Conservatism 1 Conservatism is widely believed to have been founded by Edmund Burke who argued for what became many of its core concepts in his 1790 book Reflections on the French Revolution Since then this ideology has disseminated across the world and integrated with local culture and customs to evolve into many variations Although conservative politics across the world do not always agree on policies and legislation some core principles of traditional conservatism like those proposed by Edmund Burke remain definitive This essay will examine the arguments for and against traditional conservatism The overarching themes in traditional conservatism include preserving social order and stability preventing government tyranny and promoting individual accumulation of wealth 1 Conservatives believe that these are the necessary foundations for a just society 2 While this ideology claims noble intentions and espouses some truths its hallmark methods to achieve a better society are often controversial After first understanding the arguments for conservatism we will then question its place in the modern world Tradition is regarded by conservatives as the collective wisdom accumulated throughout history The survival of ancient traditions is a testament to their value 1 Any changes to the status quo are treated with extreme caution and suspicion Even when traditional policies are imperfect the people at least know what to expect so it is argued that society is better off dealing with the proverbial devil we know Since social experimentation sometimes results in choas that may affect all members of society like the French Revolution commented on by Edmund Burke1 it should be resisted Unity within the collective is valued over dissent and exchange of radical ideas If changes should happen conservatives argue for them to happen 1 Sargent Lyman Tower Contemporary Political Ideologies a Comparative Analysis Belmont CA Wadsworth 2009 137 139 2 Denes Ivan Zoltan Conservative Ideology in the Making Budapest Hungary Central European University Press 2009 11 Conservatism 2 slowly and only after due resistance so as to make sure that it truly is an improvement upon the present condition Regarding the role of government conservatives seek to limit its influence especially in areas of economics and social services 1 A core principle of conservatism is anti egalitarianism which is to say that everyone in society has their place within a hierarchy and will do well to stay there to preserve the integrity of the whole Conservatism highlights the natural inequality of ability in different people to justify the inevitable differences in wealth and power Related to the idea of anti egalitarianism is the concept of self reliance Conservatives argue that since the more able individuals naturally deserve more rewards for their superior work it is unethical to try to eliminate these differences through rising tax brackets industrial regulation social benefits and other avenues of wealth redistribution 3 Such policies are regarded as aimed at handicapping the wealthy and industrious while giving the poor and lazy an incentive to not work hard and rely on government assistance Conservatives hold dear their autonomy and liberties especially in the process of accumulating property and material wealth but here is usually one exception when it comes to government interventions which is moral issues Social norms and traditional definitions of morality are held as important yet delicate foundations of the fabric of society The idea of moral relativism is abhorrent to most conservatives It is argued that if there is no fundamental standard for morality then potentially any activity may be justified In the absence of a strictly enforced common code of ethics conservatives fear that the possible domino effects upon society may be unfathomable For the good of social stability some urges must be restrained so that society preserves a certain degree of decency and thus government intervention is an acceptable trade off 3 The conservative point of view suggests a dismal view on human nature People are held to be irrational stirring up turmoil when tradition offers stability expecting rewards without 3 Russell Kirk Prescription Authority and Ordered Freedom In What is Conservatism Frank S Meyer ed New York Rinehart Winston 1964 24 Conservatism 3 producing making overly generalized national policies without consideration for local customs and giving in to immoral urges instead of maintaining common decency Daniel Kahneman indeed gave empirical evidence for the fallibility of human reasoning We assume people are rational actors in decision making Kahneman showed that people are in fact inexplicable irrationality sometimes resulting in the vicious cycle that conservatives warn about 4 While conservative theory is not without its merits many cases demonstrate that it is detrimental to society when put into practice In centuries past when change and information was less forthcoming traditional practices had greater longevity Nowadays many traditional laws are being rendered obsolete by rapid changes in technologies and culture One familiar example is the United States 2nd Constitutional Amendment which supposedly guarantees citizens ability to own and carry firearms The original intent was to prevent the federal government from intimidating individual states through force and the law was passed at a time when firearms were relatively inefficient more expensive and less readily available Today at least two problems undermine the original aim The first is that modern firearms are cheap common and fire rapidly with deadly accuracy even in the hands of untrained criminals What was meant to protect the people from government tyranny now subject them to the oppression of random acts of violence The second is that while militia centuries ago may defend their home from federal troops who used similar weapons there is simply no way that a group of civilians wielding small arms can fight off tyrannical armies who can deploy tanks and helicopters Thus new problems have emerged out of tradition even as benefits have waned A newer example is the advent of drone warfare The United States Constitution stipulates that although the President is a Commander in Chief during wartime he must obtain Congressional approval to declare war thus creating a check and balance of power between the legislative 4 Daniel Kahneman Amos Tversky Prospect Theory An