POLS 102 Lecture Notes - Lecture 13: Civic Nationalism, Ethnic Nationalism
Document Summary
Modern conservatism arose in opposition to the liberal ideas of the french revolution and the enlightenment. Edmund burke (1729-1997) argued that the tried and tested was always to be preferred to radical change. He criticized the liberal emphasis on individual rationality, taking a far less optimistic view of human nature. Enlightenment scientific enquiry, way of looking at society. Characteristics of conservatism: an aversion to rational" projects of political change, a preferences for an organic" society, in which everyone knows their place. Reject individualist view of conservatism the two should be seen as opposites. It provides a broad map what not to do : deriving an ought" from an is" this is the way it is that doesn"t mean it is how it should be or that it is right. In recent decades free-market policies have been advanced by politicians who claim to be conservative.
