In my last article, I explained how liberalism began with Plato, and how his basic premise -- that humans are fundamentally good -- led to the understanding that it was ignorance that made humans commit evil deeds.
Therefore, utopian liberals want rid the world of "ignorant" beliefs. (That is: beliefs they disagree with.)
So what did the first conservative, Aristotle, think?
Aristotle was taught by Plato, but like many students since, he turned from the Dark Side.
Unlike liberals, conservatives do not believe that human nature is fundamentally good. Aristotle in Ethics emphasized that a person must strive to do good, and by making the habit of performing good actions, you could form a good character.
Thomas Sowell put it this way: “Each new generation born is in effect an invasion of civilization by little barbarians, who must be civilized before it is too late.”
Having good character requires a person not to think properly, but to behave properly. Man becomes a good person by doing good things; similarly, a man becomes an evil man by doing evil things. For Aristotle and conservatives ever since, man has been considered, at best, amoral. However, we can become moral by being trained to be good and then responding in a moral way when faced with the opportunity to do so.
Society expends a tremendous amount of energy trying to form good people. A conservative society would focus on encouraging individuals to do good. Conservatives tend towards the encouragement of the civil society, while liberals focuse upon the political society. Civil society includes voluntary institutions that are not part of the government: Scouts, youth groups; Big Brothers, Big Sisters; and most importantly, the family. Other examples include 12-Step programs, churches, and community service organisations.
All of these things thrive when men are free to make moral choices. Members develop character by trying to live up to a higher moral standard. In the pursuit of higher ideals, members are edified, enjoy good company and ideally, are left better than they were before they arrived.
Nothing should be more satisfying to a parent, mentor or sponsor than helping to make another person better. It should certainly be more satisfying than thinking you are a good person just because, in the manner of liberals, you hate Ted Cruz.
As is the case with liberalism, the conservative emphasis on doing the right thing is displayed in attitudes about education and speech. A conservative is far more likely to argue that certain things should be taught at home rather than in the classroom. Sex-ed is a good example. When I was a liberal, the idea that parents could be trusted with the education of children on any topic horrified me. At the same time, however, I believed that I could raise perfect children because I held the right beliefs.
Free speech is another way conservatives emphasize actions rather than thoughts or mere words. A conservative believes in free speech, unless it is incitement to violence -- that is, violent action.
The emphasis on actions and ideals, as opposed to simply ideals, is why a liberal is so often a hypocrite and a conservative so rarely is. A hypocrite is a person who tells others to follow a moral standard but does not try to follow it themselves.
When Al Gore and his cronies and kleptocrats fly around on private jets to climate change conferences in Tahiti, they are being hypocrites.
When a Christian commits a sin she is not a hypocrite if she held herself to a standard, failed to live up to it, and then admits what she did was wrong and strives to improve.
Liberals aren't bothered by saying one thing and doing another because actions are not as important to them. Conservatives are greatly bothered, however, because actions are important.
I imagine that there were people who read my last post on Plato, who identify as liberals, who said to themselves, "Hang on! I don't think that way." The fact is, very few people who identify as liberals (or Liberals) are in fact liberal. But one thing they do know is that hating conservatives is a big part of "liberal" identity.
The way a conservative thinks is far different from the way a liberal does. Conservatives are less concerned with how people think than liberals are. This is why liberals have a history of totalitarianism that conservatives do not have -- but
I will talk about some of the consequences of liberalism next time...
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