Dogmatics of Conservatism

1. Authority and property are the two central concepts in conservative philosophy. Authority is central because, according to Burke, ‘the first requisite of a society is that means exist for the restraint of men’s passions.’ A conservative view of authority is that it is seperated between family, church, and political government, with all three having a specific and unique role to play. Property is so central because it represents ‘the very condition of man’s humanness, his superiority over the entire natural world.’ Property in the conservative view is necessarily tied to family.
2. The corporate rights of states and local communities are important because, according to conservatives, they are needed in order to act as intermediaries between the national government and the individual in the formatino of a ‘chain’ of authority built upon the ‘social bond.’ Society and its customs are expected to give the individual a place as a member of the community, which in turn must be given the freedom of authority over the individual. In fact, when an individual’s rights are defended against the group to which he belongs, then he is actually tearing down the very authority which is making sure that his rights are respected, even when they are unspecified (for this is nothing other than a recognition that there is no power which can rightfully impede them.)
3. It should be hard for people to rise above their station because inequality of opportunity is what motivates men to better themselves. Freedom needs hierarchy in order not to dissolve into chaos and anarchy – there must be a ‘rule and order’ present, which protects the liberty of society’s members.
4. To the conservative, the market system runs the risk of being based too much upon personal needs and attempts for gain, as property is no longer tied necessarily to the family. The capitalist process takes the life out of the idea of property because within it, there is no longer any complete concrete ownership of anything, which abolishes the desire to guard what is owned, and even perhaps leading to socialism eventually.
5. The church, the family, and the village (with their consituent members) are all obliged to charity and quite seriously, as they are the ones closest to the needy, who can provide best for them. The government, then has a duty to strengthen and protect the social order, so that these groups are freely able to practice the virtue of charity.
6. Fervent devotion to religion is a problem for conservatives when it causes an invasion of one’s moral life into political life and seeks to enforce one’s ideas upon others. Religion is valuable for conservatives, however, in that a sense of morality and loyalty to one’s faith are important for the liberty of a society to be maintained and also in that the church can help balance the state’s power.