Conservatives will resist libertarians as fiercely as they will resist socialists if they pursue their abstract ideas to logical – but practically destabilising – conclusions.
In A Case for Conservatism the writer John Kekes lists the “conditions” necessary for the common good:
“These conditions, in alphabetical order, are:
civility (reciprocal good will among citizens),
equality (in the legal and political status of mature and responsible citizens),
freedom (from interference, and to live according to one’s conception of a good life),
healthy environment (the absence of pollution),
justice (criminal and distributive),
order (maintained through the rule of law),
peace (domestic and international),
prosperity (high enough living standard to provide citizens with the means to live according to their conception of a good life),
rights (guaranteed by a written Bill of Rights, precedent, or unwritten tradition),
security (from physical violence and social coercion),
toleration (non-interference with unpopular ways of life and conduct),
and welfare (a decent level of education, employment, health care, housing and nutrition).”
Kekes argues that true conservatives will understand the importance of all of these conditions. He accuses liberals of over-emphasising such conditions as freedom and rights and he accuses socialists of over-emphasising equality and welfare.
Equilibrium conservatives will stand for different things at different times
Equilibrium conservatives will reject gluttonous ideologies that unbalance society by fetishising certain social goals. This opposition to extremes has led conservatives to stand for different things with different people at different times.
When society has been trending towards anarchy, conservatives have emphasised ‘moral rearmament’ and the state’s responsibility to maintain law and order. When bloated government has been squeezing the life out of businesses and neighbourhood groups, conservatives have stood for liberty and a smaller state.
Equilibrium conservatives will find common cause with liberals when the greatest threat to equilibrium is bigger government. A Christian socialist may be a conservative’s co-belligerent when intruder capitalists are the greater threat to social peace.
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