[What follows is a continuation of Philosophical common ground, a brief glimpse into the history and composition of the American Conservative Movement. This installment will summarize the movement's philosophical foundation, or First Principles.]

In our Republic, certain freedoms and equalities coincide, such as freedom of speech and equality for all under constitutional law. But freedom and equality are routinely confused with one another in most of the Western nations, and in fact the words are often erroneously interchanged.

Moreover, common sense counsels that our constitutional republic can either be mostly free or mostly equal, but it cannot be both.

Freedom, responsibly applied

To paraphrase John C. Calhoun, if everyone is completely free, the gifted will rise and the less fortunate will sink, thus promoting inequality. Only when the gifted are artificially impeded and the less fortunate are artificially elevated can equality be established, thus promoting subjugation.

Which brings us to the conservative movement’s core principles. If you recall, William F. Buckley, Jr. and Frank S. Meyer developed their doctrine of “fusionist” conservatism. Its highest value was freedom, to be used responsibly as a means to pursue traditionally-defined goals. They understood that while holding liberty dear, our constitutional equalities are sacred and must be protected.

Six Canons of Conservative Thought

The American political theorist and sometimes irascible conservative intellectual Russell Kirk, in 1953, proposed his six canons in The Conservative Mind: From Burke to Santayana. While not embraced by all conservatives, it served as a tribute to the brilliant Edmund Burke (who greatly influenced the Founders) and offered the movement an imperfect but utile benchmark:

1. Belief in a transcendent order, which Kirk described variously as based in tradition, divine revelation, or natural law;
2. Affection for the “variety and mystery” of human existence;
3. Conviction that society requires orders and classes that emphasize “natural” distinctions;
4. Belief that property and freedom are closely linked;
5. Faith in custom, convention, and prescription, and
6. Recognition that innovation must be tied to existing traditions and customs, which entails a respect for the political value of prudence.

Many conservatives rejected Kirk’s reading of the conservative tradition, as well as what they perceived as his misinterpretation of Burke. With apparent justification, others refuted Kirk due to his anti-Semitic vein. Still, Kirk’s writings stimulated dialogue over the movement’s guiding principles and were instrumental in its growth.

Ten Conservative Principles

Kirk expanded his concept of conservative tenets in the short 1957 essay, The Essence of Conservatism. In it he offered an early version of the ten principles. It was in his book The Politics of Prudence, however, where Kirk presented a refined set of Ten Conservative Principles, complete with detailed descriptions for each. The principles are listed below, minus their descriptions (use the hyperlink provided to review Kirk’s original thoughts):

• First, the conservative believes that there exists an enduring moral order;
• Second, the conservative adheres to custom, convention, and continuity;
• Third, conservatives believe in what may be called the principle of prescription;
• Fourth, conservatives are guided by their principle of prudence;
• Fifth, conservatives pay attention to the principle of variety;
• Sixth, conservatives are chastened by their principle of imperfectability;
• Seventh, conservatives are persuaded that freedom and property are closely linked;
• Eighth, conservatives uphold voluntary community, quite as they oppose involuntary collectivism;
• Ninth, the conservative perceives the need for prudent restraints upon power and upon human passions; and
• Tenth, the thinking conservative understands that permanence and change must be recognized and reconciled.

And as to the Modern Liberal claim that “conservative” is synonymous with “stale,” Kirk responded:

“Change is essential to the body social, the conservative reasons, just as it is essential to the human body. A body that has ceased to renew itself has begun to die. But if that body is to be vigorous, the change must occur in a regular manner, harmonizing with the form and nature of that body; otherwise change produces a monstrous growth, a cancer, which devours its host.”

“The conservative takes care that nothing in a society should ever be wholly old, and that nothing should ever be wholly new. This is the means of the conservation of a nation, quite as it is the means of conservation of a living organism.”

Finally, there are some very young, very bright conservative thinkers amongst us who have whittled down the ten principles into a somewhat more manageable form and more in conformance with today’s issues. One such young intellectual, Patrick Sean O’Sullivan, offers this abstracted version. I rather prefer Patrick’s:

1. Belief in natural law;
2. Belief in established institutions;
3. Preference for liberty over equality;
4. Suspicion of power — and of human nature;
5. Belief in exceptionalism, and
6. Belief in the individual.

Beyond principles

So what does all this mean to those of us who prescribe to the American Conservative Movement, and can the application of these principles be as effective in today’s political climate as they were in 1994?

The answer to the second part of the question is a resounding “yes.” You must remember that until 2006, Congress and the White House were held by the Republican Party.

It was through the Republicans’ lack of fiscal discipline, lack of conservative leadership, and the abandonment of conservative principles that the people’s trust eroded and thus the opportunity for principled conservative stewardship was needlessly squandered.

The answer to the first part is dependent upon the willingness of various factions within the movement to find concordance. In America, conservatism has succeeded every time it has been applied, but only when conservatives shared a unity of purpose and were rigorous in their adherence to principles.

Keep studying

This exercise was too brief to properly afford the attention due such an encompassing subject as American conservatism, and out of necessity too many of our salient intellectuals and their works were omitted or glossed over.

However, it does reflect my perception of our movement and where it stands today; any flaws or misconceptions are mine.

It is hoped that the material and reference links provided here whet the collective appetite of our next generation of conservatives, as well as reacquaint veterans of the movement with the essence of our beliefs.