The profane idea that paradise can be built on earth.
"To Be A Conservative Is To Prefer The Tried To The Untried,
The Fact To Mystery,
The Actual To The Possible,
The Limited To The Unbounded,
The Near To The Distant,
The Sufficient To The Super-Abundant,
The Convenient To The Perfect Present,
Laughter To Utopian Bliss."- Michael Oakeshott, 1962
Conservatives do not believe that men can be perfected or that heaven can be built on earth. Their scepticism is rooted in an awareness of every man’s fallen condition. Their historical studies have taught them that utopianists who have promised some form of earthly paradise – not least the French and Russian revolutionaries – have tended to deliver something more akin to hell.
Conservatives are sceptical of all forms of market, state or scientific fundamentalism – all of which they see as gluttonous ideologies.
Societies are best protected from utopianists by a respect for inherited wisdom and separations of power. Because of the natural tendency of all man-made ideas, institutions and empires to decay, conservatives do not believe in putting every egg in the same basket. They believe in a dispersal of power. This dispersal should be between local and national government – between competitive businesses – and, within civil society, conservatives believe in subsidiarity.
EUtopianism and UNtopianism
Today’s most fervent utopianists believe in the power of supranational government to solve the greatest challenges of our time. But most of the world’s multinational organisations have become Babel-like talking shops populated by metrosexual multilateralists. The UN typifies this problem. It is highly corrupt (partly because it doesn’t face democratic scrutiny) and it has has been weak in the face of disasters such as Bosnia, Rwanda, Sudan and Iraq.
The EU is a much more worthwhile organisation but is now past its sell-by date. Whilst the EU was successfully formed to bind warring European nations into a community of economic self-interest, it is failing to address today’s greatest challenges – not least the war on terror.
'Can do' conservatism
Even if conservatives shun utopianism they should not shun idealism. Heaven on earth may be impossible but conservatives should never excuse hell on earth.
It has been said that "there are circumstances in which you cannot accomplish anything unless you think that you can accomplish everything." An informed scepticism of human possibility shouldn't lead conservatives to disavow all ideas of progress. Progressive conservative ideas - particularly when rooted in an optimistic disposition - offer the greatest hope of advancing social justice and other goals long monopolised by the political left.
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