Conservatism/Draft replacement
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- Note: This is for record only. The article has already been replaced, by an expanded version of this draft.
Conservatism is a generic term for a wide range of ideologies, political philosophies, political movements, and social and cultural attitudes, which oppose change to some degree, and seek to limit change in some way. All conservatives would reject the proposition "Change is good in itself". Etymologically, conservatism implies the preservation of something which already exists, but the etymology does not match its use, resulting in confusing expressions such as 'radical conservative' and 'conservative revolution'. Conservatism is often equated with the political right, but is much older than the left-right division.
More specifically, conservatism designates the ideology of Conservative political parties, in various countries. It is then often spelt with a capital C, to distinguish it from the general form. Whether or not there is a separate Conservative party, the use of the term varies widely from country to country. Conservatives also vary widely in the limits to innovation which they propose. Most mainstream secular conservatives insist that change should be organic - no break with the existing society. Christian conservatives look to the Bible for their limiting criteria, and there are many other sources for such limits.
There is no general theory of the origins of conservatism. Some conservatives justify some of their views (on race and inequality, for instance) through biological theories and analogies. There is a recognised principle of homeostasis in living organisms, but there is no specific theory of the biological or evolutionary origin of conservative attitudes.
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[edit] Universality and historical impact
Conservatism is a universal ideology or philosophy: conservatives consider theirvalues to be valid for all persons, not just for themselves. Consequently, there is no great tradition of conservative separatism, and conservatism is a political force, seeking to implement policy. Since not everyone is a conservative, now or in the past, conservatism is historically associated with repression of non-conservatives. The more comprehensive the conservatism, the more it impacts on others. A conservative regime will necessarily be repressive, and in Europe the catholic-nationalist-conservative regimes of Salazar and Franco are notorious examples. The Franco regime came to power in the Spanish Civil War and executed thousands of its political opponents, tortured and persecuted many others, imposed rigid censorship, and promoted a monocultural Spanish identity.
Within democratic polities, conservatives seek to impose conservative values through legislation and government policy, and occasionally by stating them directly in the constitution. This brings them into conflict with others, and results in polarisation, normally by the formation of one of more conservative parties, and opposing parties. (Not all conservative parties use the word in the party name, or its slogans). The population will also tend to polarise: conservatism is a major axis in the construction of a political spectrum.
Conservatives have a strong orientation to values, which they consider universal. Consequently, they tend to reject the validity of other political ideologies. Conservatives don't see anarchism, for instance, as different: they see it as wrong. The formal presumption of ideological neutrality, in liberal-democracies, is a source of friction with conservative groups, who believe that their values precede or override the political process. Conservatives often claim that their values are the 'national values' or 'community values', which are beyond political discussion and must be enforced. This belief in shared, and inherently necessary, constitutive values is a feature of communitarianism, but that is not a synonym for conservatism.
[edit] Impact on other ideologies
Many forms of conservatism incorporate elements of other ideologies and philosophies. In turn, conservatism has influenced them. In most cases the impact is reciprocal, as between conservatism and nationalism. Most present conservatives strongly support the nation-state (although that was not so in the 19th century), and patriotically identify with their own nation. Nationalism, which sees the nation as a long-term, centuries-old, community, has many conservative aspects.
[edit] Classification of conservatism
All forms of conservatism have a negative attitude to change. On logical grounds conservatisms can be subdivided into categories...
- preservation of the existing society, as it is, and in its totality - museum conservatism. Very few conservatives fit this description, although it is linguistically the most accurate interpretation of the term. Most conservatives reject some elements of present societies, and their conservatism is specific. Campaigns to freeze something in its present state, are usually directed at preservation of national identity, in the face of assimilation to an external culture.
- Traditionalism values the older elements in society and culture, and for their survival and continuation. The movement to keep avoirdupois weights and measures in Britain (and not replace them with the metric system) is a classic example. This kind of romantic and nostalgic traditionalism is important in nationalism. Radical traditionalism is possible, and if it is directed at the replacement of elements which have disappeared, then it can be called restorationist. A restorationist revolution is not only a theoretical possibility: there are several historical examples, the best known is the 17th century English Restoration. The word 'revolution' is originally a metaphor derived from the a wheel turning in a full circle, back to its past position.
- a value preference for permanence and sustainability. Although sustainability is associated with environmentalism, which some conservatives detest, it is clearly related to conservatism. However, that which is 'intended to survive' may not yet exist, so it may have to be imposed: a 'sustainability revolution' is a theoretical possibility, in societies dominated by short-term perspective.
- reactionary conservatism, directed at the reversal of specific past changes. The conservatism of the 19th century was usually reactionary: the French Revolution was the prime target, and still is for monarchist Catholic conservatives in France.
- conservatism as anti-innovationism - a radical and utopian goal in itself. It implies that conservatives ultimately seek a radically different form of society, one designed to suppress innovation. Since such a society has never existed on this planet, this form of conservatism can not appeal to past models. The idea of a radical transformation of society, for contra-innovative purposes is suggested as one theoretical explanation for fascism (with a small f, the generic form). This is the form of conservatism most likely to be associated with the non-conservative right, with which it shares rejection of some demands of the left. Although in its pure form this conservatism has few supporters, many conservative movements seek some structural changes, to prevent certain other changes.
[edit] Values
Different forms of conservatism emphasise different values, including among others these value preferences
- order over 'chaos' and 'anarchy'
- orientation toward the past rather than the future
- unity and homogeneity, over discord and fragmentation
- existence over possibility
- slow and incremental change over utopian projects
- acceptance of inequality, over egalitarianism and redistribution
In addition most modern conservatives support the free market and capitalism, although an economic system as such is not conservative. (the free market, in its present form, is an early-modern innovation).
[edit] Conservatism and the right
In western democracies, 'conservative' and 'right-wing' are often used interchangeably, as near-synonyms. That is not always accurate, but it has more than incidental validity. Certainly the enemy is in both cases the same: the political left. (Although left-wing groups and individuals may have conservative social and cultural attitudes, they are not generally accepted, by self-identified conservatives, as part of the sme movement). On economic policy and the economic system, conservatives and the right generally support the free market, although less so in Europe than in North America. Attitudes on some ethical and bio-ethical issues - such as opposition to abortion - are accurately described as either 'right-wing' or 'conservative'.
