The Conflicted Roots of Conservatism | Kimberly Phillips-Fein | Big Think

TL;DR

Conservatism is multifaceted, blending tradition preservation and pro-market ideologies with a common thread of distrust in conscious societal change.

Transcript

foreign well conservatism people who write about conservatism know that the idea is a vexed one in some ways that conservatism as a political ideology contains within itself several different strands that are in some ways really at odds with each other so one strand flows from I guess you would say the reaction against the French Revolution and Edm... Read More

Key Insights

• 😊 Conservatism comprises conflicting strands: tradition preservation and pro-market ideology.
• ❓ The tension between tradition preservation and market influence poses internal contradictions.
• 😮 American conservatism's historical rise is tied to backlash, intellectual growth, and grassroots activism.
• ☕ Elements of conservatism like racial conservatism and religious fundamentalism existed pre-New Deal era.
• 🫵 Conservatism's views on rationality, inequality, and state intervention shape its ideology.
• ❓ Market influence threatens traditional social structures, creating conflict within conservatism.
• 👀 American conservatism reflects a blend of historical backlash and forward-looking activism.

Questions & Answers

Q: What are the two main strands of modern conservatism discussed in the content?

The two main strands are tradition preservation, eschewing conscious societal change, and pro-market ideology favoring market influence without state interference.

Q: How does the pro-market ideology conflict with conservatism's focus on tradition preservation?

The market's radical transformations threaten traditional social structures like family, community, and religion that conservatism aims to protect, showing internal contradiction.

Q: How is the rise of American conservatism seen historically, according to the content?

Historically, American conservatism is viewed as a reaction against liberalism post-World War II but also tied to intellectual growth and grassroots activism since the New Deal era.

Q: Can conservatism be traced back to elements like racial conservatism and religious fundamentalism pre-New Deal era?

Some historians argue that elements of conservatism like racial conservatism, religious fundamentalism, and market ideology existed before the New Deal, awaiting reawakening.

Summary & Key Takeaways

• Conservatism has conflicting strands: one preserves tradition and opposes conscious societal change, while the other promotes market influence without state interference.

• The belief in preserving organic social relationships clashes with the radical transformations the market brings about.

• Historically, American conservatism has been viewed as a backlash against liberalism but also tied to intellectual growth and grassroots activism.