A Question of Temperament [What makes one a conservative?] First of a Series

The Wall Street Journal ^ | Tuesday, December 3, 2002 | ROGER SCRUTON

[TroutStalker]

LONDON -- Here and there in the modern world you can find countries with conservative parties. Britain is one of them. But the U.S. is the last remaining country with a genuine conservative movement.

This conservative movement is expressed in politics, in social initiatives among ordinary people, in the media, and in intellectual journals with an explicitly conservative message. True, political philosophy in the American academy has been dominated by liberals, and by the project to which the late John Rawls devoted his life, of producing a theory of justice that would vindicate the welfare state. Nevertheless, even in American universities, you can come across conservatives who are prepared to defend their beliefs.

[Just another Joe]

"We the people," it says, constitute a nation, settled in a common territory under a common rule of law, bound by a single Constitution and a common language and culture. Our primary loyalty is to this nation, and to the secular and territorially-based jurisdiction that makes it possible for our nation to endure. Our national loyalty is inclusive, and can be extended to newcomers: but only if they assume the duties and responsibilities, as well as the rights, of citizenship. And it is reinforced by customs and habits that have their origin in the Judaeo-Christian inheritance, and which must be constantly refreshed from that source if they are to endure. In the modern context, the American conservative is an opponent of "multiculturalism," and of the liberal attempt to sever the constitution from the religious and cultural inheritance that first created it.

An excellent article, TS.
If you start up a ping list for this type of thing, put me on it.

[joebellis]

for further review

[TroutStalker]

I just started one for this series. You're at the top Joe.

[airborne]

A conservative view to a problem - "How can I solve this?"

A liberal view to a problem - "What's the government doing to solve this?"

[Dudoight]

Yes, please ping me when the following segments appear. Thanks.

[TroutStalker]

Will do.

[jlogajan]

There are two kinds of conservatives. One kind is for smaller government. The other kind is for bigger government.

One kind wants the government to be leave everyone alone. The other kind wants to control everyone's behaviors.

The controlling types are usually "cultural conservatives." They aim to conserve the culture they desire, and their tool is the regulatory power of the state.

The will inhibit trade, regulate food, drug and drink, regulate clothing, regulate music, TV, art, regulate bedroom activities, regulate (favor) religions, regulate medical procedures, regulate lifestyle choices.

They believe they have infalible knowledge of how all people shall live their lives, and they will seize the power of the state to enforce that vision on all of us.

[laotzu]

We have an obligation to rise above acting on animal instinct; to apply the moral judgement we were all blessed with to our actions. On that day, it will be how seriously we took that obligation that we are judged.

A conservative knows that excusing baser instinctual behavior in oneself; or worse, actively promoting/providing for it in others, will earn you a special place down front in hell(next to the French).

[MoralSense]

Roger Scruton was introduced to me by John Derbyshire. Scruton is apparently a church organist and philosopher. He is also mentioned prominently in "The Abolition of Britain," a marvelous book by Christopher Hitchens' brother, Peter.

[ex-snook]

"Yet another conservative journal has appeared recently, and the high profile of its editor -- Patrick Buchanan -- will lead to much speculation about what is really meant by the journal's name: "American Conservative." Maybe a British conservative can cast a little light on this. It is a tautology to say that a conservative is a person who wants to conserve things: the question is what things? "

In Freeperland things 'what to conserve' takes 3 forms.
(1) 'Conservatives' to conserve GOP first - Bush bots.
(2) 'Conservatives' to conserve Israel first - Sharon bots.
(3) 'Conservatives' to conserve America first- Buchanan bots.

Now I'll head for the foxhole.

[Dutchgirl]

Yes, please add me to your conservativism essay ping list.

BTW (old but true)

Old fishermen never die, they just smell that way!

[TroutStalker]

Added to the list. And you catch more fish with flies than with vinegar.

[conservatism_IS_compassion]

This does not mean that conservatives are pessimists. In America, they are the only true optimists, since they are the only ones with a clear vision of the future and a clear determination to bring that future into being.

Ronald Wilson Reagan

[conservatism_IS_compassion]

first in an occasional series

This oughta be good!

Paul Gigot done himself proud today;
the whole editorial page is good reading!

[Snuffington]

A *ping* your way for a good article about conservatism.

[notpoliticallycorewrecked]

Add me too! I think that my name says it all.

NPC

[TroutStalker]

Done.

[docmcb]

Excellent essay. Please add me to the ping list.