Conservatism, rightly understood, is neither a political program nor an ideological persuasion – though one could be forgiven to think such given the current sad state of affairs of political conservatism. Conservatism is a disposition. It – “It” here should be used in the sense of referring to an ethos – is an appreciation for the little platoons, local ties, community, family, nation. The conservative man seeks the preservation of those institutions that have proven themselves necessary for civilization and a peaceful – if not tranquil and harmonious – society. Conservatives understand that hierarchies are celestial, that there is a natural order, and that the forces of liberalism and modernity seek to radically change said order in unnatural ways by destroying and replacing institutions. The conservative is skeptical of – even repulsed by – such radical change. The conservative is a content person, as Russell Kirk noted, “All that we reasonably can expect is a tolerably ordered, just, and free society, in which some evils, maladjustments, and suffering will continue to lurk.” The radical programs of change – either the consolidation of the state under socialist liberalism or the radical disintegration of the state under libertarian liberalism – are anathema to the conservative. While liberalism seeks to remake society – by some form – in its own image, the conservative – much like Tolkien’s hobbits – only works towards a well ordered, peaceful society. Yes there is still some bad, but there is also plenty of good and little chance of the whole thing spiraling into some sort utopian or egalitarian hell. To reject modernity in favor of a simpler life is a conservative disposition – though to think that the state could ever mandate such would be alien to a conservative. We realize that from the beginning of time and till its end, conservatives will be a reacting force, trying to slow the wheels of modernity and liberalism that grind away at the natural beauty of man and replace it with something have less of a soul. We are cheerful in our failing task none-the-less for as Kirk noted, “The only true forms of equality are equality at the Last Judgment and equality before a just court of law; all other attempts at leveling must lead, at best, to social stagnation.” This is our lot in life, as it were. Let us not think, however, that the conservative is without his defenses. Albert Camus noted that revolution is inherently a destructive act, an act to destroy existing institutions to be replaced by more monstrous ones. Revolution is the weapon of liberalism, the harbinger of disorder. The rebel on the other-hand, rebels against this inclination. A rebellion is an act to restore old rights, old customs, old institutions that have been taken away. The liberal and radical are always revolutionary in their mindset, the conservative is always rebellious. Perhaps the American Revolution would be more aptly named the American Colonial Rebellion. Finally, the conservative understands the concept of forbidden knowledge. Just because we know or understand something does not mean we should do it or put it into common practice. We tend towards romance and fantasy over the cold brutality of science and modernity. The former is a much simpler and honest way to live a good life. This is not to say, however, that conservatives reject reason or truth. As C.S. Lewis noted, “Reason is the natural order of truth; but imagination is the organ of meaning.” Both concepts remain equally important to the conservative, though skepticism of modernity helps preserve the later. All-in-all, the conservative is simply a faithful, humble man; a person who recognizes humility, charity, and seeks the eternal truth – all-the-while recognizing the importance of institution, custom, tradition, and the natural order and permanence of things.
Posted on: Thu, 19 Sep 2013 03:56:41 +0000
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