Political conservatism in the nineteenth century Christian world

Abstract

This paper investigates political conservatism in the 19th century Christian world with an analysis of its major characteristics and approach to major political norms and institutions. Political conservatism in this particular setting was distinguished with its opposition to change in general and radical change in particular; rejection of rationalism as a guide for human action; and recourse to tradition, religion and experience for guidance. Its approach to major political norms and institutions is, secondly, identified in the support for medieval political institutions of monarchy, aristocracy, religion with a distaste of popular politics. For the conservatives of the 19th century Christian world, history and experience was attesting that all great civilizations, all major political powers and all prosperous nations of history were produced by monarchies. Aristocracy, secondly, had to be preserved for it represented a distinguished class of merit constituted by people who were advanced in knowledge, wisdom, virtue, courage, success and such qualities. Religion, thirdly, was not only helping produce good people who observe order, law and peace, but it was also an essential whole of truth. Democracy, on the other hand, was interpreted as detrimental to state sovereignty and authority often producing anarchy and disorder. This hardcore posture was gradually modified towards the end of the century, however, and in a much radical way in the Protestant world, with the elitist unpopular vision substantially scaled down and democracy accepted as an alternatively effective type of political regime.