- Joined
- Jun 10, 2015
Before the discussion starts, I understand that conservatism is defined somewhat differently in the US than in my native country (conservatives in my country usually aren't pro-gun or hyper-nationalistic, for instance) so I will give a definition of Western conservatism in general, in the context of its usual manifestation as being authoritarian and capitalist so everyone can understand what they're talking about:
CONSERVATISM
1. Traditional institutions, laws, practices and the status quo need to be preserved and change must be resisted
2. Humans are imperfect, flawed, malevolent, selfish and greedy, and cannot be "made" to be better than they naturally are; as explained by Thomas Hobbes in his assertion that humanity's natural state is a war of all against all (i.e. chimps flinging shit at each other)
3. The above can only be solved by having a strong State to provide order and stability by enforcing strict laws and using strict punishments when said laws are broken, therefore preventing humans drifting into the state of all against all
4. A positive view of whatever traditional, established religion there is (usually Christianity in the West, Islam in the Arab world) as a stability-creating institution that gives people a sense of belonging and timeless values to be preserved (which may or may not cross the line into religious fanaticism & theocracy)
5. Society is organic: it is arranged in a particular way because that's the way it best works and any attempt to rearrange it differently (through reform or revolution) will result in mild cultural degradation at best and total societal breakdown at worst
6. Economic and social inequality is a good thing because it encourages a fixed hierarchy where people in different positions have particular duties to fulfill according to their rank, which again, provides order and stability. There is a 'natural aristocracy' in society where the elite rule over and guide the masses, and crack down on anyone who tries to defy their authority because it is their job to do so, just as much as it is everyone else's job to respect their authority.
7. Private wealth and property, and a deregulated economy are paramount to encourage conservative ideals such as thrift and competition, and the State should take as little from the individual's wealth as possible so he can keep as much of it as he can so he can feel stable in an inherently unstable world.
8. Strong restrictions on immigration, to ensure that the nation remains an exclusive nation unless immigrants would be of huge benefit to the country
Those are the main points of conservatism, some of which may be emphasised more than others or gotten rid of entirely in particular schools of conservative thought (one-nation conservatism vs Thatcherite conservatism in Britain for example) but still remain in all conservative ideologies.
DISCUSS.
(Note: I am not a conservative myself, I actually really hate conservatism, I just wanted to see other people's take on it is all.)
CONSERVATISM
1. Traditional institutions, laws, practices and the status quo need to be preserved and change must be resisted
2. Humans are imperfect, flawed, malevolent, selfish and greedy, and cannot be "made" to be better than they naturally are; as explained by Thomas Hobbes in his assertion that humanity's natural state is a war of all against all (i.e. chimps flinging shit at each other)
3. The above can only be solved by having a strong State to provide order and stability by enforcing strict laws and using strict punishments when said laws are broken, therefore preventing humans drifting into the state of all against all
4. A positive view of whatever traditional, established religion there is (usually Christianity in the West, Islam in the Arab world) as a stability-creating institution that gives people a sense of belonging and timeless values to be preserved (which may or may not cross the line into religious fanaticism & theocracy)
5. Society is organic: it is arranged in a particular way because that's the way it best works and any attempt to rearrange it differently (through reform or revolution) will result in mild cultural degradation at best and total societal breakdown at worst
6. Economic and social inequality is a good thing because it encourages a fixed hierarchy where people in different positions have particular duties to fulfill according to their rank, which again, provides order and stability. There is a 'natural aristocracy' in society where the elite rule over and guide the masses, and crack down on anyone who tries to defy their authority because it is their job to do so, just as much as it is everyone else's job to respect their authority.
7. Private wealth and property, and a deregulated economy are paramount to encourage conservative ideals such as thrift and competition, and the State should take as little from the individual's wealth as possible so he can keep as much of it as he can so he can feel stable in an inherently unstable world.
8. Strong restrictions on immigration, to ensure that the nation remains an exclusive nation unless immigrants would be of huge benefit to the country
Those are the main points of conservatism, some of which may be emphasised more than others or gotten rid of entirely in particular schools of conservative thought (one-nation conservatism vs Thatcherite conservatism in Britain for example) but still remain in all conservative ideologies.
DISCUSS.
(Note: I am not a conservative myself, I actually really hate conservatism, I just wanted to see other people's take on it is all.)
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Would you like to explain why you think conservatism is gay?
