What is Conservatism to you?

[404.livejournal.com]

I have started on Dr. Alitt's excellent primer on the Conservative Tradition, through The Teaching Company (available @ http://www.teach12.com/ttcx/coursedesclong2.aspx?cid=4812 for those who are interested, it costs money though, but not too much, especially when compared to university level classes), and it got me thinking about what I feel Conservatism as a political philosophy really is. Obviously given from the word that is used: Conservative, which denotes careful planning and rational development, but is that all it is? I am curious in what y'all think it means. Maybe this will spark a conversation that does not break down into name calling, but we shall see.

Comments

[a-new-machine.livejournal.com]

The point was that condescension like that cuts both ways - a point your reply actually reinforces. The fact is that there are reasonable liberals, and reasonable conservatives. That this thread has shown evidence of the unreasonable ones is a symptom of the community, not of the movements at large.

[geezer-also.livejournal.com]

You are correct of course.
I did not make the remarks to be condescending, altho I understand how they could be interpreted as such, I really need to be more careful with my words. (I struggled with the natural arrogance of youth, and while age has given me some control verbally, I'm still new to written discussion/debates)