Do you support Conservatism?

Question

I believe Conservatism is the bedrock of our GREAT country, socialism destroys it.

nightdrot · Accepted Answer

Voted Yes. While I am a Republican and count myself a conservative, and have supported presidents like Ronald Reagan - Mr. Trump is not a conservative but a populist - my definition of conservatism is quite specific.

My conservatism is not what Americans typically call conservative. Because what Americans call conservative is, historically speaking, not conservatism but is, rather, classical liberalism.

My conservatism, which for convenience I will call classical or Tory conservatism, traces its intellectual pedigree through Aristotle, St. Thomas Aquinas - and probably most importantly - the 18th century British statesman and political philosopher, Edmund Burke, and also the British Prime Minsiters Benjamin Disraeli and Lord Salisbury.

In an American context, it shows up in the thinking of Alexander Hamilton and then - almost by historical accident, the American Whig Party, and the former Whig turned Republican, Abraham Lincoln. (It is a great historical "what if" as to what the GOP would have looked like had Lincoln lived and the radical Republicans not gained the ascendancy.)

Classical conservatives believe, unlike American conservatives and liberals, that the purpose of government is to answer Aristotle's first questions of politics, "How ought we to live? What kind of a people do we wish to be?"

To which classical conservatives respond that the purpose of government is to nurture civic virtue. To reinforce those habits and customs, legitimized by historical usage over time, that make a harmonious and stable social order possible.

Classical conservatives believe in the free market as a tool, rather than an end in itself. They recognize that it is a powerful wealth creator, efficient to some degree, and a guard against an overweening state. However, they believe, as Burke said, "The effect of liberty to individuals is that they may do what they please. We ought see what it will please them to do before we risk congratulations."

Consequently, classical conservatives support an ameliorative welfare state. (The welfare state was invented by two conservatives - Disraeli and Bismarck.) The purpose such a welfare state being to reconcile the public to the dynamics of a free market economy by alleviating the negative impact of old age, illness and temporary unemployment.

In this they differ from American liberals who see the welfare state as a lever to engineer social transformation. That is, to restructure society according to some abstract a priori vision. Classical conservatives argue that such a vision is ultimately going to be oversimple and will lead to adverse and unintended consequences.

Tories believe that political philosophy should take as it starting point not human reason, but human nature. That political rights are developed through historical usage, and are not abstract pre-existing. Which is to say that they don't deny that such abstract rights exist. Merely that they are of no practical benefit or use in civil society and law. As Burke put it, "Their abstract perfection is their practical defect."

In all this, then, classical conservatives tend to see less difference between American conservatives and liberals than they see between themselves. Albeit that classical conservatives are more likely to align with their American counterparts insofar as American liberals tend to be more deeply hostile to custom and tradition.

NamerOfStars · Accepted Answer

Conservatism would've meant accepting the taxes with no Parliamentary representation, because the burden was tiny, and it was what had always been done. Going further, it would've meant rejecting the Enlightenment ideals that the Constitution (and even the Articles of Confederation) are loaded with. The bedrock of the country (politically speaking, of course) is liberalism. Conservatism is the vital counterweight that keeps the crazier liberal impulses in check- or DID, until Reagan and his followers drove the Republican party off a cliff, and have yet to find their way back up. Then Obama took the whole damn NATION off the same cliff, and Trump was in a position to sweep in and capitalize.

A politically healthy country will have great and frequent disagreements on policy and a strong and sensible presence of BOTH sides of the political spectrum (as well as libertarian and authoritarian presence, and a few other axises that aren't as clearly defined). We don't have that anymore, and I'm not sure how we can get it back. But without both left AND right wings, a bird can't fly. Neither can a nation.

Anonymous · Accepted Answer

I'm what Americans would call a socialist in somethings while conservative in other things.

Anonymous · Accepted Answer

^^^^^ This

MCheetah · Answer

No, I do not support  all  of conservatism. It has it's good parts and it's bad parts. In general, I support the nuclear family, caring for the wife and kids, and trying to be a good person. But I don't support forcing religion (Christianity) on people who don't believe it, or forcing pro-life sentiments on people unfit to be parents. So to say I support (all) of conservatism, would be untrue. But I do support things like two-parent households, families, and community togetherness. I'm politically neutral/independent.

worldscolide · Answer

I am middle of the road. I think a healthy combination of both is good. And to that anonymous bitch who posted that idiotic meme, The reason conservative states are on average poorer is because of... wait for it... Less population. Not because we aren't doing well. The places with the highest population are almost all universally leftist. They are also the places with the highest number of homeless, Highest crime rates, highest murder rates, Drug rates.. I could go on. Bottom line, i could stand a bit less money if my individual liberties are protected and dont have to deal with crime and riots. But that anonymous bitch isn't ready for that conversation is she?

AngryCarl · Answer

Conservatism is how the aristocracy maintain their wealth and power. Since I'm an ordinary worker, whom the aristocracy exploits for their own advantage, I do not support it. Wealth is produced by workers, and it should return to them, which is why I'm a socialist.

Hispanic-Cool-Guy · Answer

Yes and no. You're not suppose to conserve the status qou if the status quo is BS and its a bad idea or vaule.

You suppose to conserve what works and what doesn't work or benefit the country and its citizens as a whole then you get rid of.

SmokinAces2000 · Answer

Conservatism serves no purpose in a progressive society, this isn’t the 60s.

RolandCuthbert · Answer

Define Conservatism.

KostasKouvalis · Answer

I support moderate conservatism

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