Conservatism

Political Conservatism is not so much a philosophy found in the declarations of philosophers or in the platforms of political parties. It is a way of thinking, a natural resistance to change found in most men. It is more of an attitude than a doctrine. It is a desire to preserve the customs, mores, conventions, and religions that give mankind a sense of belonging, individuality, comfort, and hope.

Political conservatism does not depend exclusively upon the group, class, race, religion, ethnicity, or the family in which one is raised. It is more a matter of individual temperament. People tend to stereotype African Americans as liberals, but there are many conservative Black people such as Justice Clarence Thomas, Ohio’s Kenneth Blackwell, Larry Elder, Alan Keyes, Shelby Steele, J. C. Watts, and others. Similarly, American Jews are often stereotyped as being politically liberal, when, in fact, many of the leading conservative spokesmen are Jewish including William Kristol, son of the famed conservative writer Irving Kristol, John Podhoretz, son of the noted conservative writers Norman Podhoretz and Midge Decter, Jonah Goldberg, syndicated columnist, and others.

The fact that conservatism and liberalism are both matters of temperament is proven in many large families. Children can be raised in the same house by the same parents and yet, as they grow older, they diverge in their political beliefs. Older people tend to be more conservative than younger people. College professors and scientists tend to be more liberal than ordinary people. Religious ministers and priests tend to be more conservative than laymen. People in rural areas tend to be more conservative than people in cities. I assume that part of the rural conservative temperament arises out of the fear of losing the way of life and the natural beauty and glory that permeates the country setting.

To the extent that there are philosophical underpinnings for modern political conservatism, some of it stems from the Reformation of the Sixteenth Century. While the Reformation was a liberating movement, Luther, Melanchthon, Calvin, and Knox were conservatives, and many of the sects that developed from their philosophy were conservative. When the Puritan sects that emerged from the Reformation came to America, they brought with them a strict cultural and moral ethic that influenced American customs and beliefs and that still survives today.

If any philosopher could be considered the father of modern political conservatism, it would probably be the Irish statesman, author, orator, and political theorist, Edmund Burke. Burke opposed the French Revolution, and wrote that the proper formulation of government comes from patient development of the state through societal institutions such as the family and the Church. He believed in private property and the class system.

Perhaps the most influential name in modern American conservatism is that of Barry Goldwater, U.S. Senator from Arizona in the 1960s. Goldwater was an ardent anti-communist who campaigned against the welfare state, social programs, labor unions, and the growth of the federal government. His book, “The Conscience of a Conservative,” was a best seller read by conservatives and liberals alike.

The leading conservative intellectual of our time was the late William F. Buckley, Jr., an author, magazine publisher, television personality, and columnist. Buckley voiced all of the conservative principles espoused by Goldwater and Reagan, and did so with erudition, wit, and a remarkable vocabulary.

While there are many conservative personalities on television, talk-radio, and in the newspapers today, the leading intellectual conservative is probably George Will. He tends to concentrate on his opposition to big governmental initiatives like stimulus packages, bailouts, social programs, and governmental health care coverage.

Both conservatives and liberals have the same goals for America. Both seek freedom, prosperity, security, and world influence. While their prescriptions for achieving these ends vary widely, there should be no doubt about their unity of purpose.