The Routledge Dictionary of Politics, Third Edition
Conservatism is a political theory which is peculiarly difficult to define because one aspect of conservative thought is its rejection of explicit ideology and its preference for pragmatism in political matters. It is also difficult to define because different societies and generations do not necessarily seek to preserve the same things. Although some elements common to conservative values can be traced back to the early history of political thought, conservatism as a distinctive political creed emerged in the 18th century, when it became necessary to present arguments against the rationalist thinkers of the European Enlightenment, the utopianism they hoped to create, and the radical forces unleashed by the French Revolution. In Britain Edmund Burke published his classic work Reflections on the Revolution in France, which emphasized the importance of traditions, institutions and evolutionary change as opposed to abstract ideas, individualism and artificially designed political systems. In France Joseph de Maistre provided a more reactionary version of conservatism in essays which defended established authority against revolutionary ideas; he emphasized the need for order and the importance of the specific national traits in a given political system.
Conservatives do not necessarily oppose change in itself, but they are sceptical about attempts to fashion a perfect society in accordance with some pre-existing model.
They also tend to believe that man is flawed by weaknesses that make certain ideal goals illusory, although not all of the major conservative thinkers relate this view to the Christian notion of Original Sin. They regard their support for tradition as reflecting their humility in the face of the experience of earlier generations—an experience which they believe to be crystallized in institutions.
At the level of political practice a number of conservative parties exist in the political systems of Western Europe and the Commonwealth. In continental Europe the parties which share conservative values have typically not called themselves conservative. Most have preferred to use terms like Christian Democrat, or, as with the attempt to re-create the now defunct Italian Christian Democratic Party, the ‘People’s Party’. In France Gaullism, as the main conservative force, has used conservatism’s call to national unity and patriotism both in its labels and in much of its electoral appeal. Conservatism is as much a matter of personal outlook and reaction as a particular creed: it makes sense, therefore, to talk about the conservative wing in a socialist party, for example, stressing the importance of experience, socialist tradition, respect for organizational continuity and so on.
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