What is a "Burkean Conservative?"

A "Burkean Conservative" is a person who ascribes to conservative political philosophy in the tradition of Edmund Burke.

Edmund Burke was an 18th century philosopher and statesman widely credited for developing classical conservatism. He took strong stances against the violence and progressivism of the French Revolution while also taking a position of sympathy and leniency towards the more justified impulses of the American Revolution. Today the ideas, speeches, and political stances of Edmund Burke serve to philosophically differentiate conservatism from other beliefs. However, Burke's ideas are still too often ignored and disregarded by leading American intellectuals today. Far too many conflate conservatism with libertarianism or simple nostalgia, and in doing so they ignore the true intellectual roots and maturity of the conservative perspective.

What are the principles of Burkean Conservatism?

Natural Law: ​Burke believed that man’s understanding of his own nature must at all time times be fallible and incomplete. He wrote that, “the nature of man is intricate, the objects of society are of the greatest possible complexity: and therefore no simple disposition or direction of power can be suitable either to man’s nature, or the quality of his affairs.”

Empiricism: Even though natural law and human nature are complex, Burke believed that humans could ascertain truth through the perception of reality over time. He argued that the nature of historical causality afforded people with far greater knowledge of themselves than they could ever ascertain through reason alone.

Tradition: ​The past, according to Burke, should be respected and studied because it is a source of this inherited wisdom.   Taking advantage of this knowledge would educate people of the present, showing them that success requires eternal vigilance and confrontation to forge growth and virtue out of struggle.

Equality: While respecting its wisdom, Burke was under no illusions that the past was perfect. He acknowledged that "a state without the means of some change is without the means for its conservation." He recognized, for example, that racism was rampant in his own time. He therefore took strong stances against the slave trade, the mistreatment of foreign civilians by businesses, and government suppression of natural equality.

Prudence: Burke knew that he had to proceed pragmatically to change the paradigm and common ideas of his time. He employed a meticulous view of change that aimed to sort out the good from the bad. His concept of "prudence" reflected a recognition that good and evil were present in every person. Rather than demonizing his opponents, Burke aimed to educate the public about the issues and rally support to his cause.

Reformation: Burke claimed that “a disposition to preserve, and an ability to improve, taken together, would be my standard of a statesman." The success Burkean conservatives cultivate should reflect the order of the world, not by nostalgia or utopianism but by recognition of truth, order, and their society’s place in time.

What does a modern day Burkean Conservative look like?

The 21-st century Burkean conservative is a person who lives out the principles outlined above. He or she is motivated by love of family, community, and country to serve others. He or she is a person who is deeply educated in history, culture, and ethics. From this understanding the conservative demonstrates a deep appreciation for the mystical nature of the universe and the moral and epistemological complexities surrounding politics. Practically, the conservative seeks to utilize prudence when making decisions that affect others. The conservative is thus largely a reformer by trade, one who seeks to smoothly bridge what is best in the past with the most promising innovations of the future. This person lives out precisely what Burke himself wrote in Reflections on the Revolution in France: “A disposition to preserve, and an ability to improve, taken together, would be my standard of a statesman."

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