Posted by
Virginia Daddy on Monday, October 30, 2006 9:57:13 PM
This second of more to come posts on what defines a conservative will try to look a little deeper into the philosophy of conservatives. There, I think, is a common philosophical undertone to all varieties of conservatives, especially when compared with our liberal counterparts. This undertone relies on rules that are based on reason and observable consequences that follow from observation and past experience.
As I stated in part 1, conservatives tend to believe in a set of rules that must be followed. While these rules vary from differing groups of conservatives, the fact that rules exist remains true. Without going on into which rules different groups of us maintain quite yet, let me state the importance of this: we believe things are the way they are for a reason. Some examples:
--Social conservatives believe marriage between a man and a woman has been the bedrock of society since time began because a) it was God's design (evident through nature) b) changing this definition radically alters the playing field and opens doors to previously unthinkable behaviors.
--Economic conservatives tend to think low taxes are important because our economy works best when we keep our money. We, individually, know best how to spend it and use it for the benefit of all. This is evidenced by the fact that when taxes are high, the economy is always in more flux and slower than otherwise.
--Libertarian conservatives think that the individual knows best on all issues, and is evidenced by the intent of the founding fathers and based on the past experience that shows most growth when we, as individuals, retain all freedoms.
Under each is an idea that what has worked in the past will work best now because of experience, religion, and example. But also involved in this, and not to be overlooked, is reason. To each of these groups, reason is the key on which they drive their points home. The rationale is always up for debate, but logic and not emotion play the primary role in defining the points of view. For if something has worked before and if by watching human behavior they see certain patterns and results, it follows that rules should be set to work within the bounds of those patterns and consequences.
Consequences are another key aspect of conservative thought. For conservatives believe that consequences exist and can be terribly dangerous if unheeded. Ultimately, on a philosophic level, this is what drives conservatives: the undesired results of social, economic, or governmental experiments. It is not fear that drives them so much but confidence in what is and what works, though progressives often call it exactly that.
What, then, are conservatives "afraid" of? Well, this is not a piece on liberalism or progressive thought, but its suffice to say that progressives continually seek to push the proverbial envelope further. They rely more on emotion and compassion (a word I think that is as dangerous as it is positive) than pure reason. They discard traditional use of words and institutions to fit their view of what the world should be.
And that difference and conservative views on triton, words, and institutions will be what I focus on next...