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Conservatism
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Conservatism is the body or disease to be corrected. Error is its opponent and so is science. Conservatism is opposed to both. Error is like a stream set in motion, governed by no theory, only chance. Science is the wisdom that directs error. Conservatism is the body to move.
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Conservatism is a term used to describe political philosophies that favor tradition and gradual change, where tradition refers to religious, cultural, or nationally defined beliefs and customs. The term is derived from the Latin, [C]om servare, to preserve; "to protect from loss or harm". Since different cultures have different established values, conservatives in different cultures have differing goals. Some conservatives seek to preserve the status quo or to reform society slowly, while others seek to return to the values of an earlier time, the status quo ante.
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Conservatism has a commonality of philosophy amongst its members simply because there is a commonality of experience that has brought these people to their political views. You're far more likely to find yourself agreeing with someone whose life has paralleled your own, because he is much more likely to have arrived at the same conclusions you have. This is why the gatherings of conservatives produce crowds that all tend to look alike.
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Conservatism as an identifiably distinct political philosophy began with classical conservatism. Classical conservatism is "non-ideological" in that classical conservatism is defined more by its choice of means than of ends. Professional philosophers refer to this as a deontological (as against a consequentialist) position. Classical conservatism, by definition, is sceptical of plans to re-model human society after an ideological model. While an individual classical conservative may favour left- or right-leaning government, the defining aspect of classical conservatism is a belief in the importance of continuity with tradition, and that political change should come about through legitimate governmental channels. Classical conservatives generally oppose disenfranchisement, gerrymandering, or other political chicanery; above all, they oppose revolution.
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Conservatism as a political philosophy is difficult to define, encompassing numerous movements, and conservatives sometimes disagree about which parts of a culture are most worthy of preservation. Thus religious conservatives may be at odds with nationalist conservatives. Today, conservatives are considered right-wing, that is, anti-communist, may sometimes be contradictions between alternative conceptions of conservatism as the ideology of preserving the past, and the contemporary worldwide conception of conservatism as a right-wing political stance. But Martin Blinkhorn asks the question, "who are the 'conservatives' in today's Russia? Are they the unreconstructed Stalinists, or the reformers who have adopted the right-wing views of modern conservatives such as Margaret Thatcher?"[1]
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Conservatism is easily held to political ridicule by its opponents. Because of their anchorage in the past, conservatives are usually accused of "facing backwards," of being opposed to the mainstream of America, of marching into the Dark Ages, of feudalism of retrogression. The capitalist, being the only true liberal and true progressive of history, is not burdened with this image. Conservatives tend to harm their own cause by calling collectivists and socialists by names such as liberal, radical, progressive. They usually are content with talking about the "good old days" and the "wisdom of the past ages." But to most people the old days were days without TV, without washing machines and automobiles, days of hard manual toil for low wages and personal low standard of living. They don't want to return to these things.
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Conservatism