How Did Conservatism Come To Be?

Dear reader,

this week, we'll go right over to the other end of the political spectrum and look at Conservatism - the reaction to the changes of the 18th-century political scene.

The Origins of Conservatism

• It started as a reaction to radical political change - the revolutions. We may call it the response to the French, English and American revolutions.

The French Revolution And Conservatism

• The purpose of the revolution was to replace the monarchy with a written constitution (very simply put). This would be a triumph for liberalism. (read why that is here).

• Conservatives start to promote the ideas of “change to conserve”.

Human Nature In Conservatism

• Conservatives believe that human nature is inherently flawed and limited.

• T. Hobbs took the same, sceptical, stance in his understanding of the State of Nature (= there is no government or ruler, a time before a state).

• Hobbs wrote in response to the English Civil War, which he lived through. The Civil War shaped his thinking greatly, resulting in him claiming that the State of Nature would be similar to a “state of war” due to individuals’ selfish desires.

• T. Hobbs has many similar ideas to Conservatism, however he was not a Conservative, since Conservatism as an ideology did not exist at the time

Conservative Beliefs

• Some claim that conservatism is not an ideology but more of a reaction or psychology. This is because unlike other political ideologies, Conservatism does not have specific underlying principles, and this can make it incredibly flexible and adaptable. The downside of this is that there are a number of inconsistencies in their beliefs.

• Conservatives usually support institutions such as monarchy or the government, but do not support institutions such as trade (worker) unions.

There are, however, certain branches of Conservatism that have developed over the years, which have attempted to lay down some principles. In the next blog, you can find more details on these following versions of Conservatism:

1. Traditional Conservatism

2. One-Nation Conservatism

3. The New Right Conservatism

* Please note that at no point in this blog am I providing legal advice or claiming to be a professional. These blogs are for entertainment and educational purposes only.*