Thought-Factory.net Philosophical Conversations Public Opinion philosophy.com Junk for code
hegel
"When philosophy paints its grey in grey then has a shape of life grown old. By philosophy's grey in grey it cannot be rejuvenated but only understood. The owl of Minerva spreads its wings only with the falling of dusk." -- G.W.F. Hegel, 'Preface', Philosophy of Right.
RECENT ENTRIES
SEARCH
ARCHIVES
Library
Links - weblogs
Links - Political Rationalities
Links - Resources: Philosophy
Public Discussion
Resources
Cafe Philosophy
Philosophy Centres
Links - Resources: Other
Links - Web Connections
Other
www.thought-factory.net
'Constant revolutionizing of production, uninterrupted disturbance of all social conditions, everlasting uncertainity and agitation distinquish the bourgeois epoch from all earlier ones ... All that is solid melts into air, all that is holy is profaned.' Marx

populist conservatism « Previous | |Next »
September 20, 2008

Conservatism was once a frankly elitist movement. Conservatives stood against liberalism radical egalitarianism and the destruction of rigorous standards. They stood up for classical education, hard-earned knowledge, tradition experience and prudence. Wisdom was acquired through immersion in the best that has been thought and said.

In contrast to this classical kind of conservatism there has always been a separate, populist, strain. For those in this school, book knowledge is suspect but practical knowledge is respected. The city is corrupting and the universities are kindergartens for overeducated fools.The elitists favor sophistication, but the common-sense folk favor simplicity. The elitists favor deliberation, but the populists favor instinct.

This populist tendency produced the term-limits movement based on the belief that time in government destroys character but contact with grass-roots Australia gives one grounding in real life and produces character. This has usually been an agrarian populism.

| Posted by Gary Sauer-Thompson at 11:52 PM | | Comments (1)
Comments

Comments

A quote from H L Mencken re America at least.

As democracy is perfected, the office of president, represents, more and more closely, the inner soul of the people. On some great and glorious day the plain folks of the land will reach their heart's desire at last and the White House will be adorned by a downright moron.