preference forpragmatismin 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, theutopianismthey hoped to create, and the radical forces
unleashed by the French Revolution. In Britain EdmundBurkepublished his
classic workReflections 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 likeChristian
Democrat, or, as with the attempt to re-create the now defunct Italian
Christian Democratic Party, the ‘People’s Party’. In FranceGaullism, 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 asocialistparty,
for example, stressing the importance of experience, socialist tradition, respect
for organizational continuity and so on.
Conservative Party
The modern British Conservative Party is the product of several different
historical strands of ideology and party organization. In an important sense the
Conservatives have never had an ideology in the sense of a programmatic
theory of governance—indeed they have often campaigned on a stand of sheer
Conservative Party