Progress pill
Political families under the microscope

Conservatives

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Conservatives

  • Freedoms in the conservative vision
  • A brief history of conservatism
  • Great thinkers of conservatism
  • A problematic flexibility
  • The emergence of neoconservatism
  • Conservative thought in quotations
Like every political family, conservatism is not a unified doctrine. It has adapted to different epochs and different cultures, and there are substantial differences between Anglo-Saxon conservatism and its continental European counterpart.

Freedoms in the conservative vision

As the Nolan Diagram shows, conservatism exhibits a strong dichotomy between societal and economic freedoms, the mirror image of what we observed with the socialists:
  • Freedoms: strong in the economic sphere but weak in the societal sphere. In the economic domain, conservatives defend the free market, entrepreneurship, and private property, largely for pragmatic reasons and in strong opposition to socialism. In the societal domain, restrictions are justified by the preservation of traditional moral norms and social stability.
  • Cardinal values: virtue, order, tradition, civilization.
  • Philosophy and principles: Conservatives believe that things are generally good as they are, and that any change could make them worse. At the heart of this philosophy lies a deep attachment to roots, to the past, and a fear of change that is too brutal. They hold a profound respect for long-established social institutions, seen as essential protections against chaos and the excesses of modernity. Everything that already exists and has proven itself over time is considered good in itself. As one American encyclopedia of conservatism puts it: conservatism is a philosophy that seeks to maintain and enrich societies through respect for inherited institutions, beliefs, and practices, in which individuals develop good character by cooperating with one another in primary and local associations such as families, churches, and social groups. Tocqueville observed this dynamic in Democracy in America: religion and local communities served as powerful counterweights to the risks of individualism.
  • Politics: The nation-state is considered the principal axis of politics. Conservatives advocate traditional social controls, strong national defense, and more extensive police powers. They oppose all forms of socialism or communism, which they accuse of corrupting and weakening society.
  • Economy: The economy remains a tool for reinforcing the established order and national power. Conservatives support free enterprise, low taxation, and minimal regulation of business. But they fear that too much individual freedom could engender immorality or civilizational decline. As Otto von Bismarck put it: "The economy is the surest path to national greatness." Even as partisans of the free market, conservatives view economic freedom not as an end in itself but as a lever for maintaining a strong state.

A brief history of conservatism

The doctrine finds its philosophical roots in the eighteenth century, born in reaction to the French Revolution. Edmund Burke is often cited as the founding figure of this opposition, advocating the preservation of institutions and traditions against radical change. Burke championed prudence: even if he could embrace certain principles of the Revolution, he believed society should advance not by making a clean slate but through gradual reforms.
In nineteenth-century Europe, conservatism often manifested as support for the monarchy, the Church, and the established social order in the face of rising liberalism and nationalism. Figures like Joseph de Maistre in France represented a deeply reactionary strain. De Maistre harbored an absolute hostility toward reason, believing that men are not beings of reason and that society can only be governed by appealing to deep instincts, hence the crucial importance of religion. These reactionaries advocated a return to feudal, agricultural, and artisanal society, viewing industrialization as a threat to the traditional social order.
In the twentieth century, particularly in the United States, conservatism developed around the ideals of individual liberty, limited government, free markets, and Christian values, often in opposition to the progressive policies of the New Deal. This Anglo-Saxon conservatism was far more modern, having fully accepted scientific and technological progress while attempting to reconcile community and individual, freedom and responsibility. In Britain, Margaret Thatcher exemplified this tendency through her opposition to trade unions and centralized planning, always with the underlying goal of restoring moral and religious values as a bulwark against the excesses of progressivism.

Great thinkers of conservatism

  • Edmund Burke (1729-1797): Often considered the father of modern conservatism, Burke insisted on gradual, organic change rather than revolutionary rupture. His Reflections on the Revolution in France (1790) laid the intellectual foundations of Anglo-Saxon conservatism.
  • Michael Oakeshott (1901-1990): A British philosopher known for his critique of rationalism in politics, Oakeshott defended a conception of conservatism as temperament rather than systematic ideology. His essay On Being Conservative (1956) remains an essential reference that also influenced Friedrich Hayek.
  • Roger Scruton (1944-2020): A contemporary British philosopher who developed a sophisticated defense of conservative values in the context of late modernity, particularly in his book The Meaning of Conservatism.

A problematic flexibility

Conservatism sometimes displays a troubling flexibility with regard to principles. During the 2008 financial crisis, George W. Bush declared: "I have abandoned free-market principles to save the free-market system." The following year, he added: "I have gone against my free-market instincts and approved a temporary government intervention." By intervening to bail out the major banks, Bush assumed the conservative role of the state as ultimate guarantor of the national economy, placing the power and continuity of the nation above the abstract principles of the market. This same logic can be found in Donald Trump's protectionist trade policies, pursued in the name of the national interest at the risk of fueling corporatism and crony capitalism.

The emergence of neoconservatism

From the 2000s onwards, neoconservatives became increasingly involved in justifying military interventionism to implant democracy around the world, particularly after the September 11, 2001 attacks. This policy of "nation-building" broke with the traditional prudence of conservatives in matters of foreign policy. In reaction, traditional conservatives claimed the label "paleoconservative" to distinguish themselves from neoconservatives. They criticize military interventionism, defend a more isolationist foreign policy, and place greater emphasis on questions of national and cultural identity.

Conservative thought in quotations

A conservative is someone who believes that nothing has ever been done for the first time. Benjamin Disraeli
Conservatism is not a rigid system of thought, but a disposition, an attitude toward life, a tradition. Michael Oakeshott
Conservatism is the conviction that there exists a moral truth that we did not invent and that we cannot abolish. Roger Scruton
This last quotation is fundamental for understanding the strong opposition of conservatives to progressives. Conservatives hold that there is a human nature, and from that nature emerge moral rules. These rules are not arbitrary; they arise from what the human being fundamentally is. Consequently, any attempt to modify human nature is not only doomed to failure but is, above all, immoral.
Quiz
Quiz1/5
What distinguishes neoconservatives from paleoconservatives in their approach to foreign policy?