Conservatism

"Conservatives" redirects here. For specific political parties, see Conservative Party.
This article is about conservatism as a political and social philosophy. For other uses of conservatism and conservative, see Conservatism (disambiguation).
Not to be confused with Conservation movement.

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Conservatism is a cultural, social, and political philosophy and ideology that seeks to promote and preserve traditional institutions, customs, and values.[1][2][3] The central tenets of conservatism may vary in relation to the culture and civilisation in which it appears.[4] In Western culture, depending on the particular nation, conservatives seek to promote and preserve a range of institutions, such as the nuclear family, organised religion, the military, the nation-state, property rights, rule of law, aristocracy, and monarchy.[5][6] Conservatives tend to favour institutions and practices that enhance social order and historical continuity.[7]

Edmund Burke, an 18th-century Anglo-Irish statesman who opposed the French Revolution but supported the American Revolution, is credited as one of the forefathers of conservative thought in the 1790s along with Savoyard statesman Joseph de Maistre.[8] The first established use of the term in a political context originated in 1818 with François-René de Chateaubriand during the period of Bourbon Restoration that sought to roll back the policies of the French Revolution and establish social order.[9]

Conservatism has varied considerably as it has adapted itself to existing traditions and national cultures.[10] Thus, conservatives from different parts of the world, each upholding their respective traditions, may disagree on a wide range of issues.[11] One of the three major ideologies along with liberalism and socialism,[12] conservatism is the dominant ideology in many nations across the world, including Hungary, India, Iran, Israel,[13] Italy, Japan, Poland, Russia, Singapore, and South Korea. Historically associated with right-wing politics, the term has been used to describe a wide range of views. Conservatism may be either libertarian or authoritarian,[14] populist or elitist,[15] progressive or reactionary,[16] moderate or extreme.[17]

  1. ^ Hamilton, Andrew (2019). "Conservatism". Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy.
  2. ^ Encyclopædia Britannica: "Conservatism, political doctrine that emphasizes the value of traditional institutions and practices."
  3. ^ Heywood 2004, pp. 166–167: "In particular, conservatives have emphasized that society is held together by the maintenance of traditional institutions such as the family and by respect for an established culture, based upon religion, tradition and custom."
  4. ^ O'Hara, Kieron (2011). Conservatism. London: Reaktion Books. ISBN 978-1-86189-812-8. It is clear that conservatives are influenced not only by their ideology, but also by the political context – no surprise there – but contexts vary and so, therefore, do conservatives.
  5. ^ Neill 2021, p. 2: "[C]onservatives favour the importance of ‘natural’ forms of authority, such as the monarchy, the church, the nation and the family."
  6. ^ Giubilei 2019, p. 37: "Conservatives aim to conserve the natural and fundamental elements of society, which are: private property, family, the homeland, and even religion […] the right-wing conservative is such not because he wants to conserve any regime and any institutions, but rather specific institutions and particular values."
  7. ^ Encyclopædia Britannica.
  8. ^ Fawcett 2020, pp. 3–18.
  9. ^ Muller 1997, p. 26.
  10. ^ Heywood 2017, p. 63.
  11. ^ Vincent, Andrew (2009). Modern Political Ideologies. John Wiley & Sons. p. 79. ISBN 978-1-4443-1105-1.
  12. ^ Nisbet 2002, p. 15.
  13. ^ Cite error: The named reference :13 was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  14. ^ Heywood 2017, p. 74: "While contemporary conservatives are keen to demonstrate their commitment to democratic, particularly liberal-democratic, principles, there is a tradition within conservatism that has favoured authoritarian rule, especially in continental Europe."
  15. ^ Micklethwait, John; Wooldridge, Adrian (2004). The Right Nation: Conservative Power in America. Penguin Books Limited. ISBN 1594200203. Americans who describe themselves as 'conservatives' nevertheless disagree on almost all the most fundamental questions of life. […] The Straussians at the Weekly Standard are philosophical elitists who believe that the masses need to be steered by an educated intelligentsia. The antitax crusaders who march behind Grover Norquist are populists who believe that pointy-headed intellectuals need to be given a good ducking.
  16. ^ Heywood 2017, p. 63: "The Canadian Conservative Party adopted the title Progressive Conservative precisely to distance itself from reactionary ideas."
  17. ^ Fawcett 2020, p. 59: "Conservatives can be radical or moderate. It depends on the state of the contest, on the stakes in the contest, and on which party is attacking, which defending."