Conservatism helps societies evolve successfully

I’m prompted to write this note by a recent article in The Daily Sceptic. The article is about the origins and changing meaning of ’conservatism’ in British politics, which show that it embodies no fixed ideology. There seems to me to be a good deal of truth in this observation. For me, a conservative frame of mind (small ’c’) is a necessary balancing factor for individuals and societies.

As we all know, the mind generates many kinds of thoughts. These range from emotions such as love, fear, altruism, greed and envy to logic and methodical reasoning. Consistency isn’t however a default setting of our minds – reason and emotion for example seem doomed to contradict each other.

Everyday conservatism reflects our instinct for survival, a way of protecting ourselves and others against uncertainty. It limits the extent to which we take risks. People with something to lose – not necessarily a lot – wisely view ideologies with suspicion. To complicate matters further, we have more to lose than material possessions. Dignity, self-worth, our identities both as individuals and as members of a society, are all assets which help make life worthwhile.

The difficulty with ideologies is that in order to make some degree of sense they have to be selective. The variety of thoughts coexisting in the mind of one person let alone a whole society makes selection unavoidable. Selection however automatically devalues any thoughts or feelings which are set aside in this way. Expressions such as ’there is no sentiment in business’ reflect this. So does the ruthless political statement ’you can’t make an omelette without breaking eggs’.

Politics is basically about power – how to get it and what to do with it. People construct ideologies to justify and guide their actions. It helps if they are based on demonstrable truth but it is more important that potential supporters should accept that they are.