the goodness, reason, and perfectability of mankind
belief in less power for the centralized government
more identification with state and local government in the federal system
a nationalistic and patriotic spirit
the duties of the individual more than his or her rights
a trust in the free markets of capitalism
a desire that economic, political, religious, and social stability be maintained through gradual changes within existing institutions. " (30)

Some kinds of Conservatism as defined by Dunn & Woodard:

"international conservatism stresses realism, pragmatism, and power politics in the conduct of American foreign policy, preferring to have a strong national defense, to develop new weapon systems, and to roll back the borders of communism" (36).

"Political conservatism with its emphasis on liberty has stressed the freedom of each citizen to pursue his ambition without the undue restraint, especially from the government" (37).

".conservative populists have emphasized a grass-roots agenda of traditional morality, pro-school prayer, anti-abortion, and anti-Equal Rights Amendment" (37).

"Social conservatism.is concerned with maintaining order and continuity in society." (38).

In an article called Analytic Conservatism , Geoffrey Brennan and Alan Hamlin take a closer look at conservatism through its true lens-they argue. In trying to make a different case for conservatism, the authors differentiate what they believe is "thought" to be conservatism from its true origins, as they explain:

Anything that is not of the 'left' is often enough described as 'conservative'; and, in particular, parties which may be quite radical in promoting, say, free market policies and associated ideological platforms are widely referred to as 'conservative' parties, in both American and European (including British) settings. We distance ourselves quite explicitly from that usage. Conservatism as we understand it here is not classical liberalism; nor is it libertarianism of either the 'natural rights' or quasi-utilitarian variant; and nor is it necessarily of the political 'right' in any simple sense. It is simply the explicit recognition of the normative status of the status quo-whatever that status quo might be. (2)

References

Brennan, G., Hamlin, A. "Analytic Conservatism." British Journal of Political Science (2004): Vol. 34 Issue 4, p675, 17p.

"Conservatism." Encyclopædia Britannica . 2005. Encyclopædia Britannica Premium Service

Dunn, C. W. & Woodard, J. D. The Conservative Tradition in America . Lanham , Maryland : Rowman & Little Field Publishers, Inc., 1996.

Kekes, John. A Case for Conservatism . Ithaca & London : Cornell University Press, 1998.

 

Contributed by Sergio Mojarro