Page 26 - History 2020

born as a response to Jacobinism. This is an important point; as we shall see in a
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future session, both beliefs were products of the 18 century Enlightenment.

Burke used the word “conserve” and his French admirers came up with the word
“conservateur” – conservative. But what this word means is not a constant; it
changes over time - which may seem slightly ironic*. On one level conservatism is
hardly new or exceptional: a belief in organic change, tradition, the organic nature of
society, private property, religion, the complexity of life, and a hatred of radical
change and revolution, these ideas have existed in some form throughout history.

Aristotle, for instance, argued that in morality or politics, there is no expert
knowledge, merely human experience accumulated over generations. Confucius is
remembered for his veneration of ancestors and tradition. English common law
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based on precedent, an idea developed by lawyer Edward Coke in the 17 century, is
another example. Many think conservatism is not actually a philosophy or ideology,
merely a disposition.

* In 1830 the Quarterly Review suggested that “what is called the Tory might with more propriety
be called the Conservative party”; Tory was seen as reactionary (backward-looking) and its leaders
Canning and Peel adopted the name. At the same time “Liberal” began to be used for the Whigs;
“Tory” also survived, “Whig” did not.) Non-British Empire countries use other names, “Christian
Democrat” in Europe, “Republican” in the USA.

Burke was not recognized as “the founder of modern conservatism” until the later
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19 century, a time of huge changes. Democracy was coming in; Labour was rising;
New Women rode bikes and talked about the vote; German and American

competition was threatening. Many Tories were uneasy, beginning to feel that
upholding “Church and State” was not enough to hold back the rising tide of change.
Burke’s ideas offered them a consistent, worked-out theory to support their beliefs,
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expressed in stirring 18 century prose. By that time his anti-Tory, Whig background
was forgotten. His ideas fitted their bill, and were duly adopted; Burkean
conservativism” was born. Once again, conservative ideas developed in response to

change.

Burke’s conservatism should not be seen merely as rejection of change or blind
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adherence to the past. Nor did it reject reason, the biggest single theme of the 18
Enlightenment. Burke said, “a state without the means of some change is without the
means of its conservation”. But change must be cautious, wary of unintended
consequences, and respectful of the wisdom embodied in ancient institutions. Even
prejudices, he argued, contained “latent wisdom”. His approach to change required
the exercise not of abstract but of practical reason, to judge between what is and is

not worth conserving. What it does strongly reject is the idea of blueprints for change