Ten Conservative Principles by Russell Kirk

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[Publius804]

Ten Conservative Principles

by Russell Kirk

Being neither a religion nor an ideology, the body of opinion termed conservatism possesses no Holy Writ and no Das Kapital to provide dogmata. So far as it is possible to determine what conservatives believe, the first principles of the conservative persuasion are derived from what leading conservative writers and public men have professed during the past two centuries. After some introductory remarks on this general theme, I will proceed to list ten such conservative principles.

Perhaps it would be well, most of the time, to use this word “conservative” as an adjective chiefly. For there exists no Model Conservative, and conservatism is the negation of ideology: it is a state of mind, a type of character, a way of looking at the civil social order.

The attitude we call conservatism is sustained by a body of sentiments, rather than by a system of ideological dogmata. It is almost true that a conservative may be defined as a person who thinks himself such. The conservative movement or body of opinion can accommodate a considerable diversity of views on a good many subjects, there being no Test Act or Thirty-Nine Articles of the conservative creed.

In essence, the conservative person is simply one who finds the permanent things more pleasing than Chaos and Old Night. (Yet conservatives know, with Burke, that healthy “change is the means of our preservation.”) A people’s historic continuity of experience, says the conservative, offers a guide to policy far better than the abstract designs of coffee-house philosophers. But of course there is more to the conservative persuasion than this general attitude.

It is not possible to draw up a neat catalogue of conservatives’ convictions; nevertheless, I offer you, summarily, ten general principles;

[Publius804]

This man deserves to be rediscovered again & again. Pass this on.

[SnakeDoctor]

Rush Limbaugh’s “35 Undeniable Truths of Life” and “Second 35 Undeniable Truths of Life” aren’t a bad starting point either.

H

[Bob J]

I always find these “what’s a conservative?” musings...well, amusing.

Personally I think conservatism can be jelled down into one general concept...that people have a responsibility for their own lives and familes, should only look to others (guvmint?) when thay have exhausted their own alternatives and that they then have moral obligation to those who have lent them a hand.

This concept can be applied to everything from government spending to national defense.

[sam_paine]

I always find these “what’s a conservative?” musings...well, amusing.

Well, on generic musings, you'd be right.

Uh, but lumping RUSSELL FRIKKIN KIRK's writings into "musings" is like saying Daniel Boone was just a guy with a funny hat, or Thomas Paine was just some guy who wrote some articles once.

[Publius804]

Well said...Dr. Kirk was one of the intellectual founders of the modern American conservative movement, whose ideas are still relevant today. That is why I posted this.

[Bryan24]

“We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness.—That to secure these rights, Governments are instituted among Men, deriving their just powers from the consent of the governed, —That whenever any Form of Government becomes destructive of these ends, it is the Right of the People to alter or to abolish it, and to institute new Government, laying its foundation on such principles and organizing its powers in such form, as to them shall seem most likely to effect their Safety and Happiness.”- The Declaration of Independence

[sam_paine]

The fact is, I think the response to your post was interesting.

The fact that anyone on even a 'conservative' site like FR might not even know who Kirk is, is really all you need to know about the state of the Kirk/Buckley/Goldwater/Reagan movement today.

[sam_paine]

Ironically, that document you post was written by the founder of what would later become the Democratic Party! Just sayin’! =)

[kalee]

ping

[RC2]

Considering the name “Russel”.....do you all know who “William Huntington Russell” is. Google it. Quite interesting. Or...go here http://www.kmf.org/williams/bushbook/bush7.html

[JWinNC]

"This man deserves to be rediscovered again & again"

I'll second that.

jw

[Rudder]

So where are the ten? Don’t tell me you excerpted this when you didn’t have to, did you?

[Publius804]

You have to follow the link..its a longer piece than can be posted here.

[CPT Clay]

Almost all coservative thought refers back to Mr. Kirk.